Flaming Lips playing 2nd Hollywood Forever cemetery show tonight
The Flaming Lips (Photo by J. Michelle Martin-Coyne)
Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips will play the second of two shows planned at the Hollywood Forever cemetery next to the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood.
In addition to housing to the bodies of legendary stars like Cecil B. DeMille, Johnny Ramone, John Huston, Bugsy Siegel and Fay Wray, Hollywood Forever also serves as an outdoor film venue, art exhibitor and concert venue, according to the Los Angeles Times, which recently chatted with Lips frontman Wayne Coyne about the shows.
“It’s got a lot of appeal to it, especially for us,” lead singer Wayne Coyne told the L.A. Times on the phone from the band’s Oklahoma City headquarters, “because we sing a lot about this idea of ‘death’ — this idea of happiness and the realization of death, and what do we do with that? So there are a lot of great, powerful themes that you can play into as far as what it means to do all this stuff.”
The band was planning to perform two classic albums, the Lips’ own “The Soft Bulletin” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” on successive nights Tuesday and tonight. The Lips debuted both those album concerts in successive years here in OKC at their annual New Year’s Eve Freakout.
“They said, ‘Wayne, you can use anything here you want to do the show. They showed me the bell tower, and your mind immediately goes to some, ‘Of course, the Flaming Lips could do something.’ You kind of think of it as like the way that John and Yoko did the bed-in for peace — and people would just show up and we do this great rendition of ‘Do You Realize?’ while the sun comes up and everybody’s taking acid or something. I thought, why don’t we try?”
Read more about what Wayne and Co. plans to try tonight in Hollywood by clicking here.
-BAM
Video: Flaming Lips take fans behind the scenes of new EP “Prefuse 73,” new OKC gallery space
Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips have released a couple of YouTube videos that take fans behind the scenes of a couple of their latest projects.
According to Oklahoma Rock Newsblog, the Lips unveiled another surprise release Tuesday, an EP titled “Prefuse 73.” So far, the multi-colored vinyl release is only available at the Oklahoma City and Norman locations of Guestroom Records.
Lips frontman Wayne Coyne last week posted a video tour of the new Oklahoma City gallery space, WOMB, 25 NW 9. Wayne says the outside wall was painted by local artist/designer Kris Kanaly.
-BAM
CD review: “Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Flaming Lips”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Children
“Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Flaming Lips” (Baby Rock Records)
Parents desiring to introduce their babies to the masterfully eccentric music of Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers the Flaming Lips — a noble goal to be sure — should consider “Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Flaming Lips” to their tiny tots’ nighttime repertoire.
The popular children’s series uses vibraphones, mellotrons and bells to convert rock songs from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Coldplay, the Beatles, AC/DC, the Pixies and more into instrumental bedtime songs.
With the homegrown alt-rockers predisposition to lush melodies, unusual instrumentation and strange sound effects, it’s hard to imagine a band better suited for the “Rockabye Baby!” treatment.
Like most installments in the series, the Lips’ lullaby album doesn’t stray far from the band’s core canon, even opening with “Race for the Prize” and closing with state rock song “Do You Realize?!? Considering the Lips won best rock instrumental Grammys for the evocative epics “The Wizard Turns On …” and “Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia),” it’s a shame neither earned a “Rockabye Baby!” interpretation.
But producer/performer Steven Boone cannily adapts the band’s signature songs, letting the distinctive melodies of “Fight Test,” “The W.A.N.D.” and “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton” ring clear even without the indelible lyrics.
Squeaking toys, ribbiting frogs, chirping crickets and other sleepy sound effects add appropriate, baby-friendly whimsy to “She Don’t Use Jelly” and “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1” and even the raucous energy of “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” is successfully transformed into a gentle but still vibrant lullaby.
