''Mink Car'' is the eighth studio album by

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and Children's music, children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as ...

, released on September 11, 2001, on the Restless Records label. One of the band's most eclectic efforts, its variety reflects its recording process; it was put together in a number of different studios, with a number of different guest artists and producers, around the country as the band toured between 1999 and 2001. It runs the gamut from pop songs, such as "Bangs" and "Finished With Lies", to dance music ("Man, It's So Loud In Here"), and soft romantic ballads ("Another First Kiss"). The title track musically references

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

(from cocktail piano introduction to horn interludes) while lyrically it offers an absurd take on lush lifestyles and dreamy music ("I got hit by a mink car ... driven by a guitar"). "Man, It's So Loud in Here" was the only single released from the album, though its cover of the

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the only B ...

oldie " Yeh Yeh" was featured in a Chrysler car commercial. "Bangs," "Cyclops Rock," "Man, It's So Loud In Here," and "Another First Kiss", as well as "

Boss of Me "Boss of Me" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The song is famously used as the opening theme song for the television show ''Malcolm in the Middle'', and was released as the single from the soundtrack to the show. In 2002, " ...

" (which was featured on non-U.S. releases), were released on the band's 2002 anthology compilation '' Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants''. "Bangs" provided the inspiration for author

Zadie Smith Zadie Smith (born Sadie; 25 October 1975) is an English novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Her debut novel, ''White Teeth'' (2000), immediately became a best-seller and won a number of awards. She became a tenured professor in the ...

's short story "The Girl with Bangs". A complete cover album called ''Mink Car Cover'' was constructed in 2011 to raise funds for the FDNY Foundation in the wake of the tenth anniversary of the

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that occurred on the day of the album's original release. It featured covers by 19 different artists including

Marian Call Marian Call (born February 24, 1982, in Gig Harbor, Washington) is an American singer-songwriter based in Juneau, Alaska. Call is known for her songs containing themes of geek culture, as well as her rise to popularity through the use of th ...

The Doubleclicks The Doubleclicks are a nerd-folk musical duo based in Portland, Oregon and Los Angeles, California, consisting of siblings Laser Webber (formerly Angela Webber and Laser Malena-Webber) and Aubrey Turner (formerly Aubrey Webber). They first bec ...

, Hello, The Future!, and Molly Lewis.

Track listings

The track listing for the album varied depending on where it was released. Some releases featured bonus tracks, such as "Boss of Me" for the Australian release, and "Your Mom's Alright" in Europe.

Notes

* "Working Undercover for the Man" was previously released in the EP of the same name. * "She Thinks She's Edith Head" is a re-recorded version of the track of a track with a similar name on '' Long Tall Weekend''.

Personnel

They Might Be Giants *

John Flansburgh John Conant Flansburgh (born May 6, 1960) is an American musician. He is half of the long-standing Brooklyn, New York–based alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants with John Linnell, for which he writes, sings, and plays rhythm guitar. Earl ...

John Linnell John Sidney Linnell ( ; born June 12, 1959) is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist, and is one half of the Brooklyn-based alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, with John Flansburgh, which was formed in 1982. In addition to sing ...

The Band of Dans *

Dan Hickey Daniel Hickey (born May 30, 1957) more commonly known as Dan Hickey, is an American drummer, who performed with the rock band They Might Be Giants from 1997 to 2003. Early life and career Birth Daniel Hickey was born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, ...

– drums, percussion * Dan Weinkauf – bass * Dan Miller – guitar

Charts

References

External links

* '' Mink Car'' at This Might Be A Wiki
Mink Car Cover
10th anniversary cover compilation of the entire Mink Car album * {{Authority control 2001 albums They Might Be Giants albums Albums produced by Clive Langer Albums produced by Alan Winstanley Albums produced by Pat Dillett Restless Records albums