Stardeath and White Dwarfs + Flaming Lips @ Edgefield

The Flaming Lips mafia took over Troutdale, Or. on Thursday night as a host of orange clad roadies set the stage at Edgefield for an epic confetti- and smoke-filled extravaganza starring the Lips and Built To Spill. While giant balloons and set pieces transfixed the audience later in the night, it was the night's openers Stardeath and White Dwarfs that stole the show's first half. SDWD are a psychedelic and riff-heavy Oklahoma City quartet led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Dennis Coyne. Dressed in a skin-tight purple jumpsuit, Coyne and his bandmates tore through their set with ferocious enthusiasm, head-jarring guitar play (especially by bassist Casey Joseph) and plenty of green smoke courtesy of Coyne's own specially rigged axe.

Recently signed to Warner Bros. Records, SDWD share the experimental tendencies of their friends the Lips—Dennis is also the nephew of the Lips' Wayne Coyne—but bask in a heavier, darker and, at times, more playful light. Songs like "I Can't Get Away" and "New Heat" shoot out melodies from seemingly cannon-sized synthesizers while bass and guitar riffs bounce into a dizzyingly catchy funk. There are quiet moments on the band's debut The Birth, but on stage it was all a hurricane of sweaty movement and pounding rhythm that had the newly acquainted audience quickly on their feet.

Before the show, I caught up with Dennis Coyne. Read the interview here.

Stardeath & White Dwarfs w/The Flaming Lips - "Borderline" (Madonna cover)

New music from the Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips have been one of my favorite bands since I first heard the epic Soft Bulletin and continuing into the excellent Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. They're easily one of the most exciting, bizarre and fun bands performing and making records today. The Lips' newest LP, Embryonic, is due out October 13th via Warner Bros. Judging by the album artwork and the first leaked track—the pounding ambient pop tune "Silver Trembling Hands"—it will be a smartly produced but completely whacked out piece of work. To get a sense of the band's musical evolution, take a listen to the 1995 track "Bad Days" from Clouds Taste Metallic.

The Flaming Lips - "Silver Trembling Hands" (from Embryonic)

The Flaming Lips - "Bad Days" (from Clouds Taste Metallic)

Tribute: Wayne Coyne thinks the Arcade Fire are A-holes

Apparently Wayne Coyne, frontman for the Flaming Lips and generally considered the nicest guy in rock, thinks that indie rock prophet Win Butler and the rest of his Arcade Fire are a bunch of narcissistic jerks. Here's the quote via Stereogum via Rolling Stone:

I'm a fan of them on one level, but on another level I get really tired of their pompousness ... We've played some shows with them and they really treat people like shit. Whenever I've been around them, I've found that they not only treated their crew like shit, they treated the audience like shit. They treated everybody in their vicinity like shit. I thought, 'Who do they think they are?' I don't know why people put up with it. I wouldn't put up with it. I don't care if it's Arcade Fire or Brian Eno. If either of them walked into a room and treated people like shit I'd be like, 'Fuck you, get outta here.'

... People treat Arcade Fire like they're the greatest thing ever and they get away with it. Those sort of opinions change my view of their music. They have good tunes, but they're pricks, so fuck 'em. Who does Arcade Fire think they are? I've been around groups. I've been around the Edge from U2 and he's the fucking sweetest guy ever. I was around Justin Timberlake when he was young and he was just a normal, nice, kind person. Anyone can be polite and kind and people who have the privilege and money and attention should understand that. If they don't, then fuck 'em.

There's no reason to doubt Coyne. He may be a bit weird, but he's very sincere and always has the best of intentions when it comes to his fans and music. I mean, this is the guy that gets in a giant bubble for concerts. I love giant bubbles. Anyways, here are two early songs from two awesome bands.

Flaming Lips - "She Don't Use Jelly"

Arcade Fire - "Headlights Look Like Diamonds"

Buy Lips: Amazon

Buy Fire: Amazon