Author: Peter Gregory | Published: October 19th, 2009

Experimental alternative psychedelic rock at it's finest

The Flaming Lips have long been known for their forward thinking and shall I say progressive experimental music. For about the last decade they have transcended what many would consider traditional rock music and blended it with a mixture of sounds, most of which can only be produced in studio environment. In fact during the last few tours they have been forced to use a lot of digital sampling during their live performances becuase the cost of putting together the orchestra to perform some of the sounds would be astronomical and the stage would likely not be able to hold that many musicians. While these guys have been together since about the mid 1980's their sound has drastically changed over the last decade. They have come along way since they first formed and even more so from the release of Transmissions from the Satellite Heart that included "She Don't Use Jelly" which was the song that put them on the map for most people with a fairly well received music video that was frequented on MTV's alternative rock show 120 minutes.



You can tell they have a fun sense of humor that translates effectively into their music and their art. With past album titles like: Christmas on Mars, U.F.O.S At The Zoo, At War With The Mystics, The Fearless Freaks, Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell, and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots you easily see why Wayne Coyne and company are every bit the leaders of the dark alternative psychedelic scene. The band currently consists of the aforementioned Wayne Coyne, Michael Ivins, Steven Drozd, and Kliph Scurlock. Coyne is the mastermind behind much of what you hear from The Flaming Lips. He plays a very similar role in his band as one would say Trent Reznor does for Nine Inch Nails. AT any rate, this album pulls off some very interesting concepts and they do it very well. Their music will definitely not be for everyone, but for those who are a bit adventurous and can appreciate the psychedelia performed by the likes of Pink Floyd, perhaps with a bit darker and tone should be able to enjoy this record.

Below is the song Worm Mountain from Embryonic:



They have definitely com a long way since the days of "She Don't Use Jelly", still one of my favorite songs they have released. Below is the original video from 1993.

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