new Black Lips- "New Direction"

Black Lips - New Direction [mp3]

I like this a lot better than "Modern Art"

new song: Black Lips - Modern Art

this sounds exactly like The Hives.

Black Lips - Modern Art [mp3]

from the forthcoming Arabia Mountain (7th June)

new song: Black Lips - Before You Judge Me

if you're lost in the desert and you start hearing this song, you have lost all consciousness. so ease on into rattlesnake heaven.

Black Lips - Before You Judge Me [mp3]

Black Lips on La Blogotheque

this is how I spent my lunch hour today. watching one of the coolest La Blogotheque sets ever. I love the concept of it, because one my favourite things about Black Lips is how collaborative the band is, how everyone sings and stuff. so the first video is three separate songs done individually (in every sense of the word, the guys are in different rooms) and the second one, they come together (Ian too!)





I love Joe's Amoeba shirt!! and him singing "Navajo" was probably my favourite part, it sounded so beautiful in that shower. but how could I resist Jared's scratchy allure or Cole's hilarity (he is a lyrical genius....definitely surpasses Dylan *nods*)

record review: The Almighty Defenders (eponymous debut)

Labels are not cool.
Unless, of course, they are self-inflicted.

I remember the first time I read about Black Lips, the so called “flower punk band” from Georgia. I chuckled a bit—but when I heard the music, I understood. This garage punk was flowery! There was something I couldn’t exactly put my finger on, a subtle trace of… fragrance and silkiness, and “flower punk” was the best way to describe it. I was a tad annoyed that the band beat me to it.

In addition to releasing their fifth LP—the unbridled and effortlessly brilliant 200 Million Thousand—earlier this year, Black Lips teamed up with their friends King Khan + BBQ to form “The Almighty Defenders” and released an album under that moniker. Nope, there isn’t any trick to their name, it’s exactly what it sounds like.

“Gospel punk”.
Oh, dear.

What really amazed me about this record was that it didn’t sound so much like a supergroup, but more like…well, gospel punk. Supergroup efforts are always emphatically…super. Like, you can always tell the difference between a song by a regular band and one by a supergroup; the latter always has an element of heaviness which doubtless comes from collaborative songwriting from a group of experienced songwriters (as opposed to regular bands, who, for the most part have one primary songwriter). Anyhow, The Almighty Defenders don’t sound like a supergroup at all; their songs are lighthearted and lucid. Maybe it’s because the two bands are friends, maybe it’s because they’ve collaborated on stage before, but whatever the reason, I am very grateful for it.

While each track is distinctly deviant, the whole album is filled with 50’s beach rock influences and percussion galore. I found myself twisting and turning and being completely overtaken by the bass in “The Ghost with the Most”. The craziest thing, though, is that the label “gospel punk” hits the mark exactly. And I never would have predicted that the melding of those two genres would result in such a ferociously danceable album.

Don’t fret, The Almighty Defenders are here to get rid of all of your Jihad Blues. I guess I don’t hate all evangelists after all.

4.5/5





Highly recommended, especially for people like me, who really love Black Lips but haven’t gotten into King Khan yet. It’s a great way to transition into King Khan + BBQ’s work. Give my favourite track a listen below (vocals courtesy of Mark Sultan aka BBQ):

The Almighty Defenders – Cone of Light [mp3]
I dare you not to love this song. It makes me shake like a Polaroid picture!

My Top Ten Albums of 2009

head on over HERE to find out how you could win any of these albums!

10. Cage The Elephant - Cage The Elephant

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE

9. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE


8. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE

7. Girls - Album

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE


6. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE


5. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE

4. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW #1; #2 // AMAZON // OFFICIAL SITE


3. Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE


2. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW // AMAZON // OFFICIAL SITE


1. Telekinesis - Telekinesis!

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW // INTERVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE

honourable mentions/albums that would have made the list if it were 20 and not 10:

Audrye Sessions - Audrye Sessions
Bombay Bicycle Club - I Had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose
Cut off Your Hands - You & I
The Dead Weather - Horehound
The Dodos - Time to Die
Peter Doherty - Grace/Wastelands
Morrissey - Years of Refusal
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Regina Spektor - Far
Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor

King Khan + friends get arrested for drugs

hahaha they were caught with shrooms. as good a reason as any to be incarcerated. stupid laws, hallucinogenics should not be illegal.

it's kind of crazy, 'cause I just referred a friend to King Khan's band because my friend wanted music like Black Lips. the two bands are friends and stuff.



(Black Lips are also known for getting into trouble...they got banned from India)

and here is one of my favourite Black Lips songs (very appropriate):



and, my favourite Black Lips song (also appropriate):

new video: Black Lips - Drugs

what a great interpretation of one of my favourites off 200 Million Thousand.

