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Black Lips
The Black Lips are really ex-Renegades but more than a simple name change was involved. In '00, Cole Alexander and Jared Swilley left the Renegades. They were joined by Ben Eberbaugh, of the Reruns. A short time later, Joe Bradley completed the initial line-up.
Black Lips issued a self-released EP in '02. As they were about to go on tour, Eberbaugh was tragically killed when a drunk driver slammed into his car. Black Lips decided to carry on with guitarist Jack Hines, a band friend. With him, Black Lips issued their full-length debut, "We Did Not Know The Forest Spirit Made The Flowers Grow." But Hines didn't stick around long. In '04, he was replaced by Ian Saint Pé, also formerly of The Renegades.
'07 was a pivotal year for Black Lips. An appearance at Austin's South By Southwest was followed by "Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo." It was presented as a live album recorded at a Tijuana bar - no doubt to leverage the band's reputation for unbridled and often over-the-top stage antics. Actually, the set may have been enhanced, if not entirely recorded, in a studio. Next, Black Lips issued a legit studio effort, "Good Bad Not Evil." Finally, they made their national TV debut on Late Night With Conan O'Brien.
A film project entitled Let It Be, where the band was to play an '80s group called The Renegades, fell through as did Tesco's use of "Veni Vidi Vici" in a commercial. The U.K. grocery chain had "problems" with the lyrics. However, the same song was heard in the U.S. during ABC's Dirty Sexy Money.
The group's 'flower Punk" got another outing with the '09 release of "200 Million Thousand."
Full-Length Studio Albums:
We Did Not Know the Forest Spirit Made the Flowers Grow (2004)
Let It Bloom (2005)
Good Bad Not Evil (2007)
200 Million Thousand (2009)
Live Albums:
Live @ WFMU
Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo
"200 Million Thousand" sounds like a collection of demos - in a good way. There's a captivating looseness and reckless energy that is usually distilled out of more polished recordings. The group blends Punk and mid-60s, pre-psychedelic Rock (The Seeds, Count Five, Love, etc.) - which is why their music gets termed "flower Punk." "Take My Heart" is an engaging track complete with energetic wails and a hot guitar. "Trapped In The Basement" has spooky sounds and a hypnotically tepid beat. "Big Black Baby Jesus" sounds like something The Stones would have undertaken in their "Out Of Our Heads" period - of course, if they had, it would have bought the band endless grief (in addition to the drug busts) because back then nobody could possibly get passed the title. In a totally different direction, the ballad "I'll Be With You" has the makings of a prom classic.
While the lack of polish is one of the appealing aspects of "200 Million Thousand," that's not to say Black Lips couldn't use a bit more. "Good Bad Not Evil" has it. "O Katrina" is not only the best song on the album, it's the best song Black Lips have recorded. "Lock And Key" takes a far-out trip into hippie Rock.
"Let It Bloom" opens with a jangling Punk romp, "Sea Of Blasphemy." "Can't Dance," "Gung Ho" and "Feelin' Gay" just kick it out. No fuss, no worries.