This quirky Brooklyn duo has had quite a run in their more than twenty years cruising around the charts while establishing their own unique sound and style. People tend to break their music into three eras:
* Then: The Earlier Years (1982-1989)
* Elektra Period (1990-1998)
* Beyond Elektra (1999-Present)
I'm definately a fan of their earliest stuff (Pink & Lincoln) when it was just the two of them. The Elektra period was definately their most media-friendly time when they released Flood and Apollo 18 which are very exciting albums to listen to and are usually the hook for new fans. John Henry (probably the best of this timeframe) & Factory Showroom round out the era which resulted in a lot of bad blood between TMBG and major record labels. After that, TMBG put together Mink Car, No!, Here Come the ABCs, Long Tall Weekend, The Spine and other tracks using very 21st century distribution methods (such as internet only release) and recording methods (Children's Book & DVD combos). They also started contributing a lot to television and film including "Dr Evil" (Austin Powers 2), "Boss of Me" (Malcolm in the Middle) and Daily Show's theme song.
For Christmas I received "They Got Lost" which is a collection of b-sides & rarieties somewhat akin to a new Misc T (an older collection they released). Honestly, the charm of the band has diminished slightly and I'm not longer the fanatical fan I once was. However, I still enjoy their music and each album grows on me. There isn't a lot of bands I can say that every thing they put out is intriguging and mind provoking. TMBG manages to combine Art & Music into a conceptual entertainment experience. I highly recommend them!
* Then: The Earlier Years (1982-1989)
* Elektra Period (1990-1998)
* Beyond Elektra (1999-Present)
I'm definately a fan of their earliest stuff (Pink & Lincoln) when it was just the two of them. The Elektra period was definately their most media-friendly time when they released Flood and Apollo 18 which are very exciting albums to listen to and are usually the hook for new fans. John Henry (probably the best of this timeframe) & Factory Showroom round out the era which resulted in a lot of bad blood between TMBG and major record labels. After that, TMBG put together Mink Car, No!, Here Come the ABCs, Long Tall Weekend, The Spine and other tracks using very 21st century distribution methods (such as internet only release) and recording methods (Children's Book & DVD combos). They also started contributing a lot to television and film including "Dr Evil" (Austin Powers 2), "Boss of Me" (Malcolm in the Middle) and Daily Show's theme song.
For Christmas I received "They Got Lost" which is a collection of b-sides & rarieties somewhat akin to a new Misc T (an older collection they released). Honestly, the charm of the band has diminished slightly and I'm not longer the fanatical fan I once was. However, I still enjoy their music and each album grows on me. There isn't a lot of bands I can say that every thing they put out is intriguging and mind provoking. TMBG manages to combine Art & Music into a conceptual entertainment experience. I highly recommend them!