Band of the Week: Black Lips

Most people I meet have never heard of this band, one of my absolute favourites. I tend to describe them to people as "highly catchy lo-fi garage punk with crazy stage antics and incredible presence"

their original guitarist Ben Eberbaugh was tragically killed by a motorist in 2002. may he RIP.

the current line up consists of:
Cole Alexander- vox, guitar
Jared Swilley - vox, bass
Ian Saint Pé-vox, guitar
Joe Bradley-vox, drums

you see, they all sing. it's incredible. does anyone know how to rip DVDs? because I have some really cool footage that came with a 7" I bought that has Black Lips playing a great set at a house party. it's called "Rob's House" and I'd love to post it on youtube to share with other Black Lips fans

Black Lips really love to play shows in other countries, particularly places that don't have a vibrant rock n roll scene. they got banned from India. yes, that's right, they were kicked out of a country. well, actually, they had to escape, fearing inevitable incarceration. you can read more HERE

their Israel performance is really funny, as the audience is dead. observe:



(that video also showcases their drummer on lead vocals. also, it's my favourite Black Lips song, and can be found on their 2007 release Good Bad Not Evil)

this band has released 5 fantastic albums, and their latest--200 Million Thousand-- is one of the year's best.

they love to release singles, I've lost count of how many 7" I have of theirs...

for new listeners, I'd recommend starting with their fourth album Good Bad Not Evil and then moving your way backward.

without further ado, you should give them a listen!

Black Lips - O Katrina! [mp3]
a song about Hurricane Katrina. "O, Katrina, why you gotta be mean?" the simplicity and repetitiveness of the lyrics is oh so Ramones. love it. oh, and the video emulates "Reptilia" by The Strokes:



visit them on MYSPACE

tour dates (if you want to have the time of your life, I'd highly recommend you check out their live shows):


19-06-09 Baltimore, MD, Sonar
26-06-09 Athens, GA, Athfest
27-06-09 Nashville, TN, Sonar
18-07-09 Chicago, IL, Pitchfork Music Festival
24-07-09 Seattle, WA, Capitol Hill Block Party

when I saw them, Cole drank his own piss. yeah.

Black Lips and Dinosaur Jr visit DAYTROTTER

check out the articles and free mp3s!



Black Lips on DAYTROTTER


Dinosaur Jr on DAYTROTTER

video: Black Lips-The Drop I Hold

it's basically just some green lights and them "taking turns" singing, but it's pretty rad.

I am currently sleep deprived and/or retarded and can't figure out how to embed it (the link shows up all choppy) so click HERE to watch it

Black Lips played Great American Music Hall last night

and it was incredible. I'm not even going to attempt to describe how insanely awesome it was.

observe, "Drugs":



Black Lips are one of the greatest live acts I've ever seen. catch em if you can, and I promise you that you will become obsessed with the Georgia based band.

I'm hooked now, there's no turning back

video: Black Lips- I'll Be With You

this is a bit old, but I'm only just seeing it now. it's really heartwarming in a Black Lips kind of way. great song, great album. I'm psyched to see them tomorrow night

Record Review: Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand

I find it hilarious when critics try to analyze Black Lips’ accessibility through their discography. I think it’s safe to say that Black Lips don’t give a fuck about how people receive them or their music, they just do their own thing and see what happens. That being said, I think that their latest album, 200 Million Thousand, is by far their best to date. Not because it encapsulates some masterly crafted theme (as if.) or marks their “musical maturity” or any shit like that. This is their best record simply because each and every one of the songs contained in it soars as a representation of Black Lips themselves: quirky, unrestrained and loud. The album sounds like a midway point between 60’s psychedelia and the late 70s’ punk explosion, which I love. “Short Fuse” evokes the Ramones’ “Chain Saw”, BBBJOT has White Light/White Heat type guitars and “Body Combat” is a great mix of New York Dolls and Pixies. “The Drop That I Hold” sounds like London Calling era Clash—that fantastic refusal to conform to one genre or musical trend. Indeed, you get some hip-hop interspersed throughout 200 Million Thousand, which is first and foremost a rock n roll record. The first half of the album is almost endearing in a sugar rush surge of sweet guitar licks kind of way, while the second half is darker and angrier. The line is drawn between "I'll Be With You" and the song that follows, BBJOT. "Starting Over", the third song on the album, treads the same guitar territory as The Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun". In “Old Man”, Cole Alexander sings “somewhere is where I’ll be”, summing up their attitudes quite nicely. Don’t ask questions. Enjoy the music, or fuck off.
4.8/5

Black Lips-Drugs [mp3]

Black Lips - Body Combat [mp3]

new video: Black Lips - Sea of Blasphemy (live)

I've only recently started listening to Black Lips, but I am addicted to them.