News

They Might Be Giants are postponing their June tour dates after the duo’s John Flansburgh was in a “serious car accident.” He and John Linnell performed at Bowery Ballroom in New York on Wednesday night, the first date of their rescheduled tour marking the 30th anniversary of 1990’s Flood. In a social media post on Thursday, Linnell revealed that the accident occurred on their way home from the show.

“Unfortunately, Mr. John Flansburgh was in a rather serious car accident on his way home from the gig,” Linnell wrote.

They Might Be Giants have dropped “I Can’t Remember the Dream,” off their upcoming album Book.

The track opens with a guitar riff reminiscent of the Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie” as the duo struggle to recall a dream. The video depicts a figure in a costume doing laundry and washing the dishes, before drilling into a guitar and shattering a “Best Rock Video” award.

Book, out October 29th, contains 15 songs — which John Linnell described as “humorously germane to the catastrophe going on around us.” The album will be released alongside a literal 144-page book,...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question: What is the perfect summer show? Why? (Note: This doesn’t have to be a current show)

Alan Sepinwall (@sepinwall), Uproxx

When you’re picking the perfect summer show, you first have to define your terms. “The Oc” and “American Idol” debuted in the summer, but so did “The Wire” and “Mad Men.” So your definition can be wide and varied. And with most of TV history available to us with a few clicks, almost anything can become a summer binge on a boiling day when you really need to stay indoors. That said, while some of the greatest series ever aired at times while school was out,...

It’s Earth Week. From Standing Rock to Flint, from fashion to festivals, we’re diving into the fight for our planet on all fronts. There’s reason to believe I might have gotten one of my childhood idols arrested this week. Ok, perhaps not quite, though They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh did end our phone interview,... Read more »...

It’s Earth Week. From Standing Rock to Flint, from fashion to festivals, we’re diving into the fight for our planet on all fronts. There’s reason to believe I might have gotten one of my childhood idols arrested this week. Ok, perhaps not quite, though They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh did end our phone interview,... Read more »...

Last Week’S Episode: Rick Goes Dumpster Diving in ‘New Best Friends’

Whose Episode Is It?

If you were worried that “The Walking Dead” was getting a bit too absurd in the back half of Season 7, then worry no more, since we’re back at the main Savior compound this week to check in on Eugene and Dwight. Each man is assessing his place in the Savior hierarchy, as Dwight must reckon with Daryl and Sherry’s escape and what that means for him, while Eugene finds that life with the Saviors might not be as bad as he feared. It’s strong parallel storytelling, making “Hostiles and Calamities” another solid entry in this half-season. It’s a grim episode, but it’s grimness with purpose.

A Shred of Humanity

We’ll start with Dwight, who discovers that Daryl has escaped and what’s worse, he had help from Dwight’s ex-wife,...

I write this article today, on the 35th anniversary of my staging a complex breakout from the prison that brought me life. 6 weeks before I was due for release, I set plans in motion that would force the state to grant me early release — however, I was a fool. Born only 3 pounds, 8 ounces left me with no meat on the bone with which to battle the icy storms of the Chicagoland area in 1981. So, I was hurried off to an easy-bake oven for babies… and set to warm until my pop-up thermometer came out clean. This is my exasperated attempt to be funny about writing today, on my birthday. For the record: it’s December 28th, but as you all know, my articles are your most favorite Saturday reading.

I write tonight after a truly uneventful day. As is the case for a Jewish suburban kid whose birthday comes three...

The first photos have surfaced for The SpongeBob Musical giving us out first look at the live-action versions of our favorite characters. Those characters include SpongeBob (Ethan Slater), Patrick (Danny Skinner), Sandy (Lilli Cooper), Squidward (Gavin Lee), Mr. Krabs (Carlos Lopez), and Plankton (Nick Blaemire). The images also give us a look at the fantastic looking Bikini Bottom set.

