May 16, 2013
- 10 Thunder Playoff Observations Paired With Depressing Grunge Songs From The 1990s…
- 33 totally awesome story ideas for the NewsOK Digital Desk…May 15, 2013
- An open letter to the cry baby known as Macklemore…May 14, 2013
- Why does Abigail Ogle have so many fake Twitter followers?May 13, 2013
- A News 9 reporter is going to be on the ABC reality show “Whodunnit?”May 9, 2013
- Oklahoma’s scariest white rapper has released another music video…May 7, 2013
- Mission Chinese could be coming to Oklahoma City…May 6, 2013
- 12 amusing and funny pics from OKC’s Westboro Baptist Church counter-protests…May 2, 2013
- 18 Possible Nicknames for David Payne’s New Storm Chasin’ Truck…May 1, 2013
Archive for Flaming Lips
Thanks To Mary Fallin, “Do You Realize” Is No Longer Our Official State Rock Song…
Apr 12
2013
Remember back in 2009 when “Do You Realize???” became Oklahoma’s official state rock song? I sure do. To me, it was a symbolic event that showed the world that not all Oklahomans are self-righteous, fun-hating, socially conservative nut jobs dressed in Wranglers and cowboy hats; that some of us enjoy thought-provoking experimental pop songs about life, death and the earth’s rotation.
Well, screw all that. It looks like the conservative fun haters win again. Thanks to Mary Fallin, “Do You Realize” is no longer our state’s official rock song. Via something called eCapitolNews:
An early term decision by Governor Fallin means a song by The Flaming Lips no longer holds the title of Oklahoma’s official state rock song. Some critics are calling the move political, but according to Gov. Mary Fallin’s Media Director Alex Weintz, “Do You Realize??” was only officially the state’s rock song for a couple of years. Fallin decided not to renew former Gov. Brad Henry’s executive order recognizing the song when she took office in 2011.
The Oklahoma Historical Society offered Oklahoma voters the chance to choose the state’s official rock song in 2009. Voters overwhelming chose “Do You Realize??” by Oklahoma City band The Flaming Lips, a hit single off of their 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
The establishment of a state rock song was first proposed through in a 2009 Senate joint resolution, by Sen. Mike Schulz, R-Altus, and Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs. The resolution (SJR 24) failed in the House after Lips bassist Michael Ivins wore a red and yellow t-shirt emblazoned with the hammer and sickle images found on the Chinese and former Soviet Union flag to a photo op at the Capitol. Just days after taking the opportunity to have their pictures taken with the band, several conservative lawmakers voted against the measure, many expressing offense to Ivin’s shirt.
After the resolution failed to pass the House, then Governor Brad Henry stepped in and made “Do You Realize??” the official rock song of the state through an executive order.
Every time a new governor is elected, the executive orders issued by their predecessors must be approved within the first 90 days of any new governor’s term. Weintz told eCapitol that in Fallin’s first three months her administration was trying to focus on their priorities, and the state rock song simply wasn’t one of them.
I like how Alex Weintz chalks this up to a “two year thing.” Did he not live here in 2009. Is he saying that we nominated all those songs, chose a special panel, and cast our votes for something that wasn’t intended to be permanent? Doesn’t that defeat the point of having something like a state rock song?
Also, are we really supposed to buy the bag of B.S. that she was just too busy with “other priorities” to sign extend Governor Henry’s proclamation? She obviously had time to complain about the temperature in her hot tub and travel to Ireland for a wedding. Even if you’re Mary Fallin, it still only takes five seconds to sign a sheet of paper. Instead of lying to us about “two year things” and “other priorities,” just tell us the truth.
Actually, we already kind of know the truth. During the 2010 Governor’s race, we had special Q&A’s with Mary Fallin, Jari Askins and Drew Edmondson. We asked each candidate the same 15 questions. Question 11 was:
What do you think of “Do You Realize??” being Oklahoma’s official rock song?
Paul Simon’s son made a music video in Oklahoma City
Feb 5
2013
In case you missed it, here’s the Hyundai Super Bowl Ad featuring The Flaming Lips. It aired before kickoff on Sunday:
Say what you want about Wayne Coyne’s recent fall from local grace, it’s still cool to see he and the Lips make an appearance in the American mainstream. They’re great ambassadors for Oklahoma City — even when they shut down the airport — and have helped change what some people think about this sleepy little town in the middle of a flyover state. I actually think that’s a good thing. Would you rather be associated with some drugged out, colorful, creative weirdo who crawls around in bubbles or one of our Derplahoman lawmakers who live in an imaginary one? I vote drugged out, colorful creative weirdo.
