The onetime R.E.M. frontman was a highlight, with his delicate “Ashes To Ashes” performance. More »
Our continuing look at the closing lines of the week’s biggest new-music reviews continues with a roundup of reactions to Embryonic, the 12th studio album from Oklahoma’s own Flaming Lips: More »
Before we run off to the combination Pizza Hut / Taco Bell with our copies of Infinite Jest tucked underneath our arms, a few links worthy of your clicking / browsing:
• Steve Sanders may not have been much of a fan of alternative music, but rest assured that Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne is super-into the “kind of absurd extras that come with being in a rock band”–i.e. being on Beverly Hills 90210. [Spinner]
• A fan was so pissed about the new fan-funded album by Idlewild leaking, he posed as frontman Roddy Woomble on Twitter and threatened legal action against the villainous uploader. [paidContent UK] More »
When the Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??” was named as the official rock song of Oklahoma, I was a little surprised and impressed; after all, an act like the Lips would seem to offend the occasionally delicate sensibilities of the sort of person who aspires to state office. Well, as it turns out, Michael Ivins wore a hammer and sickle T-shirt to the state Capitol the day the state Senate announced the Lips’ honor, which didn’t sit well with some of the more conservative members of the Oklahoma House. And then Wayne Coyne added an f-bomb to his acceptance speech. More »
It seems like during this springtime run-up to the summer festival season, there have been fewer lineup withdrawals from the big outdoor-music extravaganzas (with the exception of Winehouse) and more somewhat to very welcome additions. In that sunburned spirit, we present a wrapup of this week’s additions to Bonnaroo, the Pitchfork Music Festival, and the Calgary Stampede.
Win Butler from the Arcade Fire, called out for pomposity by supposed good guy Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, fired back late yesterday what’s shaping up to be the Musical Beef Of March 2009. (It’s at least on par with some of the great beefs of the past, like Canibus vs. LL Cool J, Canibus vs. Eminem, and Canibus vs. relevance!) Butler says he only met Coyne once briefly and found him “a hard guy to get a read on.” He doesn’t recall any jerkiness, but he does say the band was jetlagged from a trip to Brazil. He also says that “Steven Drodz” [sic] was nice and is a big fan (as well he should be) of Clouds Taste Metallic.
So, Wayne Coyne doesn’t really care for the Arcade Fire, dropping some really spectacular quotes— including the bon mot “They have good tunes, but they’re pricks, so fuck ’em”—into an interview with Andy Greene of Rolling Stone.