I hope that I get a chance to see this one day. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s going to ridiculously amusing. It will even feature music from several talented artists including Cyndi Lauper and The Flaming Lips, Steve Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Panic! at the Disco, Lady Antebellum, They Might Be Giants, and even a song from the late David Bowie. Here’s the synopsis:

A legendary roster of Grammy Award winners. A visionary director and Tony Award®-winning design team. One of the world’s most beloved and unforgettable characters. Turn them all loose on Broadway and what do you get? The SpongeBob Musical! Acclaimed Steppenwolf director Tina Landau and the groundbreaking designers behind Fun Home, Hedwig, and Spring Awakening have brilliantly reimagined Bikini Bottom for the Broadway stage, bringing the spirit of SpongeBob to life with humanity, heart, and pure theatricality.With an original score from some of the biggest names in pop and rock, The SpongeBob Musical explodes with energy. Stakes are higher than ever before as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage. Get ready to dive to all-new depths of theatrical innovation at The SpongeBob Musical, where the power of optimism really can save the world!

The SpongeBob Musical will debut on June 7th at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre, playing through July 10th, 2016 before an expected move to Broadway next season.

I've got an enjoyable mashup for you to watch today that combines scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens with music from the band They Might Be Giants. The song that it's set to is called "Fingertips," which is actually a collection of 21 silly short songs that range from 5 to 20 seconds long. Each song is set to the scene from the movie that best represents it, and the end result is pretty damn funny. I grew up with They Might Be Giants in my life, so I thought this video was one of the greatest things! The video was created by wyomingnot, and I hope you get a kick out of it. ...

The SpongeBob Musical is coming to Broadway (and Chicago) and we have some new information that all you SpongeBob fans might be interested in, along with a poster that you can see above!

I think it’s so cool that they are bringing this hilariously crazy character to life in a stage production. The musical is being directed by Steppenwolf member Tina Landau, who also played a part in coming up with the idea to do this. This project has been slowly developing since 2008, when the director was first hired. Now it’s set to premiere in Chicago in June of this year. What have they been doing in preparing for this production all these years? Landau explained to EW:

“Before there was even a story, from very early on we did movement and physical workshops to explore the idea of whether we could really create these characters onstage without...

Tears running down his face, the seven-year-old said, "Stop, Daddy! Stop! I can't take it anymore!" Considering the strange holiday line-up that I shared with Toshi and Allen, ages ten and seven, it is little wonder it almost ended in tears. But what kind of tears and why is a little less cut and dry than I might have supposed when this recent run of programming first came together. I've been seeing someone for a little while now, and it's been nice. She's met the boys and they like her tremendously, and vice-versa. The Monday after the film opened, the four of us went to see The Force Awakens together, the second time for the kids, the first time for her, and it was a great evening. They were excited about the film, about the evening out, about Star Wars in general. She was the one who brought up The Star Wars Holiday Special...

Marc leans back on his heels as the audience hoops and hollers. His co-band leaders John Linnell and John Flansburgh wrap up their intro song, a peppy reprise of “Ana Ng.” The auditorium simmers down a tad as the music fades.

So… uhh… have you heard the news lately? Have you seen this? Seems that Fox News was amazed that Captain America wasn’t as pro-conservative as they’d thought. Have you heard about this? Yeah! It seems they missed the whole Civil War too!

The band hits a quick rim-shot and sting of “Doctor Worm.”

Ehh, don’t blame me if you didn’t laugh. My writers stink. And to totally honest, when I read this story I didn’t laugh either. Not only because it wasn’t surprising that Fox News blew something out of proportion without vetting their sources, but because I’ve never found that channel to be funny at all.

SpongeBob Squarepants is about to trade in Bikini Bottom for Broadway: The Nickelodeon series is set to become a musical.

There are few details, plot-wise, about the show, but in a splashy press release, Nickelodeon (which is producing the show) and director Tina Landau teased some big names that will be involved in the project. Music will be provided by Jonathan Coulton, Dirty Projectors, The Flaming Lips, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants, T.I., and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. In addition to that eclectic list, David Bowie is also writing a song, and Coulton will write additional lyrics.

"I was drawn to this project not only for its wild theatrical possibility, but also because I felt 'SpongeBob,' at its core, is a layered and hilarious ensemble comedy," Landau said in a statement. She continued:...

“SpongeBob SquarePants” is heading to Broadway. Nickelodeon’s cartoon about a sentient yellow sponge is being adapted into a stage musical that aims to open on Broadway for the 2016-17 season, following a limited run at Chicago’s Oriental Theater next June. The score will feature original songs by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Jonathan Coulton, Dirty Projectors, The Flaming Lips, John Legend, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I. and David Bowie. “The SpongeBob Musical” is co-conceived and directed by Steppenwolf veteran Tina Landau (“Superior...

