In 1986, Bar/None Records released They Might Be Giants' first album. In 2006, to commemorate 20 years of influential music, they issued a very special tribute to Brooklyn's legendary alternative rockers. Die-hard fans can expect appearances from some pretty heavy hitters and some good friends of TMBG. Artists appearing on the album include Frank Black, The Long Winters, OK Go, The Wrens, as well as Bar/None artists Hotel Lights and Jason Trachtenburg (of Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players fame). There's truly something for everyone from the casual fan to the obsessive completist.
"To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening." R.E.M.
In their own words: The guys share their thoughts on why now.
MIKE
"During our last tour, and while making Collapse Into Now and putting together this greatest hits retrospective, we started asking ourselves, 'what next'? Working through our music and memories from over three decades was a hell of a journey. We realized that these songs seemed to draw a natural line under the last 31 years of our working together.
"We have always been a band in the truest sense of the word. Brothers who truly love, and respect, each other. We feel kind of like pioneers in this--there's no disharmony here, no falling-outs, no lawyers squaring-off. We've made this decision together, amicably and with each other's best interests at heart. The time just feels right."
MICHAEL
"A wise man once said--'the skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave.' We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we're going to walk away from it.
"I hope our fans realize this wasn't an easy decision; but all things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way.
"We have to thank all the people who helped us be R.E.M. for these 31 years; our deepest gratitude to those who allowed us to do this. It's been amazing."
PETER
"One of the things that was always so great about being in R.E.M. was the fact that the records and the songs we wrote meant as much to our fans as they did to us. It was, and still is, important to us to do right by you. Being a part of your lives has been an unbelievable gift. Thank you.
"Mike, Michael, Bill, Bertis, and I walk away as great friends. I know I will be seeing them in the future, just as I know I will be seeing everyone who has followed us and supported us through the years. Even if it's only in the vinyl aisle of your local record store, or standing at the back of the club: watching a group of 19 year olds trying to change the world."
------------------
READ Warner Bros. Press Release below:
ATHENS, GA--(Marketwire - Sep 21, 2011)
"During our last tour, and while making Collapse Into Now and putting together this greatest hits retrospective; we started to ask ourselves 'what next?'," commented Mike Mills. "Working through our music and memories from over three decades was a hell of a journey. We realized that these songs seemed to draw a natural line under the last 31 years of our working together. The time just feels right."
R.E.M. is unique in that they are very much still the group of friends from Athens, Georgia that they've been since the band formed in 1979. While their career has spanned 15 studio albums and huge global success, the band itself only ever comprised the four original members. The one person to leave this tight-knit group was drummer Bill Berry, who retired two years after suffering a brain aneurysm on-stage during 1995's "Monster" tour. But not before extracting a promise from his band mates that they would continue on as R.E.M.: "Bill insisted he would stay, if his leaving meant breaking the band up," remembers Michael Stipe.
Mills adds: "We have always been a band in the truest sense of the word. Brothers who truly love and respect each other. We feel kind of like pioneers in this -- there's no disharmony here, no falling-outs, no lawyers squaring off. We've made this decision together, amicably and with each other's best interests at heart."
"A wise man once said -- 'the skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave," agrees Michael Stipe. "We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we're going to walk away from it. I hope our fans realize this wasn't an easy decision; but all things must end; and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way. We have to thank all the people who helped us be R.E.M. for these 31 years, our deepest gratitude to those who allowed us to do this. It's been amazing."
Buck picks up on his thoughts: "One of the things that was always so great about being in R.E.M., was the fact that the records we made and the songs we wrote, meant as much to our fans as they did to us. It was, and still is, important to us to do right by them. Being a part of their lives has been an unbelievable gift.
"Mike, Michael, Bill, Bertis, and I walk away as great friends. I know I will be seeing them in the future, just as I know I will be seeing everyone that has followed and supported us through the years. Even if it's only in the vinyl aisle of your local record store, or standing at the back of a club; watching a group of 19-year-olds trying to change the world."
R.E.M. will release a career-spanning Greatest Hits album through Warner Brothers in November. More information to follow.
From http://www.remhq.com/news_story.php?id=1446
The people over at Think With Portals (Valve) have released Volumes I, II and III of the Portal 2 Soundtrack, Songs To Test By. The site also has a bunch of Portal 2 ringtones, if you're into that kind of silliness.
I'm not sure how I feel about posting this album here. On the one hand, I'm a big Jonathan Coulton fan and I want people to celebrate his new album. So, if I can provide a convenient vehicle by which to introduce people to the album, excellent. On the other hand, I want Mr. Coulton to get paid for his efforts. On the other hand, Grooveshark pays out some kind of royalties*, so I'm somewhat convinced that this falls more under the category of "radio" and less under the category of "piracy." On the other hand, Grooveshark is tangled up in all kinds of intellectual property litigation, so I can't be sure that everything is totally on the up and up.
Well, whatever. Look, have a good hearty listen to the album. If you like it, purchase your own copy and throw come cash Coulton's way. I, myself, have already purchased the album for portable listening, and I recommend you do the same. Like all Coulton songs, I can only assume (and hope) that multiple listens reveal previously unsuspected layers of intricacy. Multiple listens won't be a problem; the album is stuffed with great Coulton stylings, but with a slightly fuller sound, all with the slightest flavoring of They Might Be Giants' sensibilities. I don't know about you, but as far as I'm concerned that recipe cooks up a magnificent sonic soufflé.
"In 2010, Jonathan Coulton announced that his long hiatus from recording new material was ending. After Coulton opened for They Might Be Giants earlier that year, John Flansburgh suggested working together on Coulton's new material. The collaboration helped push Coulton outside his comfort zone, and he frequently commented on being excited and terrified by the process. As a result Artificial Heart represents a significant departure from Coulton's earlier albums. Not only is it the first Coulton album to be produced by someone else, it's the first to be recorded in an "actual studio" (owned by They Might Be Giants' long time producer, Patrick Dillett), and the first to be written for a full band. In addition to the drummer and bassist who frequently appear in Coulton's live shows, Artificial Heart features over a dozen guest musicians and several tracks with guest lead vocals." ~ JoCo Wiki
* "Grooveshark makes a Label List available of all record labels with which they have royalty agreements, though in the past major record labels were noticeably absent. This changed on May 8, 2009 EMI filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Grooveshark, which was dropped on October 13, 2009 and replaced with a licensing deal." ~ Wikipedia
This is a playlist of a few songs covered from the greatest hits of 1974. They don't represent the absolute Top 10 Greatest Hits, and they are in no particular order.
The cover of "I Shot The Sheriff" almost counts as double, because in 1974 it was Eric Clapton's cover version of Bob Marley that made it to the top of the charts.
At midnight on September 11, 2001, They Might Be Giants officially released their album Mink Car and launched the celebration with a party at a Manhattan Tower Records.
We all know what happened the next morning.
To mark the ten-year anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, and to raise money to support and train New York’s essential emergency personnel, we are going to release a full cover of the Mink Car album.
All proceeds from Mink Car Cover will go to the FDNY Foundation, the official not-for-profit foundation of the Fire Department of New York, established to provide resources for the professional development, education, and training of members of the FDNY.
Listen to the album at Bandcamp.
Andrew Bird, OK Go, Weezer, My Morning Jacket and others cover The Muppets. Listen to the full album on NPR's First Listen.
