I saw They Might be Giants perform at a small, crowded college bar in Tempe, Arizona in 1992. Before it began, it had already been a long night; two of the grad students I was with were vomiting uncontrollably before we even got to the venue. That was back when the two Johns had a canned band supporting them and Dial-A-Song was at the forefront of electronic music sharing technology. While my primos drifted in and out of a tequila-troubled consciousness, I sat back with a pack of Camel squares and an iced tea and listened. Despite technical limitations, multi-intrumentalists Linnell and Flansburgh put on a hell of a show. Their set was plaintive and frenetic, all at once, with songs that veered from pastiche to ponderous to pure pop without the brutality of Ween or the swagger of Zappa. Twenty years later, TMBG have added backing musicians, recorded a voluminous catalogue of crazy, beautiful music, grown and maintained a loyal fan base and continue to tour on the strength of their new work. TMBG will be supporting their latest Nanobots—and likely digging merrily into the past, too—when they play the Sunshine on tonight at 8pm. I’ll probably be up in the balcony, nursing a soda pop—well away from the distractions of my previous encounter with these gentlemen. Sunshine Theater • Thu Oct 24 • 8pm • $22 • View on Alibi calendar

Music has a long and storied history of serving as a medium for political messages. From folk to punk to electro, musicians with politics on the brain have turned up the mic and bared their souls to willing ears and open minds. Listen to 12 presidential and politically themed tracks below. And please don't forget to rock the vote, y'all.

Workplace violence at Albuquerque Parks and Rec.

UNM's chess club is stone cold killin' it.

Marijuana smoking not linked to lung problems.

Taliban says video of marines pissing on dead Taliban members won't affect peace talks.

The biggest polluters in the state.

Human zoo allows tourists to throw food at Jarawa people.

Class conflict is the conflict, say Americans.

Liz Lemon's flashbacks. All of them.

Pittsburgh mayor cops a Tebow.

The maker of Twinkies is filing for bankruptcy. To honor the mighty Twinkie, explore its many alternate uses.

Whiney Beethoven letter discovered.

Oakland Tribune sends a cease-and-desist order to Occupy Oakland Tribune.

Ohio landlord says her pool is whites only because African-American hair products cloud the water.

Sinead O'Connor is not in a good way.

Americans are eating less meat.

They Might Be Giants: "When Will You Die?"