Some wise words from Flaming Lips frontman, Wayne Coyne, to the graduating class of Oklahoma City’s Classen School for Advanced Studies.
Part 1
Part 2
- Listen to the Flaming Lips If I Only Had A Brain (from the Stubbs the Zombie soundtrack)
Buy the Stubbs the Zombie Soundtrack from Insound.
IV Thieves is the name of the band formerly known as Nic Armstrong and the Thieves. As the story goes, after touring in support of their first album, the other band members became so integral to the group that Nic’s name was taken off the band name. Isn’t that a nice story? It seems like it usually goes the other way, doesn’t it? I understand using the name Thieves; Nic/nick, slang for to steal, and they’re from the home of Robin Hood; but what about the IV? Is it a roman numeral representing the four members of the band, or do these Nottingham lads actually nick IVs from hospital patients or drug users? Or maybe they are supporters of randomized experiments in statistics, so they steal Instrumental Variables from regression analyses to produce inconsistent estimates. I can’t decide whether these guys are Roman, cruel, or math nerds. Perhaps they’re all three, like Caligula with a pocket-protector. (Possible title for their next album?)
I think I’d make a horrible juror. Lawyers can be so sneaky, using their wiles to trap you into thinking whatever their client is hoping, and I tend to fall for the same old tricks. Take for instance my appreciation for singers with imperfect voices: I’m always convinced that the reason those who screech their way through songs are better is that they must actually feel the words stumbling out of their mouths. It’s such a clever ploy, and I’ve found another sneaky band to add to my list of favorites: the Archie Bronson Outfit. Read More
I‘d never consciously listened to Juana Molina until Domino kindly sent us a copy of her recent album Son. KCRW talks about her all the time, to the point that my initial excitement about getting CDs from one of my favorite labels almost disappeared when I saw what the package contained. However, I’m now ecstatic to report that this is a phenomenal album, the kind that goes best with a private pair of headphones or a drive down tree-lined avenues at night.
The instrumentation is somewhat trancey, like what you might hear while getting a deep-tissue massage, but the occasional backwards guitar and sampled vocal beats keep the music from sounding anything like new age. Juana’s voice meanwhile is like a will-o-the-wisp: with every listen it draws me further into the jungle. Why the jungle? I don’t know. Either it’s the distorted sorta wild cat sounds in “La Verdad”, or the omnipresent crickets, or maybe it’s just because saying “Juana” reminds me of the word “iguana”. Who knows. All I know is that I thought listening to Srta Molina would lead me to certain doom, but instead I found an aural paradise. Care for a taste?
I attended my first Lollapalooza in 1992, back when it was still a touring show, at Riverport Amphitheatre (now UMB Bank Pavilion) in St. Louis. In only it’s second year, Lollapalooza was already a force to be reckoned with. The main stage acts included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, Ice Cube, Soundgarden, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Pearl Jam, Lush, Temple of the Dog, and the Rollins Band, and the second stage had the likes of Porno for Pyros, Cypress Hill, Seam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Rage Against the Machine. While the lineup was stellar, Lollapalooza wasn’t just about the music, it was about the culture at the time. You could could completely ignore the music and explore a variety of art installations, visit with people who wanted to save the environment, or just sit back and watch the freaks, in both the festival crowd and in the Jim Rose Circus.
After Perry Farrell left Lollapalooza, the festival gradually ran out of steam and sustaining a traveling tour had become a money-losing proposition. Even after Farrell rejoined the tour, the 2004 tour was cancelled when nobody bought tickets. After seeing the success that destination festivals like Bonaroo and Coachella were experiencing, Farrell relaunched the Lollaplooza last year as a two-day festival in Chicago’s Grant Park.