"There's no beginning and there is no end." If you don't know them by name, you know them by sound. 30 years ago this week, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads, working together in a new side project called Tom Tom Club, released the single "Genius of Love." Its signature "dada, da-da-dada" synth and bass line has been sampled extensively since its release, by artists ranging from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five to Mariah Carey to Tupac. They've recently released a live album with a B-side of fresh remixes and wrapped up their first U.S. tour in 10 years. And to celebrate the anniversary, they'll appear on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon tonight, and headline Irving Plaza Wednesday—they were the first rock act to play there in 1978, kids.

Yesterday we sent Frantz some questions about the band, their foiled attempts at collaboration with Lee "Scratch" Perry, and the mash-up and sample culture of which they've become an inextricable part. Within an hour, the ever-efficient Frantz had fired back the answers.

How did you originally feel about Mariah Carey's sampling of "Genius of Love"? Are there any other recent samplings of that song that have caught your attention? Happy. We're always happy when someone reworks one of our songs! I like the Executioner's version with Biz Markee.

How do you feel about playing Irving Plaza again 33 years later? Feeling good to be back. Feeling good to be anywhere!!!

Do you think NYC has changed for the better since then? In two words, HELL NO. We still love NYC, though, and always will.

What's your favorite remix from the remix disc of "Genius of Live"? Why? There are too many favorites to choose from. Really, they are all excellent. I notice that Señor Coconut's is getting a lot of love from the blogs, but we love them all.

You're appearing on Jimmy Fallon's show. How did that come about? Are you familiar with The Roots? Yes, we're on Jimmy Fallon tonight. The good people at Nacional Records got that together, bless their hearts. We do know the Roots. We did Moby's Area One Festival with them a few years back. Good guys and super talented.

How do you feel about today's intensifying mash-up culture with acts like Girl Talk? It's different from the rap sample culture - these guys are bending all these samples together to create completely new songs. Mash-up Culture? Well, there are a ton of mash-ups using "Genius Of Love,” and you know that can't be bad.

What about chillwave (bands like Neon Indian, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, etc)? Have you listened to any of this stuff? How do you feel about all these bands that look backward, musically and sonically, to the time when Tom Tom Club was a new act? Sorry, I'm not familiar with these bands...are they cool?

The story goes that Lee “Scratch” Perry didn't show up for the scheduled recording sessions in the Bahamas. Have you seen Perry since?? Yes, I spent a very memorable couple of months with Scratch living in the same building down in Nassau. He loved our young son Robin and was a real sweetheart, but he scared the hell out of the Bahamian staff. One day I walked into his apartment and he was burning money.

If you could change one thing about NYC, what would it be? I would bring back Hilly Kristal and CBGBs.

I'm required by law to ask if/when Talking Heads might reunite. Any news? What are the odds? No news on that front. The singer is holding out in the hopes of establishing a solo career that is not based on Talking Heads songs ;-)

We recently saw Phish kick off 2011 by covering "Crosseyed & Painless" at Madison Square Garden. Have you ever or would you ever attend a Phish concert? I would, but they have never invited us. Maybe next time they will.