Netflix giveth and Netflix taketh away.

While everyone's favorite subscription streaming service is adding a ton of awesome movies and TV shows in December, it's also yanking a huge list of popular titles from its library. Below is said list. I'm especially sad to see "Dirty Dancing" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" go. Those movies are the sh...

Watch them while you can!

Movies Being Dropped by Netflix on December 1st

"1941" (1979)

"The Apostle" (1997)

"Audrey Rose" (1977)

"The Believers" (1987)

"Better than Chocolate" (1999)

"Blood & Chocolate" (2007)

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (2008)

"Chaplin" (1992)

"The Choirboys" (1977)

"The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County" (1970)

"Coffee and Cigarettes" (2003)

"The Cold Light of Day" (1996)

"The Constant Gardener" (2005)

"Count Yorga, Vampire" (1970)

"Cry-Baby" (1990)

"Dirty Dancing" (1987)

"Double Indemnity" (1944)

"En la Cama" (2005)

"Event Horizon" (1997)

"Eye for an Eye" (1996)

"Fairy Tale: A True Story" (1997)

"First Knight" (1995)

"Five Easy Pieces" (1970)

"Foreign Student" (1994)

"Free Men" (2011)

"Funny Lady" (1975)

"The Ghost and Mrs Muir" (1947)

"The Girl from Petrovka...

There are just seven celebrities left in Strictly Come Dancing now, so it's about to get even more intense. But at least this week they get to go travelling - alright, not really, but everyone's dances will be inspired by countries around the world. But what does that mean? Well, we have the song and dance list right here so read on to find out...

Caroline Flack & Pasha Kovalev

Country: Turkey

Dance: Charleston

Song: 'Istanbul' - They Might Be Giants version

Frankie Bridge & Kevin Clifton

Country: USA

Dance: Jive

Song: 'Surfin' USA' - The Beach Boys

Jake Wood & Janette Manrara

Country: Greece

Dance: Argentine Tango

Song: 'Zorba the Greek'

Mark Wright & Karen Hauer

Country: USA

Dance: Salsa

Song: 'Viva Las Vegas' - Elvis Presley

Pixie Lott & Trent Whiddon

Country: Netherlands

Dance: Viennese Waltz

Song: 'Tulips from Amsterdam' - Max Bygraves

Simon Webbe & Kristina Rihanoff

Country: Austria...

Two San Francisco radio stations ban Lorde's song 'Royals' during the World Series.

Remember that time Lorde wrote a song praising the World Series contenders from Kansas City called 'Royals'?

Oh, you're saying that song had nothing to do with baseball at all?

Video: Lorde Releases New Single From The Hunger Games

Well, someone might want to tell that to Kfog and Koit, two radio stations in San Francisco who will not be playing the song at any time during the 2014 World Series, where the Sf Giants will face off against the Kansas City Royals.

Both stations tweeted the news to their listeners that, at least for the duration of the series, "Royals" will find no airplay with them.

Thanks 4 your comments! #Lorde #Royals will be removed from the @965Koit playlist until the end of the World Series #GoGiants...

— 96.5 koit (@965Koit) October 17, 2014

No offense, Lorde, but for the duration of the World Series, Kfog Radio will...

San Francisco's trying to live its fantasy. With the World Series approaching, San Francisco radio stations 104.5 Kfog and 96.5 Koit are pitching in to help the Giants keep a clear head going into the big games. How? Both stations are banning Lorde's hit "Royals" until the World Series ends. No offense, Lorde, but for the duration of the World Series, Kfog Radio will be a "Royals"-free zone. We're sure... http://t.co/7uvseCjb03— KFOGRadio (@KFOGRadio) October 17, 2014 The connection is actually stronger than just name alone: Lorde told VH1 last year that a National Geographic photo of a Royals player autographing...

