Favorite Tracks: The Flaming Lips - The Captain

The Flaming Lips - The Captain
From "The Soft Bulletin 5.1/Outtakes"
Year: 1999?



If you don't mind, I'm just going to write a paragraph about me and this blog rather than this song.

This is what my blog was originally going to be; me talking about my favorite songs. Somewhere along the way (I think it was after one post) I figured that was a terrible idea and that I should just do what all great blogs do and provide people with links to awesome music. The thing is I alway had the same goal, to talk about music that I dig and (hopefully) get more people listening to some of the artists that don't get enough love. And you know what? That means that I can still do the occassional post about a favorite track. So there.

So what can I tell you about this track? I mean, apart from the fact that it's the best thing The Flaming Lips have recorded ever. I guess I could explain were the hell it came from. So pull up a pew, stick the kettle on and get comfy.


I don't know where this track came from.


I wish I did, but I have no idea when this was written and recorded so it's hard to explain how this amazing track came about. It was probably written during the Zaireeka sessions, when The Flips were experimenting like crazy, trying to change their sound to something completely different. And so we have this.

It starts with some very dramatic (and most likey synth'd) orchestration. Horns blur, strings flood in and chimes, uh, chime. But then it all ends. That great big wall of sound that just built up just fades away into nothingness and we're left with Wayne Coyne singing over some acoustic guitar strumming (and the beautiful piano playing of Mr. Steven Drozd). He's singing something about how things are "really bad" and that "this one here won't make it to the land". None of it makes sense, not that Flaming Lips songs usually do but still. A few more lines are sung before it speeds up a little bit. The lyrics are creating tension as Wayne Coyne begs "The Captain" to make an exception. It's all building up, and then the drums kick in. Something big is coming up, and you know it.

"Instead of being bold about it..."

And then the organ wails like a banshee.

"The Captain's being cooooooooold!!"

That wall of sound that opened the track is back, and louder, noisier and more beautiful than ever. You've got this incredibly awesome, almost shoegazey, vibe going on. The strings sound like they've been taken straight from My Bloody Valentines Touched, and Wayne keeps on singing those same lines.

"Instead of being bold about it..."

Needless to say, by the end of this track I am usually stood up out of my seat, arms raised in the air as I sing along at the top of my voice.

I really wasn't joking when I said it was the best thing The Flaming Lips have ever recorded.

Favorite Tracks: Archers of Loaf - Wrong

Archers of Loaf - Wrong
From "Icky Mettle"
Year: 1993



I'll be honest with you, this wasn't my first choice of the evening. I was originally going to post/talk about/show my love for another Archers of Loaf song entitled "Web In Front". But after thinking about it for a while, I realised that this probably outdoes it in every single way. It's faster, it's noisier, it's got one hell of a killer guitar tone, and one of the greatest/angstiest shoutout lyrics to ever grace this particular brand of early 90's indie rock.

First off you hear this warm, fuzzy guitar playing away untill a whistle comes in...yeah, a whistle. Or a flute maybe...actually...what is that? Sounds weird...wait...is that a guitar? It is. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is. How they managed that we'll never know (but MBV might, see "Soon" for more crazy flute/whistle guitar). And as soon as you've got your head around that, it kicks in. Guitar, drums, bass, vocals, weird flute guitar all kicking out the jams. And that's all this song is. It's a jam. I'm not gonna overcomplicate it, because it's such an uncomplicated track. Noisy and raw, just how I like it. OH, and of course there's that awesome lyric (voted family feelgood lyric of the year, all the years) that kicks in at the end.

"I do not think you could like me anyway, because you are inferior to me"

OUCH, that's gotta hurt the chick he wrote that about.

Favorite Tracks: Shugo Tokumaru - Clocca

Shugo Tokumaru - Clocca
From "Exit"
Year: 2007



So, how many of you maggots have actually heard of Shugo Tokumaru? Yeah, that's what I thought, none of you, and you should all feel terrible for that very reason. If only you knew what you were missing out on, well let me fill you in. Basically what you've got here is a mulit-instrumentalist creating beautiful yet childish melodies on a variety of instruments ranging from bells to bongo's, glokenspiels to guitars. The end product having something extremely playful and young about it, and the song "Clocca" is the embodiment of all of that.

Opening with a simple melody played on a recorder, you hear a whole bunch of other instruments flowing in creating this weird soundscape that is unlike anything else out there (especially when this second recorder comes in playing some eerie tune that kinda scares me). The rest of the song follows standard pop song affair, there's a verse then there's a chorus. HECK, there's even a bridge. I mean, sure, it's all in japanese so you will have no idea what the guy's singing about, but it sounds fuckwin because you can hear all these weird and wonderful instruments complimenting eachother throughout. It has to be heard to be understood.

Now, unfortunatley whilst looking for the release date of this song (and its respective album, Exit, which you should all download or buy or something) that Pitchfork came all over it. But don't let that put you off, it really is a wonderful collection of magical, experimental songs (that the guy mixed and recorded himself on his laptop....wow, I kinda get why Pitchfork liked it so much now).

One day I'll actually get around to listening to his other albums, and who knows they might actually be better.