If you had to use one word to define They Might Be Giants, it could very well be "eclectic."

It could also be "eccentric." Or "poppy." Or "geeky." Or "brilliant."

That just goes to show that when you try to sum up a band in one word, it sucks ass. But single words are a bit more useful when summing up a record, and TMBG's latest, Long Tall Weekend, is the very definition of eclecticism. All TMBG albums feature a mixed bag of sounds, but Weekend is all over the map, in the best possible way.

Weekend should be all over the map, since it's actually a compilation of tracks drawn from a wide variety of sources: extra tracks from previous records, new recordings of long-time concert favorites, and a few preview items from the next full-tilt TMBG record. It's also offered in a unique way, as a package of downloadable tracks from the E-Music website. I don't mean to sound like a fuddy duddy, but I do hope this music is made available to fans via the more traditional CD route someday; even in this technologically advanced day and age, I fear some TMBG lovers will be turned off by the difficulty in accessing and replaying this record. (Yeah, I know how easy MP3s are and how well they work, but that's if you got the gear--my crappy work computer couldn't cut the mustard, and I'd need to front the dough for a nice set of speakers, and even then I'd have to figure out some way to finagle the music onto a real CD for my at-home pleasure. Don't get me started on this whole internet music convenience issue.)

Whatever your net configuration, it is definitely worth the effort to make this music work. Weekend is yet another fifty minutes or so of pure TMBG genius, with an excellent mix of old-school and new-style sounds from the band. It opens up with a laid-back instrumental, "Drinkin'," that boasts a fifties' surf guitar sound and a chillin' vibe. From that, you're tossed straight into "She Thinks She's Edith Head," a manic up-tempo number that features John Flansburgh screaming like a madman about a girl he used to know who's gone crazy and believes she's the titular famed Hollywood costume designer.

The record weaves its way through balladry (the swing-era redux "Reprehensible" and the eerie acapella "On Earth My Nina"), straight-ahead pop stuff ("Certain People I Could Name," featuring one of John Linnell's most exquisite melodies in years) and even a Lesley Gore cover, "Maybe I Know." Also present is the long-time concert hit "Older," finally out in official recorded form, and some alternate versions of previously released tracks, "They Got Lost" and "Lullaby to Nightmares."

As a package, it has a feel closer to TMBG's earlier records than their later material. Though musicians other than the two Johns are present all over the place, their involvement is largely scaled back, calling to mind the more innovative and often sparser arrangements of the band's early days. At the same time, the full-on rawk assault of the full band sound is far from abandoned, with tracks like "Rat Patrol" and "Edith Head" emphasizing a bigger sound. Stylistically, it's nearly schizophrenic; mambo and salsa tracks collide with bluegrass twangy tracks and straight-ahead pop tracks and old-school ballads...sheesh.

It's a crazy mix, but it works like a charm; the tracks are glued together by the brilliance of the songwriting. Weekend features some of the Johns' cleverest tunes ever. A bold statement, to be sure, but see if you don't agree after absorbing such gems as "Reprehensible," which seems to combine the lyrics of Metallica with the sound of Glenn Miller; "Older," with hilarious lyrics that almost match the dexterity of the opening bass solo; and "The Edison Museum," a collaboration between Brian Dewan and John Linnell that compares New Jersey's Edison Museum with a mausoleum and a haunted house at the same time.

Will Weekend drag in new fans to the TMBG cult? Probably not. But it's must-listen music for fans of the band, and the mix of sounds means that there's guaranteed to be a few tracks that will appeal to just about any listener. The newer material also points toward an amazing next record from the band, so it's fun to tease your ears with the possibilities ahead. And hell, if you're not a fan yet and you're considering taking the leap, fire up ye olde CPU and give Weekend a shot. At ninety-nine cents a track per download, you sure can't beat the price. You can even buy it in your underwear, and how many records have that going for them?