They Might Be Giants (TMBG) released its independent, self-titled first album in 1986, five years after MTV debuted on U.S. cable stations. That was a long time ago, back when the channel still aired music videos and backed genres like college rocker, alternative and indie pop, which were eventually abandoned during the rise of grunge […]
They Might Be Giants
Posted inArts & Culture
Rio Sex Comedy
But, wait … aren’t Rio de Janeiro and Istanbul separated by some 6,300 miles? Yes, and that kind of lackadaisical looseness is what keeps the movie from building on initial strength. Continuing the year’s apparent trend of Brazilian settings, “Rio Sex Comedy” is less colorful than the animated “Rio” and less slick than “Fast Five,” […]
Posted inMusic
The Gardes — Make Out the Sound
If you chuckled just now, you have the right sense of humor to enjoy the goofy, low-key songs contained in “Make Out the Sound.” Its nine, seemingly off-the-cuff performances are marked by low-to-mid-fi acoustic guitar, tambourine and a general feel of gleeful subversion, making early Mountain Goats and They Might Be Giants equally effective RIYLs. […]
Posted inMusic
Zipper parts
Having too much good material isn’t the worst problem to have, but it does present a few challenges. Oklahoma City nerd rockers Dr. Pants didn’t know what to do with the 20-plus quality songs they had amassed for a new album. Their first thought was to pile them together, but a double-disc release seemed too […]