Black Lips

Infobox musical artist
Name = Black Lips

---

Img_capt = The Black Lips in concert, SXSW 2007
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Occupation =
Instrument = vocals, guitar, bass, drums
Genre = Garage punk, noise rock, Country
Years_active = 2000 — present
Label = Bomp! Records
In the Red Records
Rob's House Records
Vice Records
Associated_acts =
URL =
Current_members = Cole Alexander
Jared Swilley
Ian Saint Pé
Joe Bradley
Past_members = Ben Eberbaugh
Jack Hines

The Black Lips are a self-described "flower punk" band from Atlanta, Georgia.

History

While still teenagers, the band formed in 2000 after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Reruns. Drummer Joe Bradley joined a few months later. They released their first 7-inch in 2002 on their own [http://www.dieslaughterhausrecords.com/ Die Slaughterhaus] label.

Just days before a tour was to begin in December 2002, guitarist Ben Eberbaugh was driving a car that was struck by a drunk driver going the wrong way on a highway. He was killed but the band carried on, believing that Eberbaugh would want them to continue [http://www.music.com/group/black_lips/1/biography/] .

The band's debut full length album, "Black Lips!" was released on Bomp! Records in 2003. Eberbaugh was replaced by Jack Hines, a friend of the band members, and they recorded their second studio album, "We Did Not Know The Forest Spirit Made The Flowers Grow", with him. Hines too was eventually replaced by current guitarist, and former Renegades member, Ian Saint Pé, in 2004.

The Black Lips have a reputation for crazy live shows that have included vomiting, urinating, nudity, band members kissing, fireworks, and a chicken. The frequency of the group's outrageous stage antics has declined, as they claim to have matured "a little bit". They have slowly built a fanbase that appreciates their energy and style that is a rough mishmash of blues, rock, doo-wop, country, and punk. They gained national attention in 2006 with features in "Spin" and "Rolling Stone" magazines. The band got exposure in the "New York Times" for being the [http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=2f2aaf87dff4ef1400e5ed5b4c06f55be51520b9 hardest working band] during the 2007 South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, in which they played a dozen shows over a three-day period.

Their debut for Vice Records, "Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo", was released in February 2007. It is supposed to have been recorded at a bar in Tijuana, Mexico, but fans, musicians, and journalists have speculated that some or most of it was recorded in a studio with John Reis. The band has denied these claims, but critics cite noticeable differences in reverb and tape and crowd noise.

In September 2007 their most recent album entitled "Good Bad Not Evil" was released. The Black Lips made their American national television debut in October 2007 on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and played "O Katrina".

Future plans

In the Summer of 2008 the Black Lips began recording music in a former art gallery in metro Atlanta for their next studio album. As of September 2008 their new album is still being worked on and promises to be a return to an earlier low-fi sound but with a lot more melody. The working title is "Ancient Egypt", according to Jared. [http://www.atlantamusicblog.com/news/2008/09/mayor-of-ponc-1.html] Songs recorded include "Big Black Baby Jesus of Today", "Drugs", "Moving On Up" and a re-recorded version of their 2005 single "Born To Be A Man". [http://www.blacklips.co.uk] They anticipate the album being released at the beginning of 2009.

The band has songs from recording sessions prior to signing with Vice which may eventually be released [http://www.youbettershutupandlisten.com/lead/?p=138] by [http://intheredrecords In The Red Records] .

The Black Lips were going to star in a film entitled "Let It Be", in which they portray musicians in a fictitious 1980s era DIY band called The Renegades . A trailer for the movie can be viewed here: [http://www.blacklips.co.uk/biography.html] The film was set for production in the Summer of 2008; however, production has since been postponed [http://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2168] . In a September 2008 interview, the band admitted that their schedule was making the likelihood of the film being made virtually nil.

The group have a featured role in the upcoming documentary "We Fun: Atlanta, GA Inside Out". The title was coined by Jared Swilley on the band's blog.

Volume six of Brendan Canty's Burn To Shine series includes a performance by the Black Lips. There is no release date set for this DVD.

The band is scheduled to play several shows in India in January 2009.

Live Shows (2008)

They played a storming, riotous set at the Heaven Nightclub in London on September 16th 2008 which ended with a classic stage invasion. Footage is available [http://www.blacklips.co.uk here] .

ide projects

Cole sings, Jared plays bass and Joe plays keyboards in a synth-punk band called [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=65938984 The Spooks] . The Spooks formed in 2002 as a band to play Halloween shows. Their performances always involve the band members performing while wearing white sheets. They recorded songs for an album in 2004, but those songs were scrapped and the album was re-recorded. The album is scheduled to be released by Die Slaughterhaus on October 31, 2008, when the band performs a Halloween show in Atlanta.

