The Best of 2007: Favorite Band

My criteria are simple. How many CDs do I own, how often do I listen to them, and how do I identify with what is said. Four bands make the list; U2, two albums and heavy rotation all summer; Rammstein, five albums; The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, three albums and lots of playtime; and The Flaming Lips, two albums and almost constant play.

Rammstein has the volume, but I don't listen to them like I used to -bestrafe mich! I love U2's Boy album, but one CD cannot carry them to the top. This leaves me with a tough call, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs or The Flaming Lips.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a phenomenon, but I don't get some lyrics, and I'm not damaged enough to identify with others. What do I mean by damaged? Take Honeybear for example. Karen O. bemoans, "Oh all alone, I've got a call from the bear -gonna take all his honey." It sounds insidious, and comes on the heels of "Run away, you want it." But I love the band, they keep me thinking.

This leaves The Flaming Lips, smart, euphoric, ethereal, psychedelic, and, at times, profoundly sad. I connect to all the moods and meanings, and know the number of their albums in my collection will grow.

Having said that, I'll conclude with a video, a song by The Flaming Lips titled, ironically, "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song."




Flaming Lips - The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song lyrics