— BAM
Photo: Flaming Lips’ Steve Drozd speaks to ACM@UCO’s first graduating class
From left, Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma CEO Scott Booker joins two members of the ACM@UCO’s first graduating class, Scott Hartman and Allison Thomas, in a chat with Steven Drozd, member of the Grammy Award-winning band The Flaming Lips. Drozd served as the featured speaker at the ACM@UCO’s celebration of it’s first graduating class of 90 students Wednesday night at the Bricktown Events Center. (UCO photo by Daniel Smith)
Steven Drozd of Oklahoma City-based Grammy-winning rockers The Flaming Lips, spoke to the members of the first graduating class of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma at a celebration Wednesday at the Bricktown Events Center.
The class of about 90 students will receive their Associate of Applied Science degrees at UCO’s Commencement Ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The grads also are celebrating the completion of the program at the second “ACM@UCO Rocks Bricktown” event, which is making free music throughout the Oklahoma City entertainment district tonight. About 60 music acts made up of ACM@UCO students will perform at 11 Bricktown venues throughout this evening until about midnight.
For more information on the event, click here. See the full schedule for tonight’s “ACM@UCO Rocks Bricktown” after the break.
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Public Arts Project 66
Wayne Coyne, frontman of the Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips, has joined a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a public art project along Route 66 right here in Oklahoma. Check out this video of him touting the project, which is posted above in the Wednesday Video Spotlight.
The money will fund the creation of several elaborate murals to be created by El Reno artist Rick Sinnett and his crew.
Through Public Arts Project 66, Sinnett and Dwelling Spaces are partnering to create 11 Oklahoma-inspired murals along the Mother Road in our fair state.
The first mural in the series, “Indian Warrior,” was funded by Dwelling Spaces and has been painted on Route 66 in Tulsa’s Blue Dome Arts District on Rose’s Second Hand Pawn Shop.
Sinnett and crew will paint the second mural, “Guardian of the Mother Road,” on the 50-foot-by-50-foot Drive-In Saloon in El Reno.
For more information on Public Arts Project 66, click here to go to the Kickstarter page.
-BAM
Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd to speak at ACM@UCO’s first graduation ceremony
Multi-instrumentalist and former master class speaker Steven Drozd of Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips has been confirmed as the special guest speaker for the ACM@UCO's first graduation ceremonies on May 4. (Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman Archives)
The Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO) has a full calendar for the rockin’ month of May.
Getting it started a bit early, The Turtles featuring Flo and & Eddie will perform tonight at an ACM@UCO fundraiser. Mark Volman – AKA Flo – of 1960s band the Turtles was set to give a master class at the school Friday, according to a news release. The Los Angeles native found fame with his band’s 1967 hit single “Happy Together,” and he was invited to give students an in-depth discussion of his career and performance.
On May 4, ACM@UCO will have its inaugural graduation ceremonies, bidding farewell to its first class of students, including those who have landed high-profile jobs in the music industry. Multi-instrumentalist and former master class speaker Steven Drozd of Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips is confirmed as the special guest speaker for the event.
On May 5, 60 ACM@UCO-affiliated bands will perform across 11 venues in Oklahoma City’s historic district as part of ACM@UCO’s Bricktown Takeover.
On May 7, ACM@UCO’s student-run Performance Lab will play host to a performance by Man Man, followed by The Black Angels on May 20.
On May 10, ACM@UCO will host a master class with guitar legend Robben Ford.
-BAM
New releases for April 26, 2011: “Layla’s” 40th anniversary edition, Flaming Lips’ “Rockabye Baby!” and The Pioneer Woman’s children’s book
Rock fans eager to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Derek & the Dominoes sole studio album “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” which features one of the best rock ballads of all time in the title track, have a couple of special releases to choose from releasing today.
Along with the two-CD deluxe edition, a super deluxe edition is available and includes four CDs, 2 vinyl LPs and a DVD.
Derek & the Dominos was formed by guitarist/singer Eric Clapton with other former members of Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, in the spring of 1970. The rest of the lineup was Oklahoma City native Carl Radle (bass), Bobby Whitlock (keyboards, vocals) and Jim Gordon (drums). Although the band only recorded one studio efforts and a couple of live albums, it is now regarded as a high point in Clapton’s illustrious career.
