At one point, Linnell broke his wrist in a biking accident, and Flansburgh's apartment was burgled, stopping them from performing for a time. During this hiatus, they began recording their songs onto an answering machine, and then advertising the phone number in local newspapers such as "The Village Voice", using the moniker "Dial-A-Song". They also released a demo cassette, which earned them a review in "People" magazine. The review caught the attention of Bar/None Records, who signed them to a recording deal.