The other evening I was frequenting my Facebook parents group and a post caught my eye. A mother had introduced her four year old to Batman. “Good for her!” I thought. She went on to say she was “horrified” by her son now calling her “stupid,” and to “zip her lip,” and he was becoming more prone to poking and fighting. She was fearful what she’d started in her son, and at any request to remove the Dark Knight from her kid’s clutches was met with tantrums a’ plenty. She turned to the group for support and advice. I couldn’t help myself…

What this mother faces with her tot is what I think many creators of all ages material – myself included – fear the most: parental disapproval. When the gatekeeper that stands between you and your target audience deems you inappropriate, the likelihood of a sale diminishes exponentially.

When you think of the Friends theme, you generally don't think of a somber piano ballad.

But after watching this video, you will.

Glenn Murphy, Oisin O'Callaghan and Ronan Scolard are three Irish gents (as if you couldn't tell from their names) who met a year and a half ago at University College in Dublin. Though they were all involved in different courses of study, they bonded over a shared love of music and started putting together cover versions of popular songs, harmonizing like ruddy little angels.

Interestingly, "I'll Be There For You" was actually co-written by Friends producers David Crane and Marta Kauffman,...

Winners of the 7th Annual Cinema Eye Honors, recognizing the best documentaries of the year, were revealed and Joshua Oppenheimer's "The Act of Killing" (one of my faves of 2013) won the Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking while Sarah Polley took home the Outstanding Achievement in Direction for "Stories We Tell."

Another big winner was Zachary Heinzerling's "Cutie and the Boxer" which won Outstanding Debut for Heinzerling, Outstanding Graphics and Animation for production company Art Jail and Outstanding Original Score for Yasuaki Shimizu.

Incidentally, all three movies are part of the Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary, so we'll see if they all make the cut when the Academy Award nominations are revealed on January 16.

Here are the complete winners of the 7th Annual Cinema Eye Honors:

Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking

The Act of Killing

Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer

Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen

Presented by...

Here's my holiday single, "Christmas (is Coming Down)," featuring Kenny Margolis (Cracker), Dan Levine (They Might Be Giants), David Ogilvy, Ms. Laura Fay Lewis, and artwork by Shiloh Jenz.

This pop rock ditty, and all of my music, can be purchased from CD Baby, Amazon, iTunes, and other digital music outlets.

And check out my most recent solo CD If We Never; the perfect stocking stuffer.

Happy Christmas!

peace, Dusty...

Undercover gods They Might Be Giants dropped a new album, Nanobots, this past March, and are thus in the midst of a grand tour. Stateside stops include a "Celebrate Brooklyn" hometown show, and they just added a handful of European dates. Tmbg also just premiered a clip for its single, "Black Ops." Your attempts to view it from your office may at first seem futile, but maybe sneak into the supply closet to watch the very (literally) dark video below. June 10— Vancouver, British Columbia — Biltmore Cabaret * June 11— Seattle, Washington — Showbox SoDo * June 12— Portland, Oregon — Crystal Ballroom * June ...

History has shown us that not every musical hit is unique to the artist. Take Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." When that catchy tune fell into the hands of the late Whitney Houston, the powerful ballad became an instant success, but many of the people caught humming the melody had no idea a blonde bombshell was the mastermind behind the hit.

Houston's rendition is just one a number of cover songs that eventually became more famous than the originals. We've compiled a list of some of these beloved gems below; let us know which ones surprised you in the comments.

1. "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor (original by Prince/The Family)

O'Connor's breathy song was actually written by "Purple Rain" genius Prince for one of his side projects, The Family. But the Irish songstress was the one whose tears actually brought it to the general public.

2. "All...

They Might Be Giants’ latest record for grown-ups, Nanobots, will come out March 5 on Idlewild Recordings. Recorded at the studio of the group’s longtime pal and producer Patrick Dillett, Nanobots is They Might Be Giants’ sixteenth album. Its first single, the appropriately jangly “Call You Mom,” premiered today on Rolling Stone’s site. The geeked-out duo will be playing three sold-out shows at Brooklyn's Music Hall Of Williamsburg around New Year’s Eve, and then will be touring many cities in the rest of the country starting in late February. A full list of dates is below ...

“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” Bruce muttered, as he locked the front door of Wayne Manor.

“Hey, Bats!” a cheerful voice exclaimed from behind. Bruce turned.

“Peter,” he grumbled at the young man standing in the driveway. “I told you not to call me that when I’m out of the suit.”

