Random Music Talk XXVIII: I CAN HAZ COCKROPA?

[Imperor]

Laz, I'm listening to Poppycock for the first time in a good while. Not sure why, but I guess I needed a break from my T-Waits kick. Anyway, on "If God Will Serve His Shuttle" right now and lost my shit when I remembered your "Impy's 'St. Vincent!' cries are whispered/Sixth Street never looked so whored" line.

This seemed like a good time for someone other than yourself to praise your work. Cause that still cracks me up.

 

[lazarus]

Remember that line was actually a rewrite, as it originally referred to your non-existant sister.

It was also part of the short run where Chris Carter made some song appearances.

Spoiler

HE A SEXY MAN.

 

[lazarus]

And speaking of the Lips, did you guys know that they're playing a 2-night stand at the Hollywood Forever cemetery here in town?

First night: The Soft Bulletin
Second night: Dark Side of the Moon


Oh yes.

 

[powerhour24]

What a venue, .

 

[LemonMelon]

First night: The Soft Bulletin
Second night: Dark Side of the Moon

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that night 1 tickets are at a premium.

Going on a 60s pop bender this afternoon. BOOKENDS! VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY! Dear God almighty is America ever a brilliant song. These albums are so good they're actually distracting me from the essays I should be writing, which is probably the point.

 

[iron yuppie]

I've got to say this: I've never heard The Soft Bulletin, but my expectations for it based on its reputation are so incredibly high that I do not think that it can possibly satisfy me. Maybe if someone says something negative about it, I can have more realistic expectations.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Just listen to it.

 

[martha]

So I'll be seeing Prince next Thursday night.

 

[PhilsFan]

I never thought it was as good as everyone else says it is, but that's kind of how I feel about the Flaming Lips in general. I never really "got it." That said, Race for the Prize is just great.

 

[PhilsFan]

So I'll be seeing Prince next Thursday night.

I'm going to his house on Friday for pancakes.

 

[iron yuppie]

I never thought it was as good as everyone else says it is, but that's kind of how I feel about the Flaming Lips in general. I never really "got it." That said, Race for the Prize is just great.

Great, now I can listen to it.

 

[corianderstem]

A lot of the Lips stuff is hit or miss for me. I like their more melodic stuff. So The Soft Bulletin is one of their best for me because of that.

 

[the tourist]

The Soft Bulletin is my favorite album from the 90s. So I'm not helping.

 

[If you shout...]

I've got to say this: I've never heard The Soft Bulletin, but my expectations for it based on its reputation are so incredibly high that I do not think that it can possibly satisfy me. Maybe if someone says something negative about it, I can have more realistic expectations.

The Flaming Lips are (or were, I guess; this was a while ago, by now) just an embarrassing, second-rate Butthole Surfers ripoff. I'm in the same camp as PhilsFan, regarding the record in question. It's okay, but it's also just kind of there, with only a few songs worth much of anything. That's a popular, but of course/all the same dissenting, opinion which I just so happen to share, so please don't crucify me.

Interesting: I generally dislike The Lips because they were just shitty Butthole Surfers imitators, but I REALLY hated the fuck out of Grandaddy, who were simply shitty Flaming Lips imitators; same used to go for My Morning Jacket, but I haven't heard anything by them in at least five years, and only heard one (maybe two) records. Are they still around/is this still the case?

 

[powerhour24]

So there's a bunch of new stuff from old favorites for me to digest today, quite divergent as well. TV on the Radio (since I avoided the leak), Foo Fighters (just listened to this at the gym, solid straight-up rock record that's more cohesive than their other recent efforts but really lacking the potential hits all their other records have had), Alison Krauss & Union Station drool, etc.

 

[If you shout...]

lol

I leave this thread only to find that there's a My Morning Jacket thread immediately beneath it, on the B&C front page. Woops.

 

[powerhour24]

...same used to go for My Morning Jacket, but I haven't heard anything by them in at least five years, and only heard one (maybe two) records. Are they still around/is this still the case?