Also on CD this week, Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips become the latest band to have their signature songs turned into instrumental lullabies with the release of “Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Flaming Lips.”
On the bookshelf, Ree Drummond, the Oklahoma blogger known as The Pioneer Woman, makes her first foray into children’s books with “Charlie the Ranch Dog,” a story based on her beloved basset hound.
Drummond will be signing copies of the book from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. today at Best of Books, 1313 E Danforth in Edmond.
Drummond began blogging in 2006 and has built an award-winning website, where she shares recipes, showcases her photography, and documents her hilarious transition from city life to ranch wife. She is the author of the No. 1 New York Times bestselling cookbook “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” and the memoir “The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels–A Love Story,” which has been optioned for a film. She lives on a working cattle ranch near Pawhuska, with her husband, Ladd (AKA The Marlboro Man); their four kids; Charlie; and lots of other animals.
Here is a list of new CDs, DVDs and books, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Derek & The Dominos, “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition).”
Rockabye Baby!, “Lullaby Renditions of The Flaming Lips.”
Emmylou Harris, “Hard Bargain.”
Steve Earle, “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive.”
Tab Benoit, “Medicine.”
Explosions in the Sky, “Take Care, Take Care, Take Care.”
The Rolling Stones, “The Complete Singles (1971-2006)” (Box set).
Roy Orbison, “Roy Orbison: The Monument Singles Collection” (2 CD/1 DVD set).
DVDs
3 Idiots
The Avengers: Volume 1, Heroes Assemble!
The Avengers: Volume 2, Captain America Reborn!
Blood Out
Growing Pains: The Complete Second Season
Jolene
Knockout
One Way to Valhalla
Revenge of the Bridesmaids
Sacrifice
Sniper: Reloaded
South Park: The Complete Fourteenth Season
Testees: The Complete Series
Upstairs, Downstairs
Books
Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond, Diane De Groat
KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to Save Play by Darell Hammond, Stuart L Brown MD
The Wizard of Lies by Diana B. Henriques
-BAM
Video: Celebrate Record Store Day today
Record Store Day, an annual celebration of independently-owned brick-and-mortar purveyors of music, is today.
Wayne Coyne, frontman of Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips, sang the praises of these disappearing outlets in an interview with The Oklahoman’s Entertainment Editor Gene Triplett.
“I think the record stores that have survived this far will probably go on like this forever,” he told Gene. “That said, I think it’s done by people who really love having a little store, people who really care about the music that’s in there. They’re not making the kind of money record stores did back in the ’70s or early ’80s.”
The Lips are planning a special vinyl release today for Record Store Day. The Lips’ label, Warner Bros. is releasing today “Heady Nuggs,” a boxed set of vinyl versions of the first five albums the Lips recorded for the label (if you don’t count 1997′s four-disc set “Zaireeka”).
The albums being released include “Hit to Death in the Future Head” (1992), “Transmissions From the Satellite Heart” (1993), “Clouds Taste Metallic” (1995), “The Soft Bulletin” (1999), and the Grammy Award-winning “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” (2002).
The limited-edition “Heady Nuggs” boxed sets will be available in 140-gram black vinyl in stores and a special edition pressed in five different colors will be available exclusively on the band’s website.
Coyne also chatted with Gene about the other special releases the band is planning as part of their scheme to release a song a month in 2011. Not surprisingly, the Lips are going about it rather bizarre ways; click here to read Gene’s intriguing story.
Among the local businesses celebrating Record Store Day are both Guestroom Records locations, which also are planning live music by various Oklahoma bands. The Oklahoma City store, 3701 N Western, will have Pretty Black Chains, Student Film, Purple Church and others performing from 1 to 5 p.m. today.
The party will move to the Norman branch of Guestroom Records, where Broncho, The Workweek, The Nghiems and more will play starting at 6 p.m. today at Guestroom Records, 125 E Main. For more information, call 701-5974 or go to www.guestroom-records.com.