“Sorry, Bats! Forgot,” Peter Parker replied merrily.

Bruce groaned inwardly. Here we go again, he thought. “Peter, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“I came to keep you company on the drive!” said Peter. “Plus, you know… Alfred thought if I didn’t, you might not come.”

“So… you came all the way out here just to turn around and go right back?” Bruce said wryly, walking to the car.

“Well, you know, it’s quick when you’re swinging through the air with the greatest of ease.” Peter grinned. “And Aunt May also...

We're lucky enough to have a wonderful new Bond theme song for "Skyfall," compliments of Adele, but as we look back on the series and its themes, we can't help but notice that some of the best songs have been from other movies and some TV shows.

As we kick off a week of some serious "Skyfall" coverage on all things Bond, we thought we'd take a look at some of the best fake James Bond theme songs.

Check out our list after the jump!

"Brian Song" from "Monty Python's Life of Brian"

The opening credits from this Python classic also includes animation from Terry Gilliam.

"Dr. Evil" from "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me"

They Might Be Giants laid down this track for the second Mike Myers Bond parody that lovingly riffed on the Shirley Bassey themes.

"Spy Hard" from "Spy Hard"

The opening credits from the Leslie Nielsen...

New York — For the second night in a row, superstorm Sandy and its aftermath forced David Letterman to live out that performer's nightmare: Telling jokes to a vacant theater, or as he called it, "a big ol' empty barn."

Letterman hosting the "Late Show" to an unpeopled Ed Sullivan Theater on Tuesday, as he did on Monday, was the oddest sight of the considerable and continuing cultural fallout of the hurricane that left New York institutions like Broadway, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center no more open for business than the city's damaged subway system.

But the New York entertainment industry was fighting to go on with the show, and none more than several of the city's late-night shows. Though "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show" canceled tapings for the second day, the "Late Show," Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" and a traveling out-of-towner, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," went ahead with shows Tuesday.

As most of North America and the world watched, Hurricane Sandy put a huge dent into the day-to-day life for millions along the Eastern seaboard. While West Virginia was getting hammered with a severe snowstorm, New York City and the surrounding areas were nailed with high winds, heavy rains and high waves which caused devastating flooding and destruction. And some of the musicians in the area were directly affected by what transpired.

According to TMZ, New Kids on the Block member Donnie Wahlberg posted a 43-second video of his apartment was completely flooded. In the video Wahlberg and a friend can be seen sloshing through his apartment picking up items which are floating in the kitchen, including cereal bowls.

"So much for bacon. My entire building is under a foot of water," Wahlberg tweeted as the storm continued overnight. "Awesome neighbors all banding together to help each other! Stay safe!

Rufus Wainwright, The National and They Might Be Giants are just three of the many high-profile acts set to take the stage next week in support of same-sex marriage nationwide.

On Oct. 30, the historic Beacon Theatre will host "Freedom To Love Now! A Concert For Marriage Equality," proceeds from which will benefit advocacy group Freedom To Marry. Also on hand to perform at the certain-to-be-historic concert: Beth Orton, Reggie Watts and indie pop trio fun., among others.

According to organizers, the show's ultimate goal is to remind voters of the forthcoming election's significance for the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (Lgbt) community, as well as to back President Obama's recent endorsement of same-sex marriage. Though Wainwright, who recently tied the knot with longtime partner Jorn Weisbrodt, was a natural choice for the show's lineup, co-founders Brice Rosenbloom, Simon Rentner and Thomas Bartlett (a.k.a. Doveman, who is...

On a programming note, snicks will be liveblogging all the gay goings on with Days of Our Lives today, so schedule your lunch break accordingly.

We've all watched those "Most Interesting Man In the World" commercials, but just how did he become so interesting? Part of it may have been playing a red shirt on Star Trek and not getting killed in the episode.

A nuclear submarine collided with an Aegis destroyer off the east coast of the United States. The extent of the damage isn't known, but both ships returned to port under their own power.

Extreme homophobe Rep. Allen West is running an ad claiming his opponent Patrick Murphy voted to cut $700 billion from Medicare. The major problem with this is that Murphy has never been elected to Congress, and so hasn't voted on anything yet. This is where we are with politics.

Via press release, Freedom To...

