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[SS4Matt]

Hey, I know its my first post, but I heard about this band from QC so I figured I would ask its readers for some help...


After reading about it in a comic, I got ahold of the CD and I have to sayI LOVE it.

Does anyone know of any bands or cds that sound like what this CD does?

I want more happiness and feeling good.

[rive gauche]

Umm.. they don't really sound like the Flaming Lips, but if you want happiness and feeling good definitely listen to Architecture in Helsinki. I am listening to them right now and I am phenomenally happy.

[jcknbl]

Other Flaming Lips albums might not be a bad idea.

Also check out:
The Unicorns
XTC
Tullycraft
Animal Collective


I'm new, but that shouldn't stop me from giving advice should it?

[Inlander]

XTC

Run, don't walk, to your local record store and buy a copy of Fossil Fuel: the X.T.C. Singles 1977-92.  Two C.D.s: one hour of jittery new-wave guitar pop goodness; one hour of exquisite lush guitar pop magnificence.

[Fabio]

i dunno M83 are good for powerfull happyness i think =/

[El Opium]

I think that Deserter's Songs by Mercury Rev will appeal to anyone who likes The Soft Bulletin. David Friddman, who was a Flaming Lips member until 1990 or so and who has continued to produce their albums is the band's leader..

[Kid Modernist]

If you're looking for happy music without the (some say over-)produced sound of Flaming Lips, check out Belle and Sebastian.

Steve Burns' Songs for Dustmites is a surprisingly good album (He was the first host of Blues Clues) and was produced by the same guy who pros the FL, and also the drummer from said band.

[nescience]

Here are some records I'd recommend off the top of my head:

The Polyphonic Spree - In The Beginning Stages Of...

Super Furry Animals - Guerrilla or Rings Around the World

Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump

Secret Machines - September 000

Tahiti 80 - A Piece of Sunshine

XTC - Skylarking

These are all pieces of vaguely psychedelic happy music that are similar to Soft Bulletin-era Flaming Lips.

[surefunk]

i'm gonna second the super furry animals suggestion, especially "love kraft".  different from the soft bulletin, but similarly theatric and expansive.  can't really imagine someone liking one and not the other.  
but my imagination is weak, i suppose.

[SS4Matt]

Thanks, I have started to acquire some of the stuff that yall have mentioned. When I listen to it, I will post my opinions on it.

Thank yall!

[ripvanwormer]

Neutral Milk Hotel - completely different from the Lips, but a similar kind of sad, hopeful, triumphant set of songs that the Flaming Lips specialize in. The Aeroplane Over the Sea is one of the best albums of all time.

The Music Tapes - One of the members of Neutral Milk Hotel made this collection of warbling, fragile, high-pitched, experimental extreme lo-fi with dozens and dozens of exotic and homemade instruments. Might appeal to Lips fans.

All the other Flaming Lips albums - They started out more primitive psychedelic punk and only evolved into their lush, superproduced form with Zaireeka. But Zaireeka, The Soft Bulletin, and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots are of a kind (especially the first two, which were both recorded at the same time). I actually like some of their earlier work, like A Priest Driven Ambulance and Clouds Taste Metallic, a little more than I like the Soft Bulletin.

Galaxie 500 - Quirky, soaring, transcendental indie pop.

The Robot Ate Me - Much more modest in scale than the above-mentioned bands, but good.

Islands - Islands are the new version of The Unicorns, with most of the original members. If you like The Unicorns, you'll like them.

Lettuce Prey - Many of his songs are on his website, ltprey.com. Check them out.

Penelope Brain - An Australian who seems to be deliberately emulating the Soft Bulletin, down to songs about sad robots. Pretty good. http://music.download.com/penelopebrain/3600-8618_32-100080660.html

Daniel Johnston - Has been making crazy, off-key but tuneful music longer than any of these other guys. He's for hard-core lovers of outsider music only, though; his lisping voice can get on some people's nerves.

[ripvanwormer]

I think that Deserter's Songs by Mercury Rev will appeal to anyone who likes The Soft Bulletin. David Friddman, who was a Flaming Lips member until 1990 or so and who has continued to produce their albums is the band's leader.

It was actually Jonathan Donahue who was the Flaming Lips member for a short time (early Flaming Lips albums call him Dingus).  Jonathan Donahue is also the lead singer of Mercury Rev since its former lead vocalist quit was fired.

Dave Fridman was a member of Mercury Rev until they started touring; after that, he concentrated his musical endeavors on producing. He's produced all of the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev albums for the last sixteen years or so, but he has never been an official member of the Flaming Lips.

The first two Mercury Rev albums are wildly crazy, postmodernist guitar psychedelia. I don't have the third album, but I have a single from it; it seems calmer, but similar in feel (with Jonathan Donahue taking over singing duties). The fourth album is Deserter's Songs, which was made around the same time as The Soft Bulletin. I actually heard The Soft Bulletin for the first time at a Mercury Rev concert; they played bits of it between sets. It hadn't been officially released at the time. Anyway, Deserter's Songs is probably the most Bulletinish of their albums. The last two Mercury Rev albums have been much more orchestral, lushly produced, and over the top. Kinda New Agey too; I don't like them as much.

[El Opium]

Woops. I have the third album See You on the Other Side and it's very much a transitional record. Some people would call it Deserter's Song's lite because the band are using the same ideas in a less developed form, but it's still a good record.

[jcknbl]

Islands - Islands are the new version of The Unicorns, with most of the original members. If you like The Unicorns, you'll like them.

I like the Islands but they're not nearly as good as the Unicorns. Return to the Sea is sorta a disappointment.

[ASturge]

I don't know bout all this crap.

T.a.T.u are the fucking shit though, I tell thee.

[StrikeThePostman]

I actually like some of their earlier work, like A Priest Driven Ambulance and Clouds Taste Metallic, a little more than I like the Soft Bulletin.

I agree, Clouds Taste Metallic is fucking brilliant; it's probably my favourite Lips album.  I love how they got past that sound though, because their later work is wonderful and interesting as well.

[Azathoth]

Spiritualized.  Very layered psychedelic stuff with lots of orchestration.

[Saturday]

the most-similar sounding albums to 'soft bulletin' stuff its imho the first 2 mercury rev albums, 'yerself is steam' and 'boces'. great, very psychedelic indie-rock. VERY different to deserterīs song and all that.

[McTaggart]

For some reason Soft Bulletin makes me think Odelay. I haven't actually listened to Soft Bulletin in so long that I'm not sure if there really is any similarity at all, but yeah, Beck - Odelay. Listen to it now.

[octozombie]

Neutral Milk Hotel - completely different from the Lips, but a similar kind of sad, hopeful, triumphant set of songs that the Flaming Lips specialize in. The Aeroplane Over the Sea is one of the best albums of all time.

YES.

I'd say people who enjoy FL will generally have atleast SOME appreciation for Neutral milk hotel.
What a great band, man...
I'd say the song "Two-headed Boy" might be a good one to start out with. My dad played this song for me, and automatically got me hooked.

[jickerjones]

VERY Similar albums to the Soft Bulletin:

Dreampt for light years in the belly of a mountain by Sparklehorse
Software Slump by Grandaddy
Beautiful Freaks by The Autumn Stone
Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space
Deserter's Song by Mercury Rev

[LTK]

Using your first post to reply to a thread that hasn't seen activity for twelve years. That's got to be some kind of record.

[Theta9]

Using your first post to reply to a thread that hasn't seen activity for twelve years. That's got to be some kind of record.

Over twelve-and-a-half, actually.