Today's Music That Is Too Weird Not To Love is The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. Now let me preface this by saying that I want to like the Flaming Lips. I really do. Wayne Coyne seems like a decent enough guy, and apparently the Lips really put on a great live show. They've resisted selling out for a long time (in music years, anyway) and have really only risen to some level of fame in the past few years. But I can't get into their music that much. I realize that I probably will never get into the hipsters' union by admitting this, but I didn't really care for The Soft Bulletin, and At War With The Mystics didn't do that much for me either. I haven't really taken the time to listen to much of their other work, even though a girl burned some of their albums for me on a date once. (I couldn't keep the CDs, not permanently, it was strange. Nice girl though.)
The point is, I rather like Yoshimi. I suppose it has enough elements of psychedelia and science-fiction kitsch to appeal to me, and the music is endearing in a way that both acknowledges and ignores a sense of irony. "Fight Test", the opening track, is admittedly pretty cheesy, but even it fits with the general concept of the album (and this is a concept album, make no mistake). I suppose I may never 0utgrow guitars that can't quite stay in tune, lyrics about women who fight robots with karate, songs that make a mockery of the synthesizer.
The sound of the album is very 'space-rock', for lack of a better term; this is what cheesy science fiction movies sound like in my head. It's dreamy music, though I expect it to have a polarizing effect on people who listen to it. I suppose this album sounds like what would have happened if Roger Waters had Prozac in 1980 and watched a lot of Bruce Lee movies, and probably Star Wars a dozen times for good measure.
Perhaps my favorite thing about this album? I once looked at its lyrics on some website. The lyrics for "Fight Test" and "Yoshimi pt 1" were there. The lyrics for "Yoshimi pt 2" were listed as (screaming).
In Other News:
I feel okay about things today. I'm not quite where I want to be, but I feel renewed in a lot of respects. Also I need sleep.
The Author
Well, not really.
About Me
- Bones of an Idol
- Professionally, I work in information technology for a school. I do a little of everything: support, training, database, website, purchasing, strategy. My job appeals to my love of challenges, solving problems, and helping people.
Outside of work, I enjoy exercise (I used to practice capoeira, but largely run and lift weights now), writing short fiction, and playing the guitar. I am a largely self-taught guitarist and generally do not rock very hard.
I am currently enrolled in the MBA program at Drake University. Focusing on my coursework has curtailed my 'hobbies' somewhat, but I plan to graduate in Fall of 2013.
I am partial to travel, cats, black licorice and peanut butter.