Coke or Pepsi?
Letterman or Leno?
Mac or Windows?
They Might Be Giants?

Not everyone 'gets' They Might Be Giants. Sure, there are a few well-known classic masterpieces - "Ana Ng", "Birdhouse in Your Soul", "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" - thanks to MTV, way back when it was actually cool, and a musical episode of Tiny Tunes - but once you delve further into the Giants' catalog, you're faced with a heady mix of non-sequiters, general oddness, obscure lyrical references (or are they?), and the more than occasional accordian. When they rock (and those who've seen them live know that they can), it's as likely to be a cover of a children's 50's educational record as it is a cover of a grrrl-indie band's ode to NYC. Those who can't quite wrap their mind around what they hear have labeled it "Geek Rock." Or "Nerd Rock." Or "Dork Rock."

I guess I'm all three, because TMBG holds a special place in my musical conscious. Indestructible Object is notable because it's their first adult release in almost 2 1/2 years (their last full length No! was nominally a children's album, but with TMBG that's a fine line). Also, it's been released on Barsuk, well-regarded indie home of the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, John Vanderslice, Rilo Kiley. Perfect, because I would claim TMBG is the prototype of the indie spirit: starting out with only a drum machine for backing, clever approaches to promotion such as their famous Dial-a-Song (718-387-6962), they're still around 20 years later following their own inimitable, not exactly commercial style.

But what about Indestructible Object? As it turns out, the EP isn't quite as essential to those jonesing for new material, because you don't have long to wait for the new full length The Spine on July 15th. And two of the 5 tracks on Object ("Memo to Human Resources" and "Au Contraire") will be on that as well. For the three others, you get "Am I Awake?", the theme song to The Learning Channel's med student reality series Resident Life. A new version of the B-side obscurity "Ant" (There's an ant crawling up your back in the night time). It's a very good version, though. And finally, a fairly straight cover of The Beach Boys "Caroline, No" accompanied by tuba and accordian.

"Am I Awake?" continues some of the more polished electronic sounds the Giants experimented with on Mink Car. Skittering beats and X Files-like doppler effects contribute to a feeling of sleep-deprived confusion (And when I close my eyes it looks the same as when I open them again). "Memo to Human Resources" sets a contemplation of suicide (maybe) to a twangy guitar ballad. "Au Contraire" follows in the jaunty surreal style of John Henry's "Extra Savoir Faire" (Au contraire, Mahatma). And "Ant" comes the closest to the old style of TMBG that make you just want to jump around to the music, complete with horn section and an improv ending. It could compete as a new candidate to bring back the tradition of the They Might Be Giants mid-concert conga line.

The only problem with EPs is that they're too damn short. The songs on Indestructible Object are all standard high TMBG quality - I only deduct from the rating a bit because there's only two original tracks available nowhere else.

You can see TMBG May 29th in a free outdoor show at, where else?, the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore.

[1] Disclaimer: This list is not complete. I might still enjoy hanging out with you if even if you answer incorrectly on a few questions. [2]

[2] Well ... maybe not on the issue of late night talk show hosts.