It’s been over a decade since Malcolm in the Middle first started airing, and for a lot of programmes, that kind of length of time is enough to make it seem more than a little dated. Malcolm in the Middle is not one of those shows. Its characters, storylines, and dialogue are just as hilarious as I remember, and I have the added benefit now of getting the jokes put in for the adults. The show has become somewhat iconic, with They Might Be Giants’ opening credits song readily singable by a generation, and for good reason.

Frankie Muniz stars as the young Malcolm, who is discovered in the pilot episode to be something of a genius, with an Iq of 165 at the age of 12. He’s moved from his regular class into the school’s gifted class, becoming a ‘Krelboyne’ in the process, and consequently labelled a nerd.

No one can say actor/musician Ryan O’Nan didn’t pull his weight in his directorial debut, Brooklyn Brothers Beat The Best, which makes its theatrical debut on September 21 via Oscilloscope Laboratories. Besides directing, writing, and starring in the film, O’Nan wrote and sang most of the songs on the soundtrack (album out 9/18 on Atco Records). A 2011 Ifp Narrative Labs project that premiered at Toronto last year, Brooklyn Brothers is the story of two ne’er-do-well musicians who make an unlikely alliance, embarking on the kind of quixotic journey that’s tailor-made for a buddy movie. But O’Nan’s film finds itself overlapping into a few genres at once – it’s part quirky rom-com, part post-Spinal Tap band-on-tour farce, and part family drama (Andrew McCarthy plays O’Nan’s pedantic older brother), with each element bouncing off of the others at various points in the storyline.

Just Dance 4, the latest entry in Ubisoft’s best-selling dance game series, is currently scheduled for an October 9 release on the Wii, Kinect, and PlayStation Move, with a release on the Wii U shortly afterwards.

As the release date approaches, the publisher has announced the entire list of songs players can expect to dance to. They include the following:

Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” Las Ketchup – “Asereje (The Ketchup Song)” Justin Bieber feat. Nicki Minaj – “Beauty and a Beat” Panjabi Mc – “Beware Of The Boys (Mundian To Bach Ke)” Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe” Boys Town Gang – “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” Emma– “Cercavo Amore” Anja – “Crazy Little Thing” Army of Lovers – “Crucified” Rihanna – “Disturbia” Dancing Bros. – “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” Flo Rida – “Good Feeling” Blu Cantrell – “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” A.K.A – “Hot For Me” The...

Best Children’s Album award winners and geek-rock legends They Might Be Giants are asking for fans from across the globe to send in pictures of their children posed with their country’s flag, a portrait, and an emblematic symbol of that country. The crowdsourcing is all for a music video of the group's song “Alphabet of Nations,” off of the Here Come the ABCs album, with the hopes of eventually forming an entire alphabet of countries and the children that inhabit them. The band is currently seeking photos from a variety of countries, including (but certainly not limited ...

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Summer. Wilderness. Program. Three seemingly innocuous words when ingested individually. However, put them together, and what do you get? Well not a lot really, the same three words with a lot less sense than each word garners on its own. Now, I, and you, and we, could speculate all day long, and maybe the odd night, on what exactly a Summer Wilderness Program is or what it entails.

I could even write a review in a professional manner, instead of as if it were in fact not a review but some grand, conversational novella in the first person. I could, but I won’t and we could speculate, but we won’t. Instead what we’ll do is ask the man himself, or rather listen to songs said man (Jon Lindsay) has knocked together and gathered under the aforementioned trio of words.

(I mean, it’s probably Summer camp,...

June 10: Singer Shirley Alston Reeves of The Shirelles is 71. Actor Andrew Stevens is 57. Bassist Kim Deal of The Pixies and The Breeders is 51. Singer Maxi Priest is 51. Actress Gina Gershon is 50. Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn is 49. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins, Zwan) is 48. Actress Kate Flannery ("The Office") is 48. Model-actress Elizabeth Hurley is 47. Guitarist Joey Santiago of The Pixies is 47. Guitarist Emma Anderson (Lush) is 45. Country guitarist Brian Hofeldt of The Derailers is 45. Singer Mike Doughty (Soul Coughing) is 42. Singer JoJo of K-Ci and JoJo is 41. Singer Faith Evans is 39. Singer Lemisha Grinstead of 702 is 34. Actor DJ Qualls ("Hustle & Flow") is 34. Actor Shane West ("ER," "Now and Again") is 34. Singer Hoku is 31. Actress Leelee Sobieski is 30.

