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Warner Bros. Records is joining forces with Threadless, the community-driven design company, to produce band merchandise created by independent artists for some of the label’s most popular musical artists. In an ongoing collaboration between the two brands, Threadless will host design challenges for Warner Bros. talent, inviting the global Threadless artist community of 2.5 million members to design and vote on t-shirts and other products inspired by the music of each artist.
“This partnership with Warner Bros. is an incredible opportunity for the artists on Threadless,” said Threadless Founder and CEO Jake Nickell. “Music is a powerful source of inspiration, and we’re honored to be working with a label that has supported great music for so many years. This ongoing partnership will help to further Threadless’ goal of providing independent artists with new and creative outlets for their art, while providing musical artists on Warner Bros. Records with some incredible artwork for their merchandise.”
The initial design challenge for this new partnership, launched May 13, features The Flaming Lips, a band famous for their commitment to creative innovation and ultra-extravagant live performances. “The Flaming Lips are the perfect band to kick off this partnership,” said Nickell. “Their eclectic, arty image and fearless creativity fit perfectly with the Threadless community’s aesthetic diversity. We expect to receive some of the craziest, most whacked out submissions we’ve ever seen!”
Submissions to the challenge will be open from May 13 to June 3 at threadless.com/theflaminglips. Fans can continue to vote on which designs should be made into t-shirts through June 10. One grand prize winner will receive $5,000 cash, a $500 Threadless gift certificate, 2 tickets to an upcoming North American Flaming Lips show, the Record Store Day exclusive release of Zaireeka 4-LP vinyl box set, a signed CD copy of The Terror, and a double-LP vinyl copy of The Terror. Other top designs will also be sold on Threadless.com and beyond.
The winning design won’t be chosen until voting closes on June 10, but customers can pre-order the winning tee now at threadless.com/theflaminglips/presale. From now until June 30, 2013, $10 from the sale of each tee will go to the American Red Cross to benefit those most affected by the Oklahoma tornado of May 20, 2013.
The Grammy award-winning Lips are touring the world now in support of their 13th studio album, The Terror, released on April 16. As always, THE LIPS continue to command critical accolades:
“The Flaming Lips have been on one of the most remarkable creative streaks of any band, let alone a band that’s been-this is their 30th anniversary, they started in 1983. They are at the peak of their creative career right now at a point when other bands long ago would have hung it up. This band is amazing and they continue to impress just when I think they can’t impress anymore.” – NPR.Org
THE TERROR by The Flaming Lips has a new U.S. release date of April 16th (U.K release date remains April 1). As previously mentioned The Terror is The Lips’ thirteenth studio album and was produced by long-time collaborator Dave Fridmann and The Flaming Lips at Tarbox Road Studios.
Wayne Coyne explains, “Why would we make this music that is The Terror – this bleak, disturbing record…? I don’t really want to know the answer that I think is coming. Maybe this is the beginning of the answer.”
The Terror is a bold and expressive journey that has evolved over The Lips’ nearly 30-year tended garden of sonic delights that ebbs and flows with extraordinary splashes of light and shade, pleasure and pain, sadness and hope, and the knowledge that to expect the unexpected is half the fun of The Lips’ experience.
The Terror will be available as a special Direct To Consumer, Limited-Edition Silver Vinyl double-LP set, housed in a two-pocket gatefold jacket with printed sleeves. Those who pre-order will receive an instant download of “Sun Blows Up Today” and the digital album delivered on release date, April 16th. Suggested retail price is $35.98.
The Terror CD edition pre-order includes an instant download of “Sun Blows Up Today” and the digital album delivered on release date, April 16th. Suggested retail price is $10.98. Go to:http://store.flaminglips.com/ for pre-order details on both
Even more impressive was the first-ever performance of The Terror in its entirety the following night at Auditorium Shores, which set an all-time attendance record for a show at that venue in the history of SXSW drawing in excess of 30,000 attendees. Jim James of My Morning Jacket (who opened the show) joined the band on-stage for a particularly moving version of “Do You Realize??”. The Auditorium Shores show was broadcast live by Sirius/XM.
Tracklist:
Confirmed Tour dates:
Filed under Highly Anticipated, new albums, Shows
The Flaming Lips and Warner Bros. Records will release their thirteenth studio album, THE TERROR on April 2nd but you can see and hear and the new video for an exclusive non-album track, titled “Sun Blows Up Today” right now!
As previously announced, those who pre-order The Terror digitally beginning Jan 29th, through the iTunes Store or other participating digital retailers will receive “Sun Blows Up Today” as an instant gratification, non-album, bonus track. This is the only way to get the new song by The Flaming Lips.
Looking for more from your favorite band? Well, if you’re near a TV set this Sunday, Feb 3rd, watching the Super Bowl, you might just see a very cool TV commercial by Hyundai that stars none other than The Flaming Lips and features the song, “Sun Blows Up Today”.
Filed under new albums, video, Whoa!
In between one-off shows scattered around the world in the past several months The Flaming Lips have still found time to record a series of unique and experimental sessions for an album featuring a diverse cross-section of heavy friends from every corner of the musical cosmos. The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends includes vocal and musical assistance from such disparate playmates as Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Bon Iver, Ke$ha and many more.
Some of these tracks have already appeared on previously released, extremely limited edition color vinyl 12″ EPs released in past months, which sold out as soon as they became available. Most of the tracks on the album are being released here for the first time and will surprise even the most ardent LIPS fans.
The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends will be pressed on two high-quality, multi-color vinyl discs housed in separate custom art jackets and poly bagged together. No two discs will look exactly alike. This double album will be very limited and released exclusively for RECORD STORE DAY. Once it’s gone, it will not be repressed again making THE FLAMING LIPS AND HEADY FWENDS the most anticipated RSD release this year.
Track-listing for The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends is as follows:
Side 1:
Side 2:
Side 3:
Side 4:
About Records Store Day:
Record Store Day is managed by the Music Monitor Network and is organized in partnership with the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS), the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) and celebrates the culture of independent record stores by playing host to in-store events/performances, signings and special product releases on a global scale on Saturday, April 21st, 2012.
For more about National Record Store Day, please visit www.recordstoreday.com
Filed under Highly Anticipated, Holy Freaking Crap!, Whoa!