Embryonic

Widely acclaimed for their elaborate live performances which feature constumes, confetti canons, puppets and frontman Wayne Coyne traversing through the crowd in a giant bubble, the Flaming Lips have come to be known as a band that every self-respecting concert-goer must see before they die. A staple at summer music festivals, The Lips have gained more notoriety and fanfare in recent years for their wacky stage antics than for their studio offerings.

In 2009, the 23 year indie rock veterans released their 12th full-length studio album. The disc entitled Embryonic is described as "a wonderfully weird parade of sonic delights: an arresting consummation of the Lips' two-and-a-half decade career." (1)Take album opener "Convinced of the Hex" for example. This track was concieved during an full band jam session early in the writing/recoring process.

While Embryonic sounds and feels like a Lips' record, several other artists also made contributions to the disc. German mathematician Dr. Thorsten Wörmann contributed to the track "Gemini Syringes", synthpop band MGMT contributed to the song "Worm Mountain", and Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) contributed to the songs "I Can Be a Frog" and "Watching the Planets" which were recorded by Wayne Coyne over the phone.

Certainly not an album to overlooked, The Flaming Lips provide one of the greatest highlights from 2009.

The Flaming Lips - Convinced of the Hex


The Flaming Lips feat. Karen O. - I Can Be A Frog


The Flaming Lips feat. Karen O. - Watching the Planets


Bonus Tip: Check out the "Watching the Planets" video (Warning - NSFW)!