A band featuring "intelligent pop songs"
John Flansburgh and John Linnell formed this New York, USA-based duo in
1984 after an initial meeting in Massachusetts. The band took their name
from a 1972 George C. Scott movie. Their original intention to recruit a
full band was abandoned, but Linnell learned the accordion and Flansburgh
mastered the guitar. Following Linnell's broken wrist which decimated their
early tour dates, they devised the "Dial-A-Song Service", which
still operates today, premiering their intelligent pop skills. A self-titled
debut album collated many of these early songwriting ventures, gaining the
band a considerable cult reputation. MTV picked up on their quirky visual
appeal, and Lincoln became the biggest-selling independent album of 1989
in the USA. With wry and perverse lyrics such as "I can't help but
feel jealous each time she climbs on his knee" ("Santa's Beard")
they struck an immediate chord with college radio. Their new CD is entitled
Mink Car. |