In this NewsOK video, Guestroom owner Justin Sowers talks about Record Store Day and about the popularity of vinyl.
-BAM
Flaming Lips celebrating Record Store Day Saturday, planning other craziness
Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips are planning a special vinyl release for this year’s Record Store Day, which is Saturday.
The Lips’ label, Warner Bros. is releasing Saturday “Heady Nuggs,” a boxed set of vinyl versions of the first five albums the Lips recorded for the label (if you don’t count 1997′s four-disc set “Zaireeka”).
The albums being released include “Hit to Death in the Future Head” (1992), “Transmissions From the Satellite Heart” (1993), “Clouds Taste Metallic” (1995), “The Soft Bulletin” (1999), and the Grammy Award-winning “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” (2002).
“There’s just somethin’ about when we have a party at my house or something, just this idea you can go and pick through records and feel them and see the covers, and it’s different than just having a playlist on iPod, and it’s a different experience. But yeah, I love it (vinyl). I mean, a lot of the releases that we’re gonna be doing this year will be vinyl-only releases,” Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne told The Oklahoman’s Entertainment Editor Gene Triplett.
The limited-edition “Heady Nuggs” boxed sets will be available in 140-gram black vinyl in stores and a special edition pressed in five different colors will be available exclusively on the band’s website.
Coyne also chatted with Gene about the other special releases the band is planning as part of their scheme to release a song a month in 2011. Not surprisingly, the Lips are going about it rather bizarre ways, whether plotting a USB of new music serving as the “brain” of a Gummy skull or putting out on Valentine’s Day “Two Blobs F—ing,” which can only be accessed by YouTube link and requires 12 in-sync iPhones to be heard properly.
The Gummy skull is due out next month and will include the songs “Drug Chart,” “In Our Bodies, Out of Our Heads,” “Walk With Me” and “Hilary’s Time Machine Machine,” Gene reports.
To read more of the Lips’ wild and whimsical plans for delivering new music, click here to read Gene’s intriguing story.
Among the local businesses celebrating Record Store Day are both Guestroom Records locations, which also are planning live music by various Oklahoma bands. The Oklahoma City store, 3701 N Western, will have Pretty Black Chains, Student Film, Purple Church and others performing from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The party will move to the Norman branch of Guestroom Records, where Broncho, The Workweek, The Nghiems and more will play starting at 6 p.m. Saturday at Guestroom Records, 125 E Main. For more information, call 701-5974 or go to www.guestroom-records.com.
-BAM
Flaming Lips planning “Yoshimi” stage musical, new music release strategies
The Flaming Lips (Photo by J. Michelle Martin-Coyne)
Oklahoma City-based psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips are “in the early stages of production” on a theatrical adaptation of their 2002 album “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” reports Billboard.com.
Lips frontman Wayne Coyne tells the trade publication the band is working with director Des McAnuff of “The Who’s Tommy” and “Jersey Boys” fame. He expects to start soon workshopping the musical, which will include songs from 1999′s “The Soft Bulletin” and 2006′s “At War with the Mystics.”
“It’ll be a big chunk of Flaming Lips music, probably about 30 songs,” Coyne tells Billboard.com. “It’s a big deal. It’s hokey and wonderful and poignant and powerful. It’s really become a perfect combination of my fantastical robot-world vision and [McAnuff's] little, internal, humanistic version of what that music is. I really believe it could work — and luckily I don’t have to do much!”
Coyne also tells Billboard.com that the band is brainstorming creative new ways of releasing their music, including old-fashioned flexi-discs that will be stuck on cereal boxes and in an issue of Mad magazine. Next week, the band is putting out four songs on a USB drive that will be buried inside a brain encased in a life-size skull made from seven pounds of Gummi-style candy.
The head Lip also talks with the trade publication about the band’s renewed deal with Warner Bros. Records; click here to read the full Billboard.com story.
-BAM
