The Flaming Lips

With a shifting cast swirling around the creative and eccentric heart of Wayne Coyne, The Flaming Lips have released well over twenty albums since their formation in Oklahoma in 1983. Early material leans towards a fuzzy garage psychedelia with wilful—and sometimes bafflingly successful—experimentation. After the surprise hit “She don’t use jelly” (from 1993’s Transmissions From The Satellite Heart) scraped into the US Alternative Top 10, The Flaming Lips moved towards the mainstream. Interestingly, that did not involve ironing out the kinky creativity of the band, more an increased awareness of the potency of a catchy melody and a good chorus. When The Soft Bulletin arrived in 1999, it was well received by fans and abundantly praised by critics; some said it was the last great album of the twentieth century. Its successor, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, brought even greater success, supported by the gorgeous single “Do You Realize”. The Lips have toured and released albums regularly since, including 2020’s American Head, considered one of their strongest post-Yoshimi albums. Playing with sound, song-forms and themes, The Flaming Lips retain great charm; they are those eccentric Uncles you love to visit regularly but wouldn’t necessarily want to live with.