BURBANK, CA (Top40 Charts/ Warner Bros. Records) - And the winner is...The Flaming Lips! One of the world's most celebrated and beloved bands, The Flaming Lips, walked away with two Grammy Awards at Sunday night's 49th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles, CA.
Their award-winning categories included "Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical" for their current release, AT WAR WITH THE MYSTICS, produced by long-time collaborator Dave Fridmann along with band members Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd and Michael Ivins. The second award: "Best Rock Instrumental Performance," for the MYSTICS album track, "The Wizard Turns On... (The Giant Silver Flashlight And Puts On His Werewolf Moccasins)."
Unable to attend this year's event due to prior commitments, Lips vocalist Wayne Coyne offered: "My stomach had been churning from eating too many Twizzlers and flying all day, and upon winning, the excitement caused such a blast of chemical endorphins to rush through my system that I was immediately cured of my bad gut...Let it be said that winning two Grammys in one night is kind of like psychic Pepto-Bismol."
This marks the Lips' 5th Grammy nomination and 3rd award to date. The band received their first nomination and Grammy Award for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for "Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon (Utopia Planitia)" from YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS, in 2002. They were nominated for "Best Alternative Music Album," in 2003 ("Fight Test" EP) and again in 2006 (AT WAR WITH THE MYSTICS).
In recent weeks The Flaming Lips have been busy recording some new material for various projects as well as mixing and editing their first-ever live DVD filmed at the Hollywood Bowl in California and the Zoo Amphitheater in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Still no details of release at press time. Fans will also be delighted to know that the previously mentioned Yoko Ono collaboration/tribute album, YES I'M A WITCH, has just been released. The Lips are among 17 artists covering songs by Yoko Ono. "Cambridge 1969/2007" is the result of recording and remixing the original "Cambridge 1969." Reporting to the NME, Coyne explained: "We took Yoko's primal screams and John's moaning feedback and turned them into a kind of Ornette Coleman-esque melody...I fear we may have de-fanged rock's most disturbing performance-art-jam." YES, I'M A WITCH is available now on Astralwerks.
Lastly, Wayne Coyne has written and recorded a monologue for an upcoming episode of NPR's "This I Believe" series. Air date will be confirmed shortly.
The Flaming Lips have also just confirmed a short American tour before returning overseas. Dates will be listed below. More dates to be confirmed soon.
Wed April-11 Athens, GA Classic Center Theater
Thu April-12 Orlando, FL House of Blues
Fri April-13 Pompano Beach, FL Pompano Beach Amphitheater
Sat April-14 Saint Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Tue April-17 North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
Wed April-18 Raleigh, NC Disco Rodeo
Thu April-19 Norfolk, VA The Norva
Sat June-16 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Festival
www.flaminglips.com
