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Given how uneven the song quality was (not to mention the poor audio fidelity) on The Flaming Lips’s last LP, At War with the Mystics,  I can honestly say I wasn’t looking forward to their new record Embroynic. 

And it’s not necessarily Pitchfork’s 9.0 review (out of 10) that has me excited, as much as it is this passage: “There’s a raw directness to Embryonic that’s been largely absent from Lips records since the mid-90s. For the first time in years, they’ve made an album that actually sounds like a band playing live together in a small room. In light of Mystics‘ overly processed, grab-bag quality, the holistic, audio-vérité approach on display here is remarkable– the record is extremely dense, initially overwhelming, but unusually rewarding upon repeat listens. Like the double-disc, high-concept rock epics of yore (think Physical Graffiti or Bitches Brew), it captures them at their most sprawling and ambitious, boldly pushing themselves towards more adventurous horizons.” 

Find it at: Insound | eMusic | Lala

The Flaming Lips are one of many bands that will be performing that this year’s VH1 Rock Honor tribute concert for The Who and they are hard at work rehearsing as noted in the above video.

Joining them will be Pearl Jam, no doubt doing “Love Reign O’er Me,” The Foo Fighters, Tenacious D (what? weird, except they rock harder than any band living or dead), and Incubus (okay that’s just weird). The concert films this weekend at L.A.’s Pauley Pavillion, but it won’t air until July 17 at 9 p.m. on VH1.

Though, Tenacious D don’t rock this hard. I might be one of the few who are actually stoked to not just hear The Who play live, but to also hear some great bands interpret their songs. The Who are a sort of limbo type of band, where depending on my mood I’m either in love with their early pre-punk rock or finding them nauseatingly bombastic. Push or pull, I say. Which is why, covering The Who isn’t a bad idea.

At the end of all the tribute, The Who will play a 40-minute set, which might include the first live performance of “Slip Kid.” Though, it’s up to VH1 to choose the songs and Roger Daltrey’s skeptical at best.

“They’ll probably just show ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again,’ ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Who are You?,’” lamented Daltrey, who also revealed the Flaming Lips are working up a Tommy medley and Pearl Jam will likely play “Love Reign O’er Me.” “It’s gonna be weird having them play Who songs while we’re there.”

And one more thing

In conjunction with the special, The Sly Oyster has a nifty prize package. Unfortunately, it’s not anything cool like a Keith Moon drum kit filled with M-80s, but we’re giving away a Who t-shirt, flask, guitar picks and shot glasses.

At the very least, you’ll be able to drink like Keith Moon, just don’t go near any medication to help ween you off the alcohol or Cass Elliot’s room.

Seriously though, that flask is damn cool and everything else is just gravy. So how do you win? Easy. In the comments leave us your best The Who anecdote. Could be a concert memory, album or song you can’t live without, or just the best legend surrounding the band. I dunno. Ultimately, we’ll pick someone who impresses us the most!

Well it’s official, as of 11:30 a.m. CST.  The Flaming Lips, what many consider to be the pride of Oklahoma City, have an alley named after the band appropriately in the city’s entertainment district.  It’s right off Micky Mantle Drive, north of the Bricktown Ballpark.

Today’s ceremony was classic Flaming Lips featuring, among other psychedelic objects, a giant video screen, fans dressed up in Santa suits and alien masks and a ginat three-dimensional globe.

Coyne for his part, thinks having an alley named after the band is fitting, since it’s more of a discovery, more of a secret that you stumble upon.  Much like the band themselves.

Check out Wayne doing his thing on local Fox 25.  It’s almost painful and surreal at the same time.  But trust us when we tell you, you haven’t seen it all until you see Wayne Coyne attempt to be the weatherman.