If you need proof of how the Lips have changed people’s perceptions about OKC, look no farther than musician Harper Simon. He’s a hipster singer/songwriter from NY & LA and just happens to be Paul Simon’s son. He filmed his new music video “Bonnie Brae” in and around Oklahoma City, and he did it voluntarily. Here’s a little background on the video:
The dive bars and strip malls of Oklahoma City are captured during the golden hour in this nostalgic, sometimes hallucinatory video for Harper Simon’s latest single, “Bonnie Brae”, directed by George Salisbury. Most celebrated for his video and design work with the famed Oklahoma export The Flaming Lips, Salisbury took Simon (son of Paul) on a tour of the city at the heart of the States—complete with drag queens and disco balls—and shot it all through a dreamy, iridescent lens. “It seemed familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar,” said the New York-raised, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter of his adventures between the two coasts. “It’s not like what it would look like if you went around Hollywood and tried to shoot in bars. It’s an authentic, American look.”
For the video, however, Salisbury and Simon kept it quirky, intimate and local. “I thought the gritty vibe was really suited to the lyrics of the song, and maybe the whole album,” explains the musician. “But maybe I’m just at home in a dive bar.”
Here’s the video.
Wayne Coyne brings grenade to OKC airport. TSA shuts down airport. People miss flights and lose money.
Nov 19
2012
On Saturday, November 10th, recently single Wayne Coyne flew to Los Angeles to catch some previews of the new musical “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.” The show is based upon the decade-old Lips’ album of the same name, or as most people call it, the one that has the “Do You Realize Song” on it.
Before he left town, though, Wayne Coyne did something that only Wayne Coyne could do. He “inadvertently” tried to sneak a grenade through a TSA checkpoint. Here’s a tweet he sent about the fiasco:
When I first saw that tweet, I took it with a grain of salt. I know Wayne Coyne is a goofy weirdo who enjoys publicity about as much as he does sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, but he couldn’t be that stupid, right? Since our “legitimate” media didn’t cover the story — and the fact that I was sick and didn’t feel like investigating the thing — I just chalked it up to Wayne making something out of nothing and forgot about it.
Oops! Apparently I was wrong. Wayne Coyne really is that stupid and really did bring a grenade — or something that closely resembled one — to Will Rogers, which led to the TSA shutting down the concourse area of the airport. This resulted in a lot people missing flights, and in the case of this Ogle Mole, having to shell out $1,000 for new plane tickets.
Everything is [sic], although a few things are edited for clarity.
Wayne and Michelle Coyne have separated…
Aug 20
2012
Well, I guess we know why Wayne Coyne no longer tweets naked pictures of his wife.
After a 25-year relationship, we’ve learned through the Ogle Mole Network that the first couple of Oklahoma City’s creative class – Wayne and Michelle Coyne – have separated. The separation comes just weeks after they were honored as Urban Pioneers by the Plaza District.
The split is not that big of a surprise to those who are close to the couple. Apparently, the two have had their problems over the past couple of years. Those problems have stemmed from Wayne’s transformation from a fun-loving, goofy creative genius who writes and performs psychedelic pop songs into a sex-obsessed creepy old man who hunts down 21-year-old groupies in the Oklahoma City bar scene.
The final straw came when Wayne allegedly got seriously involved with a young bosomy girl he met at the OKC hipster hive known as Kamp’s. The girl’s name is Katy or Easy or Homewrecker or something like that. I guess Wayne really likes the chick, but it didn’t prevent him from performing an obviously sad and sappy relationship song for Michelle on The Colbert Report last week:
Erykah Badu doesn’t like Wayne Coyne
Jun 7
2012
Remember Erykah Badu? I don’t either. I know she wore the same hat as Jabba the Hut’s dancer and sang that song that went on and on and on and on, but that’s about all I know.
The reason I ask is because Erykah recently collaborated with The Flaming Lips on a cover of “The First Time I ever Saw Your Face.” They shot a music video for the track and Erykah’s sister was naked in it and Wayne Coyne posted the unedited video and he wasn’t supposed to and Erykah got mad and sent Wayne a nasty tweet…or something like that. I really have no clue. The Thunder are going to the fucking NBA finals and I can’t really focus on anything else right now!!!
Anyway, you can check out the entire story on Pitchfork. Or if you just want to read the mean and poorly written manifesto that Erykah sent to Wayne on Twitter, you can do that here:
