The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends (2012)

Just a few days before 2012's RSD (21/4/2012), it looks as though The Flaming Lips' next magnum opus might not even make the shops in time.

Online chat hit fever pitch as most RSD releases are limited - Eager fans and ebay scalpers were all scurrying to secure a copy or more.



Not to be outdone by Jack White's blue liquid-filled single, Wayne has actually drawn blood from his collaborators and the band to make just 10 super rare blood-filled copies of the album.  Proceeds from sales (A measely $2,500 each) go to local charities The Oklahoma Humane Society and The Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma.

The cover art is parody on John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Unfinished Music, Vol. 1: Two Virgins (1968) album.

Complete tracklist:

1. "2012 (You Must Be Upgraded)" (featuring Ke$ha, Biz Markie and Hour of the Time Majesty 12) – 4:09
2. "Ashes in the Air" (featuring Bon Iver) – 6:13
3. "Helping the Retarded to Find God" (featuring Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) – 7:03
5. "Supermoon Made Me Want to Pee" (featuring Prefuse 73) – 3:17
6. "Children of the Moon" (featuring Tame Impala) – 5:32
7. "That Ain't My Trip" (featuring Jim James) – 3:47
8. "You, Man? Human???" (featuring Nick Cave) – 3:34
10. "I'm Working at NASA on Acid" (featuring Lightning Bolt) – 7:59
11. "Do It!" (featuring Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band) – 3:28
12. "Is David Bowie Dying?" (featuring Neon Indian) – 6:36
14. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (featuring Erykah Badu) (written by Ewan MacColl) – 10:04
15. "Girl, You're So Weird" (featuring New Fumes) – 3:21
16. "I Don't Want You to Die" (featuring Chris Martin) – 4:13*

*"Tasered and Maced" (featuring Aaron Behrens of Ghostland Observatory) – 2:43 replaces the vinyl track 16 for the CD/digital release owing to Chris Martins' contractural obligations to EMI.

Ashes in the Air Lyrics

The Videos

(NSFW x 3 - Nudity Alert)

The below NSFW video Featuring Erykah Badu caused an internet frenzy and had fans divided between the 2 camps:

...and had the band redo the video with an altogether willing Amanda Palmer:

The Story So Far... Mid Year Report

Jan to Jun 2012

How time seems to fly.  While the first half of the year (musically) doesn't seem too fruitful and offerings haven't exactly been earth-shattering; there is, thank heavens, music worth celebrating.

Doesn't seem all that long ago either, that I have made some RSD (Record Store Day April 21, 2012) purchases and have since been hatching two as yet unpublished posts - Reviews of The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends and Jack White's Blunderbuss...

And here we are, mid point already!

Drum roll please, my 25 favourite albums thus far -


1.  Father John Misty - Fear Fun
2.  The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
3.  Damien Jurado - Maraqopa
4.  The Walkmen - Heaven
5.  Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
6.  Beach House - Bloom
7.  Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It
8. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light
9. Jack White - Blunderbuss
10. Chromatics - Kill for Love
11.  Caetano Veloso and David Byrne - Live at Carnegie Hall
12.  Jay Farrar, Yim Yames, Will Johnson and Anders Parker - New Multitudes
13.  Django Django - Django Django
14.  John Talabot - ƒIN
15.  Dr. John - Locked Down
16.  Dexys - One Day I'm Going to Soar
17.  Lambchop - Mr. M
18.  Giant Giant Sand - Tuscon
19.  Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself
20.  M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion
21.  Brendan Benson - What Kind of World
22.  The 2 Bears - Be Strong
23.  Trembling Bells & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - The Marble Downs
24.  fun. - Some Nights
25.  Lana Del Rey - Born to Die


There you have it.

There's still a few which have yet to take root:  Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do, Fanfarlo's Rooms Filled with Light, The Tallest Man On Earth's There's No Leaving Now, Liars' WIXIW.

The second half of the year shall see new releases by Animal Collective, The Antlers, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Bat for Lashes, Beak>,Bloc Party, Calexico, Matthew Dear, Dirty Projectors, Foals, Grizzly Bear, Mission of Burma, The Raveonettes, St. Vincent and David Byrne, Swans, The xx, Yeasayer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!