Ian plays guitar in a garage punk band called [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=15867037 The Original Three] . There is a full length record out on Empty Records and singles out on SYA Records (Italy) and Savage Records (Sweden).

Jared plays guitar and sings in a band called [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=195791912 The Gaye Blades] . Rob's House Records has released two 7-inches by the group. In late Summer 2008 band member BJay Womack a.k.a. Bobby Ubangi was diagnosed with small cell lung and brain cancer.

Cole released solo material under the name Old King Cole Younger. There is one split 10" release of his material on Rob's House Records that features Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, under the name of Atlas Sound, on the other side. Cole has recorded additional music which may eventually be released as a solo album.

Cole and Bradfox Cox also have a project called [http://deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com/2008/01/ghetto-cross-aaron-hemphill-half-pint.html Ghetto Cross] , which is also the name of a song on the Black Lips' album "We Did Not Know The Forest Spirit Made The Flowers Grow".

Joe produces a rap group called [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=156129609 Incoqnekro] . Songs have been recorded for an album, tenatively titled Incoqnekronomicon, to be released on Die Slaughterhaus.

Band members

Current

* Cole Alexander - Vocals, guitar
* Jared Swilley - Vocals, bass guitar
* Joe Bradley - Vocals, drums
* Ian Saint Pé - Guitar (from 2004)

Former members

* Jack Hines - Guitar (2002-2004)
* Ben Eberbaugh (deceased) - Guitar (2000 - 2002)

Discography

Albums

* "Black Lips!" - 2003 (Bomp! Records)
* "We Did Not Know the Forest Spirit Made the Flowers Grow" - 2004 (Bomp! Records)
* "Let It Bloom" - 2005 (In the Red Records)
* "Good Bad Not Evil" - 2007 ( [http://www.vicerecords.com/blacklips.php Vice Records] )

Live albums

* "Live @ WFMU" - 2005 (Dusty Medical Records)
* "Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo" - 2007 ( [http://www.vicerecords.com/blacklips.php Vice Records] )

ingles

* "Ain't Comin' Back" 7" - 2002 (Die Slaughterhaus Records)
* "Freakout" 7" - 2002 (The Electric Human Project)
* "Ain't Comin' Back" 7" - 2003 (Munster Records)
* "Live at the Jam Club" 7" - 2004 (Shake Your Ass Records)
* "Does She Want" 7" - 2005 (Slovenly Records)
* "In and Out" 7" - 2005 (Slovenly Records)
* "Born to Be a Man" 7" - 2005 ( [http://www.varmintrecords.de Varmint Records] )
* "Party at Rob's House" 7" - 2006 (Rob's House Records)
* "Born to Be a Man" 7" - 2006 Re-release with different cover ( [http://www.bachelorrecords.com Bachelor Records] )
* "Not a Problem" 7" - 2007 ( [http://www.vicerecords.com/blacklips.php Vice Records UK] )
* "Cold Hands" 7" - 2007 ( [http://www.vicerecords.com/blacklips.php Vice Records UK] )
* "O Katrina!" 7" - 2007 ( [http://www.vicerecords.com/blacklips.php Vice Records UK] )
* "Veni Vidi Vici" 7" - 2007 ( [http://www.vicerecords.com/blacklips.php Vice Records UK] )
* "O Katrina! Australian Tour" 7" - 2007 (Juvenile Records)
* "Bad Kids / Leroy Faster" 7" - 2008 ( [http://www.vicerecords.com/blacklips.php Vice Records UK] )

plits

* "Black Stereo/Dirt Mono" - 2006 tour single with The Dirtbombs (Cass Records)
* "What To Do/Factory Girl" - single with the Demon's Claws (Norton Records)
* "Christmas in Baghdad/Plump Righteous" - 2007 single with The King Khan & BBQ Show (Norton Records)
* "Whirlyball" - 2007 single with Baby Shakes, Gentleman Jesse & His Men, and Coffin Bound (Chunklet Magazine)
* "Live at the Clermont Lounge" - 2008 single with the Subsonics (Rob's House Records)

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/theblacklips Black Lips at MySpace]
* [http://theblacklips.blogspot.com/ Black Lips blog]
* [http://www.vicerecords.com/ Vice Records Official Website]
* [http://www.black-lips.com/ Official Black Lips site]
* [http://www.blacklips.co.uk/ Black Lips UK site] Latest News, Discography, Biography, Chords & Tabs & more.
* [http://www.blacklips.co.uk/links.html Black Lips Resources] Ultimate Link Collection with rare mp3 & video.