“Is David Bowie Dying?” asks the Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips are back to releasing new music, though no proper album is in the works. Last month, they announced the first part of what seems will become an epic track. It’s all super-convoluted for a casual Lips fan like myself (read all about it here), though many familiar with this blog know I have celebrated the band on many an occasion (Flaming Lips overwhelm at the House of Blues, Orlando, October 16, 2010; Flaming Lips’ version of Darkside coming to vinyl, March 18, 2010 <– to note but two posts).

What really re-sparked my Flaming interest was word of a very limited vinyl EP, in collaboration with Neon Indian, entitled “Is David Bowie Dying?” It was released very low-key and by word-of-mouth with certain indie stores having exclusive access to the record directly from the band. There was even a signing with singer Wayne Coyne himself at one shop. A great chronicle of this release can be found on the band’s message board, right here, which is maintained by Lips fans. Supposedly no two vinyl records are the same color. A nice array of the colored vinyls can be found at Amy Brown’s Facebook page, which she shared with fellow Lips fans via the message board. The pictures were taken at the shop were Coyne appeared to sign the records (images of him doing so are there too).

No, I have yet to personally obtain a physical copy, but I am working on it and have hopes that more stores will get it, thanks to a message re-Tweeted by Coyne stating the following:

“Don’t pay Ebay prices for new Lips vinyl – more stores should have today or tomorrow! Good Records, Grimeys, Electric Fetus.

Stores that should have them today or tomorrow: Dwelling Spaces (Tulsa), Other Music (NYC), Luna Records (Indianapolis)

More copies of the new Lips vinyl will be available in 2 weeks.”

And, you know what? You can hear it all on YouTube, which is fair enough, considering how frustrated some Lips fans have been in getting their own copy:

Now, listen to the music (nice, stark and appropriate), because beyond the details of the “marketing” behind this vinyl record, what is most interesting to look at, especially for me as a long-time Bowie fan, is the title of this record (a search for Bowie’s name in this blog will reveal just how often I have covered the retired godfather of alt-rock and my top favorite artist in music’s history).

Any true Bowie fan will not be as much offended by the title as have a severe feeling of deja vu. With the last Bowie original full-length release having happened in 2003 with Reality (Support the Independent Ethos, buy the album on Amazon.com), I too have wondered this very question in recent years, but not in a literal sense.

Bowie was in renaissance mode with his last two albums, which also included 2002’s Heathen (Support the Independent Ethos, buy the album on Amazon.com), when he quietly but gradually retired from recording music and touring. Both albums were produced by the man who also produced Bowie’s all-important Berlin trilogy, Tony Visconti and were his best since Buddha of Suburbia (Support the Independent Ethos, buy the album on Amazon.com).

I love the Lips and I love Bowie, and I love that they ask a deep question on the state of Bowie, beyond the man. I am comfortable with it because, at least in my world of perception, Bowie will never die. His legacy in music has forever found its place. If the question has any relevance at all, it is in asking whether musicians or fans of music are now losing touch with Bowie’s musical value. I meet more and more casual music fans who hear the name David Bowie who are more and more likely to not know his name. One day might this pass into the progressive alt-rock world? Is it starting to happen now? The question is valid, and the music is suitable, but it might just be a little premature.

For any Bowie fans offended by the title, no, the Flaming Lips (incidentally the warmest most loving band I have ever seen live)  mean no malice to Mr. Bowie’s health. According to a Lips fan identifying himself as Mr. Modular on this thread via the unofficial Flaming Lips message board: “Etched into the vinyl on the A side it says ‘The Flaming Lips Hope David Bowie Isn’t Dying!!!’ and on the B side it says ‘The Flaming Lips will always love you!!!'”

Finally, there seemed to have been a hint regarding this release, be it coincidence, synchronicity or chance, not too long before the EP’s release via the ‘net. About a week ago, just a few days before the release of “Is David Bowie Dying?”, someone posted the following vintage concert poster from a show headlined by the Flaming Lips:

Notice who has the biggest crop of hair in that shot and no face? It is probably the most iconic image of Bowie’s album covers, Aladdin Sane:

(Copyright 2011 by Hans Morgenstern. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)

The MGMT Conundrum comes to life at Miami Beach’s Fillmore

MGMT are at a crossroads, and their problem came wholly to life during a live show at Miami Beach’s Fillmore theater the other night. The alternative pop/psych-rock outfit straddles a daring line by dabbling in progressive rock while also being responsible for constructing some all-too perfect disco-pop songs, which has hurtled them to the top of the charts. The execution of both forms and the reactions to both were on vivid display last night at the Fillmore.

First some context: When their second album, Congratulations, debuted earlier this year, it nearly unseated Justin Bieber’s album on the top of the Billboard charts, reaching number two but falling off steadily after. When the article appeared on Entertainment Weekly’s Music Mix blog, some fans of both Bieber and MGMT admitted to owning both albums.

