Existential Japanese girl fighting emotional pink robots

[Taro Toporific]

Does anybody have an opinion of Flaming Lips' music, or an MP3 link?

New Flaming Lips: makes you laugh, cry, think
...The Flaming Lips are one of those bands with the release of their new concept album titled Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots... tells the tale of one pink robot that learns to have emotions, and a small Japanese girl, who happens to be "a black belt in karate," who was delegated to defend the city against the pink robots...
... the album departs from the standard Japanese girl fighting emotional pink robots motif to a more existential one.
... After a rough week, Yoshimi is the perfect album to relax to; it's silly and reassures you that none of your mistakes really matter in the end as long as you take advantage of the moment.

[jingai]

Flaming Lips is fairly interesting alternapop. If this were the music playing on the radio all the time instead of J-Lo and NSYNC, I'd think popular music was pretty good. However, for alternative or underground rock, it's just too conventional. Radiohead, Beck, Cornelius, Bjork and Moby are doing far more interesting things. But if you like guitars and somber lyrics...

I expected the Flaming Lips to be Japanese or at least heavily Japanese inspired, but I think the average F'ed gaijin knows more about Japan than these guys. Pizzicato Five, Takako Minekawa and Cibo Matto riff off of pop cliches and turn it into something interesting and original like Japan at its best.

For better Japanese inspired rock, try
Godspeed You Black Emperor, which was inspired by an old bosozoku gang.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/154630/ref=m_art_dp/002-1942511-1680831

[Taro Toporific]

For better Japanese inspired rock, try
Godspeed You Black Emperor

Yanqui U.X.O.! Can't listen it here at work, but I looooooooooove their graphic...

[Taro Toporific]

For better Japanese inspired rock, try Godspeed You Black Emperor, which was inspired by an old bosozoku gang.

Ok, like you say, "not bad"... but as a Montreal-based instrumental band, they're ain't got very much Japanese content or Bozozoku "inspiration."

Salon sure liked them in this reviewreview.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor: 19MB MP3 "Rockets Fall on Rocket Falls"
The free MP3 sample (3.3 MB) of "Radar-TV_Shooters".