June 11: Actor Gene Wilder is 79. Actor Chad Everett is 75. Comedian Johnny Brown ("Laugh-In") is 75. Singer Joey Dee is 72. Actress Adrienne Barbeau ("Maude") is 67. Drummer Frank Beard of Zz Top is 63. Singer Donnie Van...

They Might Be Giants will always have a special place in The A.V. Club's heart after the group starred in our most popular episode of Undercover ever. Which is why we're happy to premiere an exclusive stream of this special live version of "Clap Your Hands," a bonus track on the new 10th anniversary reissue of Tmbg's first "family" album, No! The album comes out June 26, but you can check out "Clap Your Hands" now.

It feels great when bands are excited enough by their A.V. Undercover performances to give them an official release. You may have seen the Wye Oak 7" in the past, or the They Might Be Giants compilation that included "Tubthumping." Iron & Wine is the latest outfit to join that illustrious club: Available for pre-order today is the "Two Sides Of George" single, which includes I&W's cover of George Michael's "One More Try" (from their Undercover session) as well as a cover of Little Feat's "Trouble" (by Lowell George, hence the title of the single). The ...

Because I no longer profess to have original thoughts, I’ve taken a liking to riffing off a topic suggested by other ComicMix columnists. This week, the lucky Ms. Mindy Newell inspired my topic du jour. As I discussed last week, I’ve been a serious artist since high school. When I was faced with two years worth of assignments in a single school year, I was chained to the art table basically every night. My art-desk was just a dining room table, so for me the creative process started more with a mindset than a setting. An artist’s area is a second home, a place where creativity blooms and technical proficiency is honed with each successive piece. Nothing gets me into this place quicker than music.

I can point to the soundtrack of my high school days and how it lead me to the canvas… or Bristol board,...

For most holidays, you can find music that's generally of the celebratory sort. When it comes to Presidents' Day, however, the selection is more of a mixed bag. From the obscure references ("Whip It") to the general ("Presidents and Magistrates") to the more obvious ("James K. Polk"), the American president has been alternately lauded and pummeled in song. In putting together this playlist, more often we've found it's been the latter. Take a spin through our list of 13 presidential songs, one-by-one with selected lyrics/explanations, or in full below, and let us know what we missed in the comments.

They Might Be Giants, "James K. Polk"

In 1844, the Democrats were split/The three nominees for the presidential candidate/Were Martin Van Buren, a former president and an abolitionist/James Buchanan, a moderate/Louis Cass, a general and expansionist/From Nashville came a dark horse riding up/He was James K.

They might be giants, indeed.   Super Bowl Xlvi averaged 111.3 million viewers on Sunday (February 5) night, becoming the most-watched program in American TV history. The showdown between the Giants and Patriots toppled the storied record of 111.0 million viewer, set by last year's Super Bowl on Fox.   Last year's Super Bowl, in turn, shattered the record set the previous year by Super Bowl Xliv on CBS, the game that finally broke the long-standing "M.A.S.H." finale record.   Sunday's game was also the highest-rated Super Bowl in 26 years, with a 47.0 rating and a 71 share, and the...

Tom Morello: The Watchman is part of the new season of The Guitar Center's award-winning Directv series. This "musical call to arms" premieres Saturday, December 17 at 9pm Et/Pt in 2D hi-definition on Directv's Audience Network (channel 239) and in 3D on Directv's in 3D™ powered by Panasonic.

The show features an intimate conversation with Morello about the "high-wire act" of embarking on a solo career, the impetus behind his storied musical career and how his definition of "heavy music" has changed over the years with host and esteemed musical tastemaker Nic Harcourt.

Here is The Huffington Post's exclusive...

Ani Difranco 's Latest...

¿Which Side Are You On?, in stores January 17th, will be Ani Difranco's first studio album in more than three years. The title track is her unique reworking of the famed protest anthem, written in 1931, but made famous by Pete Seeger, who Difranco calls, "my elder,...