What an unpleasant irony. MGMT have striven all along to be an art-rock group, and they have proven their knack for amazing music by constructing both groovy retro funk ditties like “Electric Feel” while also pulling off moody spacey-psych experiments like “Future Reflections,” both from their debut album Oracular Spectacular, which shot them to indie and even pop stardom.

In an article on Billboard.com, just ahead of the release of Congratulations, MGMT’s founding members, Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, expressed their apprehension of success and the pressures that come with the expectations for a band as successful as MGMT. What at first began as an ironic joke– mixing progressive music with a sure-handed approach to pop– has become a burden, and that drama visibly unfolded on Fillmore’s stage last night.

The all-ages show certainly attracted the rambunctious teenie boppers, as evidenced by the screams that greet and end each song I captured on video below. We tried to make it to the front with the aid of our fastlane tickets, but were overtaken by running kids who crushed us into the barricade. Despite ending up right up front, we gave up our spot to two small girls behind us and headed for the balcony to take in the show leaning back in chairs and calmly drinking beers.

The balcony provided a good view to take in the walkouts after “Electric Feel,” which segued into the two lengthiest songs of the night, an extended jam version of “the Handshake” followed by the epic “Siberian Breaks” from the new album.

One should not take these walkouts as a cynical commentary to the extended, artier songs of MGMT’s repertoire, but a reflection of the fair weather fans MGMT’s hits have attracted in its following, which do  include some of the ignorant teen hipsters that saturated the place. Let’s face it, these teens are mostly clueless as to the groundwork that has informed MGMT’s music. I doubt most understand how fully Brian Eno’s early 70s albums, beyond the name of one of MGMT’s songs on Congratulations, has informed their aesthetic. But kudos to anyone who understands the reference to Oblique Strategies and what it has done to create great albums by David Bowie and Talking Heads, among others.

As “the Handshake” and “Siberian Breaks” provided the soundtrack to the emptying crowd, which included some neighbors next to me in the balcony, you can also hear some disinterested chattering during the quieter bits of these songs. Most people were not into it or did not get it. I for one, loved to hear them stretch “the Handshake,” which is under four minutes on Oracular Spectacular, to such epic length.

Listening to it all the way through, it might just be segueing into another song, but as far as I can tell, this added section only contains two lines “Keep your silence to yourself/You won’t forget yourself.”* Maybe this is the beginning of a new song, but in this context it totally worked like the epic coda of “Future Reflections.” If it is a new song, it’s a nice, long and spacey addition to MGMT’s repertoire, and also featured some great, over-the-top guitar soloing by James Richardson.

As for “Siberian Breaks,” I was only able to capture the first half before my memory card filled up. Still, it is a certain someone’s favorite part of the song, so here it is:

What you do not see in the video above is, toward the end of the 12-minute opus, when the song breaks down into dreamy burbles of noise, bassist Matt Asti walks away, and the band carries on. Then it’s off with “Kids,” which is all backing tracks! Vanwyngarden and Goldwasser take to the stage, mikes in hand, to dance around like a couple of b-boys and sing along, leaving drummer Will Berman and Richardson to mime along by tapping the sides of the drum kit, clearly a bit bored, though still smiling about the silliness of it all. Who knows? Maybe Ben and Andrew were even lip-synching to the song, and the only thing real was the crowd’s screaming during the break down of the song. The audience ate it all up, despite the fact that the band was trying to parody itself. A photographer did post a video of that night’s performance of “Kids” from down in the crowd, which you can see here.

It’s ironic that on their debut EP as MGMT, “Time to Pretend,” the duo threw in a snippet of “Only Time Will Tell” by eighties prog-poppers Asia in an early version of “Kids,” which closes off the EP. It’s an ironic reference to what was then a pop supergroup composed of luminaries from such previous  prog-rock outfits like King Crimson and Yes . It might have been a send up then but now it might portend MGMT’s very own fate, unless they do something serious, like maybe just dropping the hits from the set-list and playing smaller venues? Radiohead refused to do “Creep” when it became a hit, and look how they turned out.

Another psych-rock band burdened by zeitgeist-defining hits is the Flaming Lips, but they never refuse their fans “She Don’t Use Jelly” or “Do You Realize.” But at least they pay respect to the songs while turning their sets into giant parties, even if they noodle on and on with crazy prog-rock bits (the parts I prefer). In my post about their recent live show in Orlando, the Flaming Lips certainly indulged in several songs from their new prog-heavy Embryonic. But, like those great early Genesis days with Peter Gabriel at the helm, they know how to turn the songs into spectacles.

Plus, when you see Wayne Coyne and his crew perform, you cannot help but feel the love he has for his fans, which transcends to life and humanity. Many tears flow from the fans when he sings “Do you realize you have the most beautiful face,” while also singing “Do You Realize that everyone you know someday will die,” and it’s not from fan-girl zeal but from a deeper reverent place in the soul.

