How Well Do You Know The Black Lips? A Guide To Atlanta's Bad Kids.

After forming in 1999 and years of down and out gigging, Black Lips became a popular Indie group after signing to Vice Records in 2007, frequenting most festival line-ups and regularly touring.

Now reaching the fifteen year as a group mark (albeit with a few member changes), this could be the year the band puts out their ‘Pepper’ and cements themselves as the Butthole Surfers of our time. Before they finally catapult into BB-Gun at Lollapalooza kind of fame, take some time to reacquaint yourself with the Atlanta group and all the great pop culture they have given us.

For The Beginner

Apart from the most air-played of their songs (thanks to plays in indie rom-coms like 500 Days of Summer) a lot of media attention goes to the bands ‘crazy’ on stage antics and their failed 2009 tour of India *yawn*.

Much like the hype around Birthday Party gigs that distracted from the band’s music, such antics aren’t really as insane as they’re made out. Guitarist Cole Alexander does get his penis out though, a lot, and everyone has a good time. The beginner fan will be familiar with the following:

‘Oh Katrina'(2007)

So you might like:

‘Ain’t No Deal'(2003)

The Intermediate Fan

The band is very forthcoming with what music they’re into, in fact Black Lips may very well have been your gateway into Link Wray, Lee Moses or 13th Floor Elevators, thanks guys! Why stop there though, did you know lead singer Jared Swilley’s family had a gospel group? (Jared has mentioned in interviews that he is one of few men in his family to not be a preacher).

Old girl groups are also a big influence on the band, with their fourth album title Good Bad, Not Evil taken from the line ‘he’s good bad, but he’s not evil’ from the Shangri-La’s song ‘Give Him a Great Big Kiss’

The band fittingly then were big supporters of the (now broken up) band Vivian Girls, who they often toured with. Hearing some Crystals influence on tracks is never a bad thing either. Add to that friendships with other Atlanta groups King Khan (& The Shrines) and Deerhunter and you now have hours worth of YouTube holes to fall down.

If you know: Almighty Defenders – (once off group made up of King Khan & the Shrines and Black Lips after they fled India to Berlin) ‘All My Loving’

You’ll like: Gaye Blades – (Jared Swilley’s side group) ‘Hey Pretty Boy’

So check out: ‘We Fun’ a local Atlanta scene documentary.

For All The Experts Out There

If you’re a big fan, you’re probably in it for the band’s hilariousness as much as anything.

Exhibit A:

Everything is bigger in Texas. Except for the penises.
— Black Lips (@TheBlackLips) March 18, 2011

Exhibit B:

Much like Pamela Anderson’s social media, they’re also good for sharing rad music on a consistent basis. If you follow Black Lips, you’ll be well aquainted with old psych band’s like Lollipop Shoppe who the band like to cover live, or french singer Jacques Dutronc, who the band covered ‘Hippie Hippie Hourrah’ from.

Recent album Underneath the Rainbow ends on track ‘Dog Years’ which keen listeners might recognise as a re-vamped version from Ghetto Cross (Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Cole Alexander):

The group has also recently been touring with Jack Hines, a replacement for guitarist Ian Saint Pe. Don’t be suspicious though, as going by their performance at Falls Festival over this past New Years, Hines is more than able to bring the cray to the band’s usual crazy live shows. Also Saint Pe has an awesome side band of his own, Diamond Rugs:

The band take lyric inspiration from odd places, including ‘Trapped In a Basement’ from 200 Million Thousand, about Austrian Josef Fritzl who kept his daughter in a basement for over twenty years. Add to that using sound bites from The Jonestown Massacre (recordings taken before the mass suicide, not the band, on track ‘This Drop I Hold’ as well as rumours of Cole calling Charles Manson in prison and you should have a good idea of the weird and wonderful world of the Black Lips.