It seems safe to say that Jonathan Coulton is currently a nerd icon. Coulton has sung about zombies, worked on songs for the _Portal_ series, toured with They Might Be Giants and performed on stage for _Mystery Science Theater 3000_ live events. Coulton’s newest album _Artificial Heart_ combines this nerdy sensibility with a melancholy nature that is mostly hit or miss.

First there was The Areas of My Expertise. Then came More Information Than You Require. And now there is That Is All, the final book in John Hodgman's trilogy on "complete world knowledge."

The book will be released on November 1, and to make the people aware of its impendingness, Hodgman and director Tom Scharpling have created the above promo, featuring a list of cameos that is as thorough as the book's topics. Dick Cavett? Got him. Brooke Shieds? Got her. Justin Long waiting for Hodgman to return to the all-white "I'm a PC and I'm a Mac" room? Yes, indeed.

And the list goes on. Tucked away in the Celebrity Cameo Room of Hodgman's deranged millionaire's lair are also Scott Adsit, Fred Armisen, Samantha Bee, Paul Feig, Jason Jones, Ted Leo, John Lutz, Jack McBrayer, Christopher McCulloch, Nas, Vernon Reid, Paul Rudd, Kristen Schaal, Kenny Shopsin, and Questlove.

And...

Over here in Rusty-land it's one of those Wednesday that seems to be taking forever but at the same time every so often I'll look up at the clock and be like "wait, it's what time now? Crap." I find this to be a particular problem with Wednesdays, perhaps because of the transition from first half of the week to second half of the week at least if you're going by the standard Monday to Friday week schedule. Although perhaps I should be more upbeat since according to today's xkcd Wednesday is frequently Ladies' night. Oh, right, there's also some television going on. A few of those reality series that some of you adore, so that's cool. So, here's your Wednesday night TV, which will be on both forever from now and sooner than I think it will:

7:30pm: "Exes & Ohs" on Logo

8:00pm: "Big Brother" on CBS...

On the commentary track for 2002’s Gigantic (A Tale Of Two Johns), They Might Be Giants’ John Linnell wonders aloud whether the documentary will serve as the band’s tombstone. It was a valid concern—even for a band that deals so gleefully with death—and eerily prescient, considering Tmbg’s middling output following the film’s release. The weird, eclectic Join Us, however, serves as a refreshing corrective to years of kiddie albums and so-so grown-up discs, and reestablishes Linnell and John Flansburgh as geek-rock explorers of the highest order. The sparkling “Can’t Keep Johnny Down” kicks ...

In 1982, They Might Be Giants came out of the gate with a hilarious combination of social commentary and absurdism called “Youth Culture Killed My Dog.” Nearly three decades later, some fans might wonder if youth culture killed the act, or at least stifled it. Extreme youth culture, that is. During the last decade, Tmbg recorded three children’s albums -- the success of which threatened to redefine them as the world’s gnarliest tot-rockers. They might be grown-up, though, again. Tmbg has reemerged from the ghetto of twee pre-tween pop with “Join Us,”...

They Might Be Giants are, along with Matthew Sweet and a handful of others, what I remember of college radio from the early ‘90s. Tmbg stand out for me not so much because of their so-singular-it-borders-on-proprietary sound, but because they were the first band I encountered that spawned superfans. I was pretty young in the early ’90s, and at best my peers loved classic rock in that early, holistic, passed-on-like-a-hair-color way. At their worst they loved whatever everyone else loved that day or week or minute. They Might be Giants were different, they were the preeminent backpack band patch, the...

They Might Be Giants. By Shervin Lainez.For almost 30 years, They Might Be Giants (John Flansburgh and John Linnell) have been releasing music that’s both snarky and sweet, morbid and whimsical, a little pop and a little avant garde. Beginning in 2002, with the enhanced CD and book No!, they applied their sensibility to a trilogy of albums geared toward children. The shocking success of these (2005’s Here Come the ABCs went gold; 2008’s Here Come the 123s won a Grammy; 2009’s Here Comes Science was nominated) threatened to upstage everything else they did. The new album Join Us marks a return to their classic sound. While playful (the song “Cloisonne” features a singing raindrop), it is strictly for grown-ups. Here John Flansburgh (bespectacled John) discusses the band’s early years in Lower Manhattan, their struggle to win and keep casual fans, and why they’re not going to be walking 500 miles anytime soon.