Mink Car

Performer: They Might Be Giants
Artist: Mike Doughty
Distributor: Ryko Distribution

Notes: They Might Be Giants: John Flansburgh, John Linnell. The Band Of Dans: Dan Miller (guitar); Dan Weinkauf (bass); Dan Hickey (drums, percussion). Additional personnel includes: Mike Doughty (vocals); Garo Yellin (cello); Jim O'Connor (flugelhorn); Dan Levine (trombone); Guy Pratt (bass); Hearn Gadbois, Luis Jardim (percussion); Chris Maxwell, Phil Hernandez (programming). Producers include: Albert Caiati, Pt Dillett, Clive Lnager, Alan Winstanley, Adam Schlesinger. Engineers include: Jason Spittle, Cosmo Heidtman, TJ Doherty. Personnel: Mike Doughty, Cerys Matthews (vocals); Dan Miller (guitar); Garo Yellin (cello); Wayne Hankin (rauschpfeife); Jim O'Connor (trumpet, flugelhorn); Dan Levine (trombone); Adam Schlesinger (keyboards, bass synthesizer, programming); Clem Waldmann (drums, shaker, triangle); Dan Hickey (drums, percussion); Phil Hernandez (drums, programming); Hearn Gadbois, Luis Jardim (percussion); Chris Maxwell (programming). Recording information: Coyote Studios (2001); Kampo Studios (2001); Skyline Studio (2001); SoundTrack (2001); Studio Four (2001); The Magic Shop, New York, NY (2001); TMF Stufio (2001); Westside (2001). Unknown Contributor Roles: John Flansburgh; John Linnell. When They Might Be Giants first appeared in the late '80s, it was hard to predict that the whimsical alt-rock duo would still be going strong over a dozen years later. However, MINK CAR stands as further proof of the band's staying power, mostly attributable to the endlessly inventive songcraft of Johns Linnell and Flansburgh. These days, the pair fleshes out the TMBG sound with a backing band that includes a couple of erstwhile members of the late, lamented Lincoln, the Chris Temple-headed band that logged a lot of road time with the Giants in the late '90s. In the manner of the surprise hit "Istanbul," there's a zany-sounding cover tune here, a funky take on Georgie Fame's "Yeh Yeh," but the Johns' own songs are clearly the centerpiece. "Man It's So Loud in Here" is a devilishly clever satire of dance music and club culture, appropriately set to a pounding dance beat. "Older" is an ironically ominous meditation on aging. Amid the tomfoolery, though, the Giants always manage to sneak in a couple of touching gems. In this case, the pure pop romance of "Another First Kiss" and the celebratory, misleadingly titled "Hopeless Bleak Despair" fill the bill, making MINK CAR a solid addition to the band's catalogue.

Rolling Stone (9/27/01, pp.69-70) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Just a stitch more serious about being silly, an dthat extra earnestness makes all the difference." CMJ (10/15/01, p.13) - "...A lesson in genre-bending..."

John Flansburgh and John Linnell, the two singer/songwriters behind Brooklyn avant-pop cult band They Might Be Giants, were childhood friends who have been working under the TMBG banner since the '80s. The words "nerdy," "geek-rock," and "quirky" have been applied to their melodic, humor-filled songs so often there should be a cross-reference in the dictionary. Over their numerous albums with and without backing musicians (in the early days they used a drum machine) they've offered songs about the most unlikely subjects imaginable, from Belgian painter James Ensor to famed cinematic costume designer Edith Head. Their masterful songcraft is such that they've long maintained a healthy audience for their idiosyncratic sound.

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