Video: "Four of Two" - They Might Be Giants (via Readeez)

Nine and a half years ago, They Might Be Giants were prepping their first album for kids and while No! had some fancy games you could play if you stuck the disk in the computer, unlike their later work, it didn't have a single fancy video. Michael Rachap, creator of all things Readeez, has rectified that oversight, Marty McFly-style, by going Baaack. In. Time. and applying the Readeez technique to "Four of Two." OK, he didn't really go back in time. I think. But the video's amusing (stay for the ending bump, which made me laugh out loud). Also: John Linnell sings really fast, because the Readeez couldn't even keep up, sometimes having to post a couple words at a time.

They Might Be Giants' "Four of Two" -- Readee-Oh Version from Readeez on Vimeo.

Play List: Miss Mary Mack's Birthday Mix

Miss Mary Mack recently celebrated her birthday, and I took the opportunity to make her another mix CD. The disk included some favorite songs of hers, and some I thought she might like (or at the very least appreciate). I was amused at how many I'd initially put on the list that I had to remove because I realized that I put it on the last mix CD I'd made for her. I'm not going to reveal her age here, but the first song on the list is a pretty good clue... Sad And Dreamy - Alejandro Escovedo The Bottle Let Me Down: Songs For Bumpy Wagon Rides Antidisestablishmentarianism - The Okee Dokee Brothers Take It Outside Up And Down - Mr. T Experience Greasy Kids Stuff (songs from inside the radio volume 1) Metaphor - The Alphabeticians Rock Opposite Day - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo Underground Playground Is This a Joke? - Billy Kelly Is This Some Kind of Joke? Noble Gases - Duplex! Worser Meet the Elements - They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science Rattling Can - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke Rise And Shine Little Red Airplane - The Deedle Deedle Dees American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees Know Your Inventors - Central Services Presents... The Board Of Education George Washington - The Galactic Heroes Greasy Kid Stuff 3 The Princess Who Saved Herself - Jonathan Coulton Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out - Daisy Mayhem Ranky Tanky Sing Like a Sparrow - Dean Jones featuring the Felice Brothers Rock Paper Scissors Pay Me My Money Down - Bruce Springsteen We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions Horchata - Vampire Weekend Contra Violet - Jeremy Messersmith The Reluctant Graveyard Friend Donut - Lunch Money Original Friend So Long It's Been Good To Know Yuh - Dan Zanes & Friends Night Time! Place In Your Heart - Frances England Mind of My Own Wild Mountain Thyme - The Nields Rock All Night Song For You - Justin Roberts Meltdown! Peace Like A River - Elizabeth Mitchell You Are My Little Bird

My Baby, She Wrote Me a Newsletter

OK, not really. I wrote the newsletter. OK, not really. I haven't written it quite yet. But I will. And I'd like to think Alex Chilton would approve. So, anyway, some of you may have noticed that section on the right-hand side of the main page asking for a name and e-mail and promising sweet sweet newsletter-y goodness in return. Well, it's time for me to get crackin' on that promise. Here's the deal: sign up below to get an occasional newsletter highlighting posts you might have along with, I don't know, maybe some other crazy stuff that hasn't made it to the website. I promise I won't send it out too much because I hate overly eager e-mailers just as much as you do. (Also: I like privacy as much as you do -- I'll never sell, barter, trade, give, or do anything else with your e-mail addresses except send you these newsletters.) I should also note that I'm not above bribery. I have five fabulous CDs that I will randomly give away to people who sign up for the list by July 15. (OK, I guess I'll have to use your e-mail addresses if I pick your name.) Anyway, I hope you'll take a few seconds to fill out the form -- Arizona folks also get the opportunity to join my long-running Arizona events newsletter -- and hopefully I'll make it worth your while. Thanks!

Share: "Innocent When You Dream" - Mark Erelli

After the hubbub of the Fourth of July, perhaps your family needs a little more relaxation. Mark Erelli is here to help. His recently-re-released 2007 album Innocent When You Dream is streaming online, making it easy to check out my favorite lullaby release thus far this year. Really, it's a sweet little disk (or packet of information zooming across the intrawebs, whatever your medium).

The Thinkers Seek Your Help

I think we've established that I like The Thinkers. The duo from Boston and NYC released their first album and I used words and phrases like "utterly imaginative" and "smitten" and "sea chanty" to describe it. Those are usually good signs that I liked the album, right? Anyway, I wrote those words as the band was about to head out across the country -- I mean, Recess Monkey-style, playing dozens of gigs. But there's still time for you to a) catch them on tour, or b) help further overburden their schedule. (The latter is what I did, getting them into an impromptu gig at the Children's Museum of Phoenix in a week and a half.) The rest of the schedule, after the jump, and, really, folks, lots of opportunities here...

Monday Morning Smile: "Tubthumping" - They Might Be Giants

I know, it's not Monday, but after a July 4th which fell on a Monday, it feels like a Monday. And if you think I'm waiting 'til next Monday to play this, you're nuts. It's They Might Be Giants covering Chumbawumba's one big hit, "Tubthumping," for The Onion's AV Club. Now, I've actually loved the original song unironically since I first heard it -- it's got a nice melodic line, killer sing-along chorus, and the end, when there are like four different melodies interwoven is brilliant brilliant brilliant, easily one of my top ten musical moments of all time. On top of that, the lyrics are simultaneously celebratory and mocking -- the band (around for many years and known for its anarchist tendencies) is able to have its cake and eat it too. Yes, this song is on my iPod. Having said that, I've never bothered embedding the song here; the combination of one of my favorite bands and the song, however, is almost reason enough to do so. I doubt the band are huge fans of the song, though I'm sure they appreciate it from a songwriters' standpoint. But since by the time TMBG got to the series, many of the tunes had been chosen, the band had to think strategically, and where the band's version doesn't quite have the studio production values that puts the original over the top, the choice to invite a whole of AV Club staffers into the tiny room and shout the chorus makes this required posting (and watching). If your kids can sing or play music this joyfully, then you've done right by them, musically.
They Might Be Giants covers Chumbawamba