The Flaming Lips (formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983) are an idiosyncratic and acclaimed American alternative rock band.
Although grounded in an indie rock/ post-punk approach to rock music, The Flaming Lips are known for their lush, multi-layered, psychedelic-ish arrangements and their spacey lyrics and bizarre song titles. They are also acclaimed for their elaborate live shows; featuring animal suits, puppets, video projections and complex stage light configurations. In 2002, Q magazine named The Flaming Lips one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die".
The group recorded several albums and EPs on an indie label in the 1980s and early 1990s. After signing to Warner Brothers, they scored a top ten hit in 1995 with "She Don’t Use Jelly" (known in Australia as "Vaseline"). Although it would be their only hit single, the band has maintained critical respect and, to a lesser extent, commercial viability with sonically majestic albums such as 1999’s The Soft Bulletin and 2002’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
The Flaming Lips formed in Oklahoma City in 1983, reportedly after guitarist Wayne Coyne stole a collection of instruments from a local church hall. With Coyne’s brother Mark singing lead vocals and Michael Ivins on bass guitar, the band debuted at an R&B bar.
Shortly afterwards, drummer Richard English joined the group, Mark Coyne left the band and Wayne assumed lead vocal and songwriting duties. This line-up recorded the debut album Hear It Is, released on the small label Restless Records in 1986. This line-up recorded two more albums for Restless; 1987’s Oh My Gawd!!! and 1988’s Telepathic Surgery
Nathan Roberts replaced English as drummer and Jonathan Donahue (later to form the alternative rock band Mercury Rev) joined for 1989’s In a Priest Driven Ambulance. During their Restless Records period, the band gained a significant cult audience, thanks in part to their bizarre concerts featuring bubble machines, confetti, balloons, hand puppets and strings of Christmas lights.