Music video: They Might Be Giants - "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"

They Might Be Giants revisited a classic this week with the video for their “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” update. The veteran nerd-rockers first released their meditation on name-changing back in 1990 on Flood. TMBG redid the song for Raises New And Troubling Questions, a new rarities album out now via their own Idlewild Recordings.

The new version is a very out of character synthy electro-dance track. It’s interesting to watch the boys in the video recording the song with a Speak & Spell and lots of vocal effects. Without the visual, though, the song just seems like an unnecessary bastardization of a classic. Check out the new music video (directed by Might Be Giant John Flansburgh) below and the original under that.