John Linnell
American musician and multi-instrumentalistWikipedia
24
MENTIONS
7
EPISODES
7
PODCASTS
Search complete. 24 mentions across 7 episodes found for "John Linnell".
Nov 3, 2026
Kari RaceHOST
The last song we are going to discuss today is number 81, Anna Ng by They Might Be Giants.
Kari RaceHOST
During a period in 1983 when John Linnell broke his wrist and John Flansburg lost most of his possessions in a burglary, the two recorded their songs on an answering machine.
Kari RaceHOST
Okay, wait.
Kari RaceHOST
Let
Joe ChristopherHOST
Can you say that sentence again, please?
Kari RaceHOST
During a period in 1983...
Kari RaceHOST
When John Linnell broke his wrist and John Flansburg lost most of his possessions in a burglary, the two recorded their songs on an answering machine.
Kari RaceHOST
Okay, there's more.
M.L. ElrickHOST
Doc counted them in with a faster tempo than the studio version, and they were noticeably caught off guard.
M.L. ElrickHOST
Pretty sure at 1.30 in the video, John Linnell yells too fast to the drummer, Ed Shaughnessy, who had some of the sickest mutton chops in the business.
M.L. ElrickHOST
Mike says this is especially funny considering the 31-year-old ate the 31-year age gap.
M.L. ElrickHOST
After the younger guys caught their breath, the Johns agreed this high-velocity version was actually far superior and immediately began playing it this way.
Nick SanbornGUEST
Yeah, the songwriting is so emotional and so economical.
Amelia MeathGUEST
John Linnell.
Nick SanbornGUEST
Yeah.
Nick SanbornGUEST
I mean, both of them.
Danica JuarezHOST
The soundtrack for Coraline features songs by Bruno Collet with one, The Other Father song by They Might Be Giants.
Danica JuarezHOST
The Other Father's singing voice is provided by John Linnell, one of the band's singers.
Danica JuarezHOST
The band was hired to compose an entire soundtrack for the film, but...
Danica JuarezHOST
But according to John Flansbur, the production team wanted the music to be more creepy.
Danica JuarezHOST
The song that they did keep from them, though, is very they might be Giants.
ValerieHOST
Yes, no. It's like, is
Danica JuarezHOST
that John Linnell? Yeah, that's definitely him singing.
ValerieHOST
Yeah, and John Hodgman voiced the dad.
Tommy ThevenetHOST
got it right there um john hodgman i think is fun too i think he also gives a good uh dual performance right the other father is slightly more caring even when he gets into like the droopiness where like other father gets fucked up at one point apparently and gets like a bunch of stuffing in him or something and he just like has that weird droopy performance one thing that's funny that one song he performs is uh not sung by john hodgman like the Here's a song about Coraline.
Tommy ThevenetHOST
That's sung by John Linnell.
Tommy ThevenetHOST
He's like the lead singer of They Might Be Giants.
Tommy ThevenetHOST
And originally this movie had like, they were composed, the They Might Be Giants guys were composed to write an entire soundtrack for the film.
Alec CummingHOST
Almost four years ago, I interviewed John Flansburgh from the band They Might Be Giants.
Alec CummingHOST
in anticipation of a show that he and his partner John Linnell were going to be doing at the College Street Music Hall on December 31st, 2022.
Alec CummingHOST
We talked about the band's music, its legacy, its quirkiness, plus its upcoming New Year's Eve gig.
Alec CummingHOST
But now, crazily enough, They Might Be Giants are returning to the scene of the crime, to the very same place, College Street Music Hall in New Haven for New Year's Eve 2026. welcoming in the what the hell's going to happen next year of 2027.
Alec CummingHOST
And they're also getting ready to record their first album for Bar None Records.
Alec CummingHOST
I started to hear about this quirky band duo that was making these really cool songs and sort of building a scene when there was none.
Alec CummingHOST
That was John Linnell and John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants.
Alec CummingHOST
Oh,
speaker_5SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
I'm not a real doctor, but I am a worm.
T. Mike ChildsHOST
John Linnell of They Might Be Giants said about the song, quote, it's about somebody who has an idea of their identity that, you know, other people don't agree with.
T. Mike ChildsHOST
And specifically, it's the kind of person who has a fantasy about wanting people to call them a nickname that nobody will agree to call them and has an idea of their status that nobody else agrees on.
T. Mike ChildsHOST
It's like those people in high school who give themselves a nickname.