The Else

The Else is the twelfth studio album by rock group They Might Be Giants, released by Idlewild Recordings on May 15, 2007. The album was produced in part by the Dust Brothers, along with Pat Dillett and the band.

The Else was first available for download through the iTunes Store on May 15, 2007. The CD version was released in stores on July 10, 2007, with initial runs accompanied by a full-length bonus disc of rare material, Cast Your Pod to the Wind (the title being a parody of jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi’s 1962 hit "Cast Your Fate to the Wind"). On September 11, 2007, the band released a gatefold vinyl LP of the album. Cast Your Pod was made available separately on iTunes in July 2009.

"Contrecoup" was originally written and recorded in 2005 as part of a challenge issued on the Next Big Thing in which lexicographer Erin McKean implored John Linnell to use the words "contrecoup", "craniosophic", and "limerent" in a song so that the words could be added to or remain in the dictionary.

A video, created by Mizushima Hine, for "With the Dark" was released on the band's YouTube page on June 7, 2007. Two additional videos, for "The Shadow Government" and "I'm Impressed", were also later released. A full-length video for "The Mesopotamians" was released on Stereogum.com on October 2.

"Careful What You Pack" was originally written for the soundtrack of 2009 film Coraline, but it was not used in the film.

Personnel

 * They Might Be Giants
 * John Flansburgh – songwriting, vocals, guitars, programming
 * John Linnell – songwriting, vocals, keyboards, programming


 * Backing band
 * Marty Beller – drums
 * Dan Miller – guitar; piano on "Careful What You Pack"
 * Danny Weinkauf – bass guitar


 * Additional musicians
 * Mauro Refosco – percussion (track 9)
 * Justin Meldal-Johnsen – acoustic bass guitar (9)
 * Dan Levine – trombone (9, 10)
 * Stan Harrison – saxophone (9, 10)
 * Jim O'Connor – trumpet (9, 10)
 * Lyle Workman – guitar (6, 9)
 * Sharon Jones – vocals (10)


 * Production
 * They Might Be Giants – producers (except 3, 6, 9, 10, 12)
 * Patrick Dillett – producer (except 3, 6, 9, 10, 12), engineer
 * The Dust Brothers – producers (2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12)
 * UE Nastasi – mastering
 * Yuki Takahashi – engineer
 * Greg Thompson – engineer
 * Jon Altschuler – engineer
 * Marcel Dzama – artwork, costumes, photography

Reception
The album reached #9 on the Billboard Top Digital Albums chart.