They Might Be Giants - The Spine

If ever they gave out Grammys for mule-minded consistency, then Sting would have a lot more awards in his villa. But coming in a close second would be They Might Be Giants. Keyboard player John Linnell and guitarist John Flansburgh have a sense of focus that would put even the Ramones to shame. From the Brooklyn duo's first demo tape in 1985 up to its frenzied latest, The Spine, the same ingredients remain at the fore: effortlessly catchy choruses, songs that smear the line between novelty and being novel (new ones include ""Memo to Human Resources" and "Museum of Idiots"), and musical backing that sounds like a cross between a polka party and someone throwing silverware down the stairs. It's a quirky approach that's not going to easily win over any new converts but the will certainly drive the dedicated legion of old ones to smile with familiar-yet-fresh material like "Experimental Film" and "Au Contraire." --Aidin Vaziri