TRANSCRIPT: Flans on AOL
Joe Coughlin
Here it is. Posted for your perusal. :) Thanks Spin and AOL.
JoeC...Long live MST3K! God Bless Sci Fi Channel!
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SPINmc: John is here...straight from the recording studio...
Where he's been working on the new They Might Be Giants album...
He's here promoting his side project...Mono Puff!
Start sending your questions by pressing that ever happy Interact
button.
Okay...
We're ready to start...
SPINmc: How did you decide to do the Mono Puff experience?
John Puff: Uhhh...ummm...
I've been doing this "Hello CD of the Month" club for the past
couple of years...
and I had a bunch of songs that I had put out thru the club that I
had wanted to record
In a more full-blown way.
I got together a band to do the songs at a "Hello" showcase in NY
and recorded the bulk
of the record a couple of weeks later last October.
SPINmc: He'll take some TMBG questions, of course, but ask him some
Mono Puff
stuff as well!
SPINmc: Brettster:
Question: John! I was impressed by a recent Linnell Dial-a-Song,
"Ringing of
the Bells." Is that slated for the new TMBG release?
John Puff: Yes!
SPINmc: StevenP78:
Question: who influenced your music? Zappa, 10cc, Rundgren, Squeeze?
John Puff: Personally, Rundgren not at all.
10cc ummm in only the vaguest way.
Elvis Costello far more than Squeeze, although I like Squeeze.
My Ryko labelmate the late Frank Zappa a qualified yes.
SPINmc: Jonath102:
Question: Hey John. The new mono puff album rocks. I know the new
TMBG
album is due in the fall, but what about the second B-side
compalation?
John Puff: Superfueled Freaksicle was slated to come out last spring
but
Elektra
felt the timing was wrong.
It's a pretty interesting record
but a little less consistent than Misc. T which some people think
is a pretty bumpy
ride already.
SPINmc: Marvin461:
Question: John, what's your favorite breakfast cereal?
John Puff: Yes!
SPINmc: Mr Cydoni:
Question: Have you heard "Weird Al's" song "Everything You Know is
Wrong"?
It seems to be a parody of TMBG's musical styles.
John Puff: No. I bet it isn't.
SPINmc: CoDun:
Question: why does the band keep changing
John Puff: They Might Be Giants line-up doesn't change as fast as it
might
appear to liner note
readers.
But over the course of 3 and a half years with a full band its
evolved a couple of times.
SPINmc: Jdmack01:
Question: Do you object to MIDI files of your music being traded on
the
internet? Have you heard any that you liked?
John Puff: I haven't heard any, but anyone is welcome to mine.
SPINmc: DWeil2:
Question: Hi John. I saw you in Bremen in Germany a while back. It
was the
building with ceiling
that opened up. You guys were great! Having listed to your song
on the XTC disc, 25 O Clock, I
was wondering what cover song you'd like to do?
John Puff: I don't understand.
SPINmc: SHAGGY133:
Question: Do you have any upcoming tour dates?
John Puff: Yes!
Mono Puff will be in Boston on the 25, Philly on the 26, DC the
27, and NYC the 28 and 29
TMBG will be at in St Louis on the 17 of Aug, and on the road in
Sept.
SPINmc: Dot0926:
Question: whats your favorite word, and why that word??
John Puff: My favorite Word is word because it is a symbol for all
other
words.
SPINmc: Zerolyzer:
Question: Do you know the identities of the Residents? AND, if so,
WHO ARE
THEY?? Please tell me.
John Puff: No, I do not know their identities, but I believe some of
them are
males.
SPINmc: A22TMBG:
Question: What is particle man really about
John Puff: That would be a better question to ask John Linnell.
SPINmc: Rob Joe:
Question: Hi, John. Might we ever get see a "Best of Dial-a-Song" CD?
John Puff: Our Lp's are essentially best of Dial-a-Song's.
p.s. Dial-a-song died yesterday, but will be back up in a couple
of days.
SPINmc: Statue:
Question: What can we expect from Hello in 1996?
John Puff: We've got a lot of stuff.
Gordon Gano
Laura Cantrell, produced by me (you may remeber her from "The
Guitar")
John Linnell is doing a project about NYC Mayors.
The Magnetic Fields and Will Rigby already have released stuff
If you want a free brochure leave your address at 1 800 HELLO 41
SPINmc: PeaceDrya:
Question: What's with the dancing in your first videos?
John Puff: We jump around a lot on stage, and it was just an
organized way of
doing it.
SPINmc: SHAGGY133:
Question: What is your new album called and on what label is it?
John Puff: The Mono Puff album is called "Unsupervised" and is on
Rykodisc.
SPINmc: RSeanL:
Question: John, I think I love you man...but I'm wondering, how is
your
"social" situation right now? I mean, there are rumors of all sorts
about your love
interests? What's the real story?
John Puff: I am spoken for I am happy to say.
SPINmc: Gnureg:
Question: What's Mono Puff?
John Puff: Well, it's me doing half the songwriting and the other
half is
cover versions of songs
that I love that most people don't know. The line up of the band
is Steve Calhoon who is
the drummer in a very cool local NYC band called Skeleton Key, who
have a lp of their
own coming out in the fall.The bass player is Hal Cragen from Iggy
Pop's band, who is
currently on the road somewhere with the Ig, as everyone in his
camp seems to call him.
On the record you'll hear a lot from another very cool fellow
named Mike Viola who has a
band called the Candy Butchers. He is super talented, versatile
musician.
SPINmc: ShishkaB:
Question: Question: SInce your music is so unique, can you tell me
what has
been the oddest inspiration you've had for a song?
