flaming lips
The 50 Best Rock Bands Right Now
First, let’s take care of the obvious. Despite the still-persistent narrative that such music is “dead,” there are way more than 50 excellent rock bands out there. And there’s no exact science to scooping the cream of the crop. Our list includes arena-packing veterans but also semi-obscure indie acts who’ve barely escaped their basements. There are no hard rules here. Our methodology was simple: ask our writers and staff which rock bands feel worthy of recognition right now. But we did aim for a wide scope — throughout, you’ll find flavors of psych, post-punk, hardcore, metal, even country. If it feels like rock, it’s on the table. Consider SPIN‘s 2021 roundup — just like last year’s — a thermometer, taking the temperature of modern rock in all its various mutations. Altın Gün Ho...
Wayne Coyne Takes CBS Sunday Morning Behind the Scenes of the Flaming Lips’ Space Bubble Concerts
Earlier this year, the Flaming Lips successfully pulled off space bubble concerts in their hometown of Oklahoma City. Now, Wayne Coyne’s giving fans that were unable to attend a behind the scenes look at how the pandemic-safe shows came to be in the latest episode of CBS Sunday Morning. Interestingly (but maybe not surprisingly), Coyne initially came up with the idea in 2019, before the pandemic. While sitting in traffic, the singer sketched out his idea, which was meant to correspond with the release of the band’s latest album American Head. When the pandemic hit, it gave him time to really flesh out the idea and work out the daunting logistics that he admits were “worse than I even thought.” “It sounds hokey but I say you have to do this stuff with love,” Coyne said. “You ...
Flaming Lips Return to First Club They Ever Played for Kimmel Performance
On Monday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! performance, the Flaming Lips revisited their past. The group’s set on the late-night show saw them perform at Oklahoma City’s Blue Note Lounge, which happened to be the first club they ever played at. Wayne Coyne and company — along with special guest Micah Nelson, youngest son of Willie — performed “Will You Return / When You Come Down” from last year’s American Head on Jimmy Kimmel Live. According to the venue’s Facebook page, the Blue Note is categorized as a “dive bar,” and “first opened in 1961, for travelers on Historic Route 66.” Check The Flaming Lips from the Blue Note Lounge below. [embedded content] Last month, Coyne launched a weed gummies business, and also shared a trippy video for “At the Movies on Quaaludes.” The singer’s ...
Flaming Lips Share Video for ‘At The Movies On Quaaludes’; Wayne Coyne Launches Weed Gummies
It’s a busy time for lovable Oklahoma oddballs Flaming Lips, as the lineup shares a cool clip for the American Head album track, “At The Movies On Quaaludes,” and singer Wayne Coyne announces a brand of Love Yer Brain cannabis products that will launch April 20. The line includes THC-infused brain-shaped gummies and will be celebrated with a 4/20 concert where the band performs 2020’s American Head in its entirety. The “At The Movies On Quaaludes” video, directed by actor/director Clark Duke, features Super 8 footage of Duke’s brother during his college years. Clark says in a statement, “American Head, for me, is about nostalgia. For home, for childhood, for places and events and times you’ll never forget. I stumbled upon this lost, l...
Flaming Lips Successfully Perform First Space Bubble Concert
They officially pulled it off. On Friday night, the Flaming Lips successfully performed the first of two space bubble concerts at Oklahoma City’s The Criterion after postponing the original dates due to rising COVID-19 numbers. The venue’s floor was filled with 100 bubbles, which could fit up to three people each, and every member of the band was suited up as well. Though unconventional in setup, the show was just what you’d expect from Wayne Coyne and company, filled with rainbows, confetti, and giant silver balloons that spelled out “FUCK YEAH OKLAHOMA CITY” and “FUCK YOU COVID-19.” The Lips kicked off the night with “Race for the Prize” and curated a setlist filled with hits (“She Don’t Use Jelly,” “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate,” “Waitin’ for a Superman,” “Yoshimi Battles the...
Flaming Lips Share Video for ‘A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn’t So)’
Talk about a belated holiday gift. The Flaming Lips released a new video for “A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn’t So)” on Tuesday, a mere 17 years after the song was first released on the band’s Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell. Directed by Wayne Coyne, the singer can be seen as a Santa Grinch (just watch and you’ll get it) with his toddler son as he’s flanked by the bandmembers. Check it out below. [embedded content] It’s been a strange year for the Lips. The group released American Head, their lauded new album, in September and landed on our list of the best albums of 2020. We also spoke to Coyne ahead of the making of the album about how it was inspired by Tom Petty and the band’s bubble shows, which were pushed to 2021 due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. You Deserve to Make M...
