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The Flaming Lips

Wayne Coyne

Wayne Coyne

Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar

Michael Ivins

Michael Ivins

Bass, Keyboards

Kliph Scurlock

Kliph Scurlock

Drums

Steven Drozd

Steven Drozd

Drums, Guitar, Keyboards


Formed: 1983
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia, Noise Rock, Indie Rock
Years Active: 1983 -
Meaning of the Name: The band members have told conflicting stories. One version references genital herpes contracted from a kiss. In another, Wayne Coyne kissed Mary Magdalene in a dream.
Way of Working: Collaborative
Associated: Electric Würms
Labels: Warner Bros, Enigma, Restless

Essential Releases

Clouds Taste Metallic

Clouds Taste
Metallic (1995)

This culmination of the band's guitar era displays an increasing sense of wonder and awe.

The Soft Bulletin (1999)

The Soft
Bulletin (1999)

An expansive record featuring more orchestral arrangements than their previous work. Sentimental, atmospheric, and existential.

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Yoshimi Battles the
Pink Robots (2002)

The human spirt clashes against the cold metal of machines in a futuristic fairy tale of an album.


The Flaming Lips fused restless experimentation and psychedelic sounds with catchy pop melodies to create a body of work that, at its best, elevates the listener into awe-struck wonder. However, the creative peak of The Soft Bulletin (1999) and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002) was long in the making.

As an Oklahoma-based noise rock band in the '80s, The Flaming Lips rebelled against the "greed is good" mentality of corporate America with a purposefully ugly sound that used dissonance and feedback to signify their disdain. 'My Own Planet' (1989) includes the lyrics: "I want my own planet. The human race, I can't stand it."

These rather bleak beginnings might surprise fans of the group's later uplifting music. But the truth is that as time ticked on and the cultural winds shifted, The Flaming Lips transformed from an outward-facing band screaming at an unfair world into an introspective one, gently exploring the mysteries of the soul.

Starting with The Soft Bulletin, they complemented their sound with the use of layered synths to create orchestral arrangements that conveyed heartfelt emotionality. Vocalist Wayne Coyne forbade the use of distorted guitars during this period to produce a cleaner, less abrasive sound.

The absurdist inclination towards the bizarre, that was always a feature of the band ('Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus With Needles' (1995)), evolved to include deeply personal, almost cosmic, songs. For example, 'Do You Realize??', written by Coyne while listening to the anguished cries of drummer Steven Drozd, who was a heroin addict suffering through withdrawal, is about finding beauty in the darkest of times. It's one of those rare songs that can be played at both a wedding and a funeral.
"You realize the sun doesn't go down. It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round." (from 'Do You Realize??')
Ultimately, The Flaming Lips are a band characterised by their adventurous spirit and quirky perspective, profound at times, ridiculous at others. However, scaling the mountainous highs of The Soft Bulletin wasn't without difficulty. Their previous album Zaireeka (1997) came with four CDs that had to be listened to simultaneously; in their original review, Pitchfork famously gave it 0.0. However, the tendency to enter uncharted waters is exactly what makes the band so vital. To lead means to go first, and possibly fall on your face.


Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?
95

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.
90

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.
90

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.
90

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?
65

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.
90

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.
85

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.
80

Singing

i Technical attributes.
70

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.
90

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?
65

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.
65

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.
65

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?
75

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.
70

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.
80

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards >>>

  • Grammy Award WINNER! x3 -
  • Grammy Award Nominee x3 -
  • BRIT Award Nominee - Best International Group 2007

Certifications >>>

  • The Soft Bulletin - Silver in the UK
  • Yoshimi - Platinum in the UK; Gold in the USA & Australia
  • At War With the Mystics - Gold in the UK

Charts >>>

  • At War With the Mystics - Number 6 in the UK

Critics >>>

  • Pitchfork - The Soft Bulletin - The Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: 3rd
  • Uncut - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Best Albums of the 2000s: 11th

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