Artist bio

See also: They Might Be Giants

John Linnell is one-half of They Might Be Giants, the quirky Brooklyn duo who have spread their offbeat pop mastery over almost two decades and grown up from nerd-rock outsiders to Grammy-winning nerd-rock insiders.

Linnell and his partner-in-crime John Flansburgh each have indulged in side projects in the later years of the group's existence, and the former's primary outlet is his State Songs project, in which he attempts to record a song for each of the 50 United States of America. Good luck.

Albums by this artist

State Songs (1999)

John Linnell

State Songs

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» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR

John Linnell State Songs Zoe, 1999 RiYL: They Might Be Giants, Schoolhouse Rock, educational lounge funk

John Linnell of They Might Be Giants, ever the explorer of fresh musical paths, has embarked on an ambitious, somewhat silly, but undeniably catchy project: to record songs representing each of the 50 United States of America. The first four of these tunes appeared four years ago on an EP for TMBG's Hello recording club. Come the turn of the century, the man and his merry band of Statesmen are clearly making progress in their undertaking, evidenced by State Songs, an installment of 15 state tunes plus the project's main theme.

Capable musician and songwriter he is, Linnell luckily doesn't treat this project as pure kitsch. He probably wouldn't be doing this unless he really thought it could spur some great melodies and memorable tunes out of his creative psyche. As he sings in "The Songs Of The 50 States," "the ideas, notes and words / every state a different composition / keeping me awake late at night / can't get them out of my mind". And further, "I'm not gonna say they're great / i ain't gonna say they ain't / but i recall and will relate / the words and music of the 50 / songs of the 50 states." A more explicit and fitting overture for such a quirky record would be hard to find.

Linnell is consciously stretching his creative musculature for this embarking, and it should not be construed as neglect when a couple of the states get minimal instrumental treatments here ("Illinois," "Pennsylvania,"). What is indeed the most profound aspect of the record is how fully-formed most of the songs are. It takes a bit of a leap of faith on the listeners' part to follow Linnell's track of mind when he makes such song-defining statements as "Iowa is a witch! / She's a witch!" or "I forget you / I forget U - tah." But he's clearly trying to diversify the project, and it works well. From the haunting "West Virginia" to horn-infused stomp "South Carolina" to the first single, the deliriously catchy "Montana," the fully-formed songs break well out of the natural restrictions one would assume must come with limiting your subject matter so much.

While this might not be the most memorable pop album of the year, it surely is a nice pickup for fans of Linnell's work, and a tribute to the work ethic of the Brooklyn musician. Less educational than fun, State Songs fills a musical gap you didn't know existed, and provides curious listeners with the first third of Linnell's ambitious project. For having the dedication and the gall to invest in the songs of the 50 states, Linnell deserves a toast. Raise a glass to State Songs.

TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.