Interesting you'd post this the same day MMJ releases their new song, and the MMJ thread is at the top of page 1 of this forum.

 

[powerhour24]

Ah, you beat me to pointing out your mistake!!!

 

[If you shout...]

I stand by my "lol."

 

[powerhour24]

I'll say this, outside Jim James' vocals on much of their early work, the only real similarity I can draw between Flaming Lips and MMJ is the psychedelia aspect, the main styles of each band's music is quite different, with MMJ being a rootsy-Southern rock band with grander ambitions/talents.

 

[If you shout...]

Early work must be all I've heard, and yes--vocals and pseudo-psychedelia was what came to mind. Big time, on both counts. I've heard a shitload of rootsy, Southern rock. By, ugh, the Drive-By Truckers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc.. And again, I didn't like My Morning Jacket enough to delve in any further, so I'm any-/everything but an authority, here. But what I heard was cloying, indie-pastoral, fluffy psychedelia. A la mid-period Flaming Lips.

If they took off and starting kicking ass, more power to them, I guess. And big ups to whoever was feeling it. Just not my cup of tea, is all.

 

[powerhour24]

Which albums have you heard, just out of curiosity?

 

[If you shout...]

I have no idea. I'm sorry. My Morning Jackets Sing...The Songs of Wayne R. Coyne...?

Just got a pair of speakers all rehabbed and set up. Trying them out with Loveless, which may have, it seems, been a bit too ambitious. Still, life is good, and for the first time in years, I have a 100% functional hi-fi setup. Holla. I really need to get un-poor, so that it doesn't take 3 years to piece something together. Not to mention so that I don't need to keep taking my turntable apart, to fix everything.

 

[Reggo]

Anyone heard the Flaming Lips/Neon Indian collab EP? 'tis pretty kewl.

Is David Bowie Dying?
Alan's Theremin
You Don't Respond
Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want The Truth? Pt 2

The fact that you use "kewl" makes me doubt this.

Going on a 60s pop bender this afternoon. BOOKENDS! VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY! Dear God almighty is America ever a brilliant song. These albums are so good they're actually distracting me from the essays I should be writing, which is probably the point.

America is amazing. I love that song. Also, props for the avatar. Almost Famous is my favourite movie.

 

[LemonMelon]

I listen to The Flaming Lips religiously and I have never once understood the comparison to MMJ. Maybe on parts of Z, but that's it. Mercury Rev is the only band I can think of that sounds anything like the Flaming Lips, and that's probably because they are an offshoot of them.

America is amazing. I love that song. Also, props for the avatar. Almost Famous is my favourite movie.

Right up there for me too. I will always love Zooey for that film, as hard as 500 Days of Summer and She & Him tried to ruin her for me.

 

[cobl04]

I've been listening to a lot of Flaming Lips lately myself, might need to give the collab another listen though.

You really gotta listen to all of Psychic Chasms sometime. Fav album of past two years, avatar etc.

I really should. Will get on it soon.

I too don't think Soft Bulletin is all that and a bag of chips, but it is very good. Race for the Prize and The Spark That Bled are my favourite Lips songs. I like both Embryonic and Clouds Taste Metallic better.

 

[Reggo]

Right up there for me too. I will always love Zooey for that film, as hard as 500 Days of Summer and She & Him tried to ruin her for me.

OMG yes. She's my favourite of the Deschanel sisters. She was excellent in Elf, too.

 

[cobl04]

I liked 500 Days... until the ending when he met Autumn. That very nearly made me physically ill.

 

[PhilsFan]

I hear nothing similar between MMJ and the Lips.

 

[cobl04]

Well, it took some time
Cos it's a lot
God it's a bunch
It's such a big, old, black, golden buzz

And yeah, it took some help
With lots of machines
The experts could tell
With their equipment pushed to the max

And sure, it seems easy now
But I tell you what
We were perplexed
Finding the needle
In the needle's disguise

Now that's it conceived
The station has all settled down
And I'm sort of relieved
And I'm getting over it now