Biography
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock duo formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh (vocals, guitar) and John Linnell (vocals, accordion, keyboards, saxophone). The two first met as teenagers in Lincoln, Massachusetts, bonding over music while attending Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. They reunited in 1981 after both independently moving to the same Brooklyn apartment building, and began performing in New York City's East Village — Flansburgh on guitar and Linnell on accordion, backed by a drum machine or prerecorded cassette tracks. Their name was borrowed from the 1971 George C. Scott film, which itself references Don Quixote's famous windmill scene.
The duo released a self-titled demo cassette in 1985 that earned a People magazine review, landing them a deal with Bar/None Records. Their 1986 debut became a college radio sensation, and their 1990 Elektra Records release Flood (their third album) went platinum on the strength of "Birdhouse in Your Soul," which reached #3 on the US Modern Rock chart. In 1992, they expanded to a full backing band for live performances. Over four decades they have released 23 studio albums spanning adult alternative, new wave, indie pop, and a substantial catalogue of children's educational music — including the Grammy-winning Here Come the 123s (2008) and the gold-certified Here Come the ABCs (2005) and Here Comes Science (2009). They also wrote "Boss of Me," the Emmy-recognized theme to Malcolm in the Middle, for which they won a Grammy.
They Might Be Giants occupy a singular niche in American rock: brainy, absurdist, melodically adventurous, and deeply literate, drawing on new wave, punk, vaudeville, and folk. Their willingness to experiment with distribution — most famously the pre-internet "Dial-A-Song" hotline (an answering machine fans could call to hear new demos) — made them pioneers of direct artist-to-fan outreach. Their influence has spread to comedic and geek-culture adjacent musicians like Jonathan Coulton and bands like Barenaked Ladies, while John Linnell's accordion work helped inspire a broader embrace of unconventional instrumentation in indie rock.
Enhanced with Claude AI research
Fun Facts
- They pioneered direct-to-fan music distribution in the pre-internet era via 'Dial-A-Song' — a dedicated answering machine phone line fans could call to hear new demos. It was revived in 2015 with a new number and a companion website.
- Both Johns met as teenagers in Lincoln, Massachusetts, moved away, and then independently relocated to the exact same Brooklyn apartment building on the same day in 1981 — a coincidence that restarted the band.
- Their band name comes from a 1971 film starring George C. Scott, which itself references the scene in Don Quixote where Quixote mistakes windmills for giants — a layered literary joke baked into their identity from day one.
- Their children's album trilogy (Here Come the ABCs, Here Come the 123s, Here Comes Science) all went RIAA Gold, and they won a Grammy for Here Come the 123s — making them one of the rare acts with equal cult credibility in adult alternative and children's educational music.
Members
- John Flansburgh (from 1982)
- John Linnell (from 1982)
- Hal Cragin - additional, bass (from 1996 until 1998)
- Kurt Hoffman
- Dan Miller - guitar
Original Members
- John Flansburgh
- John Linnell
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- The Beatles - Both Johns cited the Beatles as foundational influences from childhood, describing them as an inescapable musical touchstone.
- Elvis Costello - Cited as a key influence on their approach to songwriting craft and wordplay over pure rock stardom.
- XTC - Named as an influence on their melodic sensibility and unconventional song structures.
- Devo - Influenced their use of new wave aesthetics, irony, and experimental arrangements.
- The Residents - Cited as an avant-garde influence on their willingness to subvert pop conventions.
- Sparks - Influence on their wit, theatricality, and approach to eccentric pop songwriting.
Key Collaborators
- Dust Brothers - Produced TMBG's 2007 album The Else, bringing hip-hop production techniques to the band's sound.
- David Byrne - John Linnell contributed to Byrne's solo album Grown Backwards (2004).
- Tony Maimone - Pere Ubu bassist who joined TMBG's live backing band in the early 1990s.
- Kurt Hoffman - Of The Ordinaires; joined TMBG's live band on reeds and keyboards in the early 1990s.
- Mike and Matt Chapman - Homestar Runner creators who collaborated on the music video for 'Experimental Film' (2004).
Artists Influenced
- Jonathan Coulton - Geek-folk singer-songwriter who cites TMBG as a primary influence and covered 'Birdhouse in Your Soul' in 2008.
- Barenaked Ladies - Canadian alt-rock band that lists TMBG as a direct influence on their quirky, wordy pop style.
Connection Network
External Links
Tags: #alternative-rock, #american, #art-pop
References
Heard on WWOZ
They Might be Giants has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.