Vanwyngarden definitely showed an effort to connect with the audience at Miami Beach’s Fillmore, but even when he I said, “I love you guys” to the crowd he had to tag on “I really mean that,” when he had his back turned to the audience. Despite this strained attempt at sincerity, what mattered is that these guys rocked the stage with true passion for their music. Having seen some MGMT performances prior, even on TV, when they just can’t seem tot get into it, I had reservations going in. But, that night, they had energy, and it showed, despite the crowd reaction and interaction. Still, there was something heavy hanging over the show.

In a lengthy review I wrote for Congratulations, I praised the band for their indulgence in the progressive side of their music. Though some have derided this second album from MGMT for not producing anything as catchy as “Electric Feel” or “Kids,” I think it is not for a lack of musical skill on the part of MGMT. I truly hope they continue to break away and continue listening to bands like Krautrock legends Cluster, as one of the band members admitted to in an NPR interview around Congratulations‘ release. Screw them walk outs, and keep rocking, MGMT.

*Edit: According to an MGMT fan on the MGMT Fan Forum this is a cover of Magazine’s “Burst,” which they have done live on other occasions. Looking it up, I found a live version by Magazine from 1978, and actually MGMT take the coda of that song, and tag on to “The Handshake” to great affect.

(Copyright 2010 by Hans Morgenstern. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)

Flaming Lips overwhelm at the House of Blues, Orlando

Since I could not make the Boca Raton show this Saturday, I could not allow a chance to miss the Flaming Lips live, so we made the drive from Miami to Orlando on Thursday. It should go without saying that they did not disappoint. Anyone who has attended a Flaming Lips show knows it is much more than watching a group of guys on stage regurgitating their catalog of songs in a live setting. The Lips are an EXPERIENCE (yes, in all caps).

To warm up the Lips fans, who are always the freakiest audience (you’ll see lots of oddball costumes at a Lips show) but still one of the more polite concert crowds, Le Butcherettes took the stage. They did their nasty punk rock sound justice and singer/keyboardist/guitarist Teri Gender Bender threw herself about the stage in dramatic fashion on many occasions. Even though Ms. Bender sang in English, for some reason I thought, “wouldn’t it be cool if Mexican electro-punk act Maria Daniela y su Sonido Lasser would open up for the Flaming Lips?” Wayne Coyne would later reveal Le Butcherettes actually hail from Mexico City. Here is a video I made of one of their songs, “Bang!”:

Coyne came off as utterly accessible throughout the show. He appeared on stage several times before his band began their show. He would first show up off stage to cheer on Le Butcherettes (and of course, stir up the audience). He would later thank the audience for so warmly receiving Le Butcherettes because, in his words, “Everyone knows the Flaming Lips has the best audience in the world.” He would also warn the audience of the light show they were about to behold because occasionally some people, including members of the Lips’ crew, might feel a bit ill with the brightness of some of their lights.

As the set up for the Flaming Lips stage continued, he and other band members would routinely show up on stage, with house lights on. It was the beginning of the warmest connection between artist and fan on a live stage I had ever experienced. There is no curtain or any notion of staginess to separate performer and fan at a Lips show. That’s why dressing up is encouraged among fans, and why Coyne rolls around in the audience in a plastic bubble, not to mention constantly assaulting the fans with balloons, confetti and streamers throughout the show. They even have groups of costumed dancers on either side of the stage, who seem to act as chaotic cheerleaders to the band and audience. A Flaming Lips live show is a communal experience.

When the show finally began, I had wondered whether we would see the same famously reported entrance of the group at such a small venue. Sure enough, the band brought their giant screen (akin to one of those things you see in stadiums so attendees in the nose bleed section might be able to see what they are missing on stage). As the music started, the band members made their way out from between the legs of a young woman projected on the screen, with Coyne make the last of the appearances, wrestling from a clear sac below the image. The sac then began to inflate in to a giant sphere. Soon enough Coyne jumped into the crowd, who would roll him about overhead. You can watch the latter part of this entrance in the video below, along with the first full song of the Lips’ show, “Worm Mountain.”

Continuing forth is more of the same from the Lips: epic, prog-rock moments interspersed with noise pop classics like “She Don’t Use Jelly.” I was happy to hear lots of the new songs from their amazing art-rocking new album Embryonic (I think it’s one of their best full-length albums ever, yes, even better than the oft-hyped Soft Bulletin). Here are all the rest of the videos I made of the Lips from that night, all are pretty much complete songs:

Here’s the song where Coyne brought out the giant hands linked to an array of laser lights:

Here’s an obscure tune they did from At War With the Mystics:

One last bit that adds to the coolness of the Lips for me, as a Krautrock fan: Their sound tech had an orange jumpsuit with the Neu! logo on it:

And then there was the mess to clean up afterward…

Oh, what the heck, there were a lot of great images captured at the show, here are more:

(Copyright 2010 by Hans Morgenstern. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)