For their election-themed pick, here's their performance of their song 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.

Lewis Cass, a general and expansionist.

From Nashville came a dark horse riding up.

He was James K. Polk, Napoleon of the stump.

[laughs]

And I mean, you, you also, um, on a totally different tack, um, john hold responsibility for being one of the people that brought the accordion into the alt rock mainstream i mean what was your sort of history i assume it was growing up learning the accordion what sort of drew you to the instrument um and what impact did it have on your songwriting with um you and john when you were waking up used initial material

okay that's a good question i you know i didn't play accordion until i was an adult um we we john and i lived in a house in Brooklyn where we had a roommate who, who had an accordion and stopped playing and she loaned it to me.

Um, and we did a, we did a show, we did a busking show on the Brooklyn promenade.

Uh, the John, John had a guitar amp that had a battery, uh, We were able to just set up and play the accordion.

He played the guitar with this little tiny amp.

It felt freeing.

It was like, we can just stand up and walk around.

And the dreaded Desert Island Discs question, John, so five albums, if you had to choose them, five albums that changed your life or you would take to a desert island.

Um, what was important to you when you were a teenage John Linnell?

Well, I guess, you know, we- we had a social group, um, and we shared a lot of, you know, sensibilities then.

Um, I, you know, I guess, I mean, when I'm thinking about, like, in terms of, like, developing as musicians, like, there was this notion that there was popular culture, and then there was this, what we then thought of as underground culture.

There was underground radio, and there was popular radio.

And they were both important, you know? And the, the weird thing was that, you know, you used this, the underground thing to kind of identify yourself.

Mm.

But popular culture was just as...

You know, The Beatles were just as important, and AM radio.

They Might Be Giants on FUV.

This next song, uh, we wanna thank, uh, WFUV for, uh, playing this song on the radio.

[cheering] It's been a total thrill.

Every couple of days, somebody comes up to me and says, like, "I heard your song on WFUV," and it's like, "Yes.

Yes!" [laughing] Um, this is, uh, uh, the, uh, lead single off our brand-new album, and it's called Wu Tang.

[cheering] [upbeat music] Something was hidden, a secret compartment Inside my heart Somebody planted a seed and they had me believe That it was all my idea Much as I would like all the credit I know who did it Best to admit who it was Wu Tang, Wu Tang Wu Tang, Wu Tang Two mighty spirits were waging a battle Inside my heart Heavenly warriors trying to end me But just in time A voice cried, "Time out" Listen to the sound on the CD If you don't believe me Check it and see for yourself Wu Tang, Wu Tang Wu Tang, Wu Tang Wu Tang, Wu Tang Wu Tang, Wu Tang At the end of my tether Thought I was a goner But then walked the hamster And the person was Wu Tang Wu Tang Was it larceny? Were there some parts for me to smash and grab? Whether a sinner or not All I know is that I could see And now I'm blinded Listen to the sound on the CD If you don't believe me Check it and see for yourself Wu Tang, Wu Tang Wu Tang, Wu Tang Wu Tang, Wu Tang Wu Tang, Wu Tang At the end of my tether Thought I was a goner But then walked the hamster And the person's a Wu Tang Wu Tang Wu Tang Wu Tang Wu Tang [cheering]

Benem Jones in conversation with They Might Be Giants, going back to the Sheen Center for more from the Bigger Show Tour.

[singing] I'm your only friend, I'm not your only friend.