John Puff: That's an unusual question...
SPINmc: We're here with John Flansburgh of Mono Puff and They Might
Be
Giants...
John Puff: I wrote "Youth Culture Killed My Dog" riding my bike thru
Brooklyn
but that doesn't answer your question
SPINmc: We'll be giving away 5 signed CD's at the end of our chat....
Based upon a question derived from this conference...
Stick around.
John Puff: Bob Guccionne Sr. will be signing them personally
SPINmc: MothaBEAS:
Question: Will you be my friend? Please???
John Puff: Yes!
BFFL my outerspace pal!
SPINmc: Rob Joe:
Question: Hi, John. How did you come up with "Egad a base tone
denotes a bad
age"?
John Puff: Well, alas, that again would be a question for Mr. Linnell
SPINmc: KatILuvU:
Question: so John I was wondering what your favorite song is? And
who was
your favorite group when you were a kid?
John Puff: Right now I'm kinda hooked on the "Dusty in Memphis" album
by
Dusty Springfield
There is a kind of song on the record that is based in the Burt
Bacharach mold that I
really love although a couple of the best examples on the record
were actually written by
Randy Newman who seemed to be almost writing in Burt's style.
SPINmc: RobbKille:
Question: Hey John, who's the lady on "Miscellanious T" babbling on
about
"Who's They May Be Giants, how do they make any money? They meet at
La Maisonnette
Restaurant?" Is that my mother?
John Puff: If she is from the NYC area, I believe it is. Many people
think
she is a man. I am
refering to track 13 on Misc. T which is a Dial-A-Song response
that a lady left
(back when it was taking messages. I doesn't anymore)
SPINmc: EdFreeze:
Question: What is Hello?
SPINmc: We're here with John Flansburgh, Hello CD of the Month
entrepreneur....
and we'll be giving away 5 signed copies of Unsupervised, John's Mono
Puff album....
At the end of the chat! Stick around.
John Puff: Hello CD of the Month Club is like Book of the Month Club.
Me and
my partner in Hello Marjorie send out 10 CDs a year by different
artist, all new and
original for Hello exclusively. Every month is dedicated to a
different artist. You join
for a year, and you get the back catalog of the year you join
whenever you start.
SPINmc: KENbmille:
Question: What songs do you cover on the new Mono Puff album?
John Puff: The single, "The Devil Went Down to Newport" was
originally
recorded by a
group called the Clamdiggers. The made a demo that was given to me
by my friend Brian
Dewan and I thought it would make a good cover.
There is a video for it that is going to be on MTV's 120 Minutes
next week.
Call that 800 number at MTV and make them put it in power rotation
SPINmc: Drayco:
Question: Is the rumor true that you have a sitcom on the WB coming
this fall
John Puff: No
SPINmc: Torganna:
Question: What is the significance of the old man's face people are
wearing
as masks and such in your old videos?
John Puff: He just looked nice. It was for decoration pretty much.
SPINmc: We've got about 5 minutes left with John Flansburgh of TMBG
and Mono
Puff fame...
John Puff: Oh, I want to mention this bulletin board type stuff. I am
going
to be on the other thing
SPINmc: The special question for the signed Mono Puff CD's will be
announced
at the end...
John Puff: Sonic net on July 11, and I doing an interview on Vin
Skelsa's
show on WNEW FM on
the 23rd. Also there is an All Things Considered piece coming up
too.
SPINmc: Torgo111:
Question: How did TMBG become "Musical Ambassadors for International
Space
Year"?
John Puff: They asked us, and it sounded very cool. It was kind of a
non-event because the Republican
s were really into dismantling the Space Program. There wasn't too
much cheering around
NASA
SPINmc: Kaylum:
Question: Any chance of Mono Puff coming down south for some shows?
John Puff: We would love to, but I don't think we're big enough. We
hope to
be on the west coast in
the beginning of Sept. TMBG will definitely be down south this
fall
SPINmc: MarvoK:
Question: what kind of shampoo do you use?
John Puff: I use Aveda hair care products supplied in a big free box
from
Elektra from last Xmas
SPINmc: Keoti:
Question: Is John typing or dictating?
John Puff: I am typing
CANT YOUR TELLL?
SPINmc: Okay...I'm gonna ask the last question...
Will there be a follow up Mono Puff album?
John Puff: We were actually planning on recording at the end of
August, and we
already have a title:
which I won't say
but
since the new TMBG record will be out in the beginning of October
we have got to get the BIG show together, and that is going to
take up all my time.
If someone wants to post in the Mono Puff/John Flansburgh message
board, I'm going to
see if I can collect enough "ten free hours" discs to never have
to actually pay to be on
this thing. I encourage all of you to break free from the chains
of your computers and wal
k out into the cool night air! Good night!
SPINmc: Thank you, John Flansburgh for chatting with us...Now the
question
for the signed CD's...
(AOL thanks you by the way...)
The first 5 people who can email to the address John Puff the name of
John's fave cereal..
Will win a signed CD!
Go email to John Puff now!
John's fave cereal is ______ ?
Thanks everyone for coming to the SPINonline chat with John
Flansburgh!
We'll see you next time...
Drop by the SPINonline Chat Pit on Friday at 6pm ET for the *new*
Puppet Advice Show!
SPINmc: Good Night all!
We'll be back soon...and remember...We're smelling you!
SPINmc: Hey, all...stop IMing John!
He's overloaded!
The winners will be announced at SPINonline tomorrow!
Remember...Email John Puff with the answer to What is John's favorite
cereal?
The answer was earlier in the chat.
Check SPINonline for the answers tomorrow!
OnlineHost: Copyright 1996 America Online, Inc.