Since when are The Flaming Lips "one of the happiest and most uplifting bands around?"

Since when are The Flaming Lips "one of the happiest and most uplifting bands around?"

Someone left this comment on my Christmas on Mars piece...

I trekked all the way out to Naperville about a month ago to see this because I am that big of Flaming Lips geek, and I cannot say DON'T SEE IT enough. I have seen very few things as dark and depressing as this movie. It was such a shock coming from the Lips who are one of the happiest and most uplifting bands around.

I'm not exactly sure who this happy sunny Flaming Lips is that this commenter is talking about though. From the get-go Coyne and co. have been pretty seriously dark, and even in recent years as their sound has lightened their thematic interests have grown ever darker. Sure, the band has it's humorous side at times, but even that tends to skew towards black comedy. I think the mistake a lot of more recent fans make about this band is through assuming that Coyne's wide-eyed embrace of life is driven through some sort of hippie idealism.

Their is a life affirming giddiness to their shows, but I even think that is filtered through the band's attempts to dress their darker urges as some intergalactic house party.

I do agree with the commenter on one point, Christmas On Mars is very dark, depressing, and kind of disturbing (as I wrote in my preview of the film) so if that's not your cup of tee, then do please avoid the hell out of it.

But what were you expecting, The Yoshimi That Tickled Christmas? C'mon.