Flaming Lips Announce First-Ever ‘Space Bubble’ Concert
For the last few years, Wayne Coyne has been bringing out his signature bubble during shows, singing inside the globe as fans pass him around the audience. And now with musicians wanting to get back to performing for a live audience despite the pandemic, concertgoers will finally have the chance to not only see a show live but also do it in within their own bubbles. On Dec. 11, the Flaming Lips will be putting on the world’s first-ever “Space Bubble” live concert. It will take place at The Criterion in the band’s hometown of Oklahoma City. “Ok… so.. tickets go on sale tomorrow.. for the purchase of one space bubble spot you can have ONE: HuMAN or TWO:HuMANS or ( up to ) THREE HuMANS.. so.. You and one friend or You and Two friends .. or .. can just be yo...
Watch the Flaming Lips Stage ‘Bubble Show’ in ‘Assassins for Youth’ Video
The Flaming Lips document their socially distanced “bubble” show in Oklahoma City with their new “Assassins of Youth” video. Despite the strangeness of seeing attendees in their own individual bubbles, everyone appears to be having a good time. It’s part rave, part Lips extravaganza, and everyone gets in on the action — including singer Wayne Coyne, who walks atop the crowd in his own bubble (a staple of the Lips’ concerts for quite a while now). Coyne, who also directed the video, detailed the filming process in a statement. “Of course, our MAIN priority (when doing the performance for the music video) was making sure everyone was safe and all the health cautions were being enforced,” he said. “But there was a welcome side effect: ‘I forgot about how exciting and fun and ridiculous i...
Flaming Lips Perform Tiny Desk Concert In Their Signature Bubbles
The Flaming Lips performed four songs in a new NPR Tiny Desk concert from their Oklahoma hideout. As you’d expect from the alt veterans, they performed safely inside of their signature bubbles. They performed a couple of tunes from American Head, their latest studio album that’s out now and a couple of favorites from over the years. Watch the 20-minute set below. SPIN spoke with singer Wayne Coyne about the some of the odd inspirations for American Head and originally said that the Lips would be performing shows in bubbles later this year. You can read our full interview with Coyne here. Check out the setlist below: “Will You Return/When You Come Down”“God And The Policeman”“Be Free, A Way”“It’s Summertime” You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates O...
Flaming Lips Share ‘Mother Please Don’t Be Sad’ Video
The Flaming Lips have shared a slew of videos in the build-up to their upcoming album, American Head, and today, they added to that stunning array of clips with “Mother Please Don’t Be Sad.” The lyrics, based on singer Wayne Coyne’s teenaged near-death-experience, include the poignant “I didn’t mean to die tonight / but those robbers were so fast / their guns and their anger and I lost the fight. “ The song’s socially-distanced video was filmed safely during quarantine in the band’s native Oklahoma and directed by Coyne and longtime collaborator George Salisbury. Watch the video below. [embedded content] Additionally, The Lips have created a series of mini-documentaries highlighting songs from American Head. Click to view the mini-docs for “You n Me Sellin’ Weed (below)...
30 Great Albums From 1990 That Deserve Their Own 30th Anniversary Pieces
Every decade takes a couple of years to feel like itself, but the 1990s, in particular, had a soft launch. While 1991 would bring a bumper crop of era-defining albums from the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, U2, and Red Hot Chili Peppers that would set the tone for alternative rock for the rest of the decade, the music of 1990 often feels like an outgrowth of the previous decades. Even the year’s biggest rock debut that was positioned as a contrast from hair metal was the decidedly retro Black Crowes. Billboard’s Modern Rock chart, which had just been launched in late 1988, was still dominated by established British bands like The Psychedelic Furs and Gene Loves Jezebel. Depeche Mode and Sinead O’Connor became the year’s unlikely crossover stars. Observe the chart in the last week of&nb...
The Flaming Lips Share ‘Flowers of Neptune 6′
The Flaming Lips released a cover George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” earlier this month in conjunction with Arkansas, a film that starred Liam Hemsworth and Vince Vaughn that aired on streaming platforms. Now, the Lips have shared a new song of their own. Titled “Flowers of Neptune 6,” the song is a bit low-key but has a dreamy element to it. This is their first original song since last year’s King’s Mouth: Music and Songs that was originally out on Record Store before getting a proper release in July. Earlier this year, the Lips joined forces with Deap Vally to form Deap Lips. The combined bands released an album of the same name way back in March. There should be no surprises here sonically — it sounds like a Flaming Lips song (which is a good thing). Listen ...
