Anthony Laido of The Lips
The grandfather of punk rock, Lou Reed, reminisced about his career in the 1980’s hit song “Doin’ The Things That We Want”. The lyrics recall fellow artists who pursued their own visions and produced some of the greatest art in American culture.
A garage band from Oakland, The Lips, is doin’ the things that they want…and producing some great art.
Fronted by Oaklander Anthony M. Laido, The Lips self-released a 22 song album “Generation in a Jar” and generated a storm of positive reviews throughout the music industry. The band is now reviewing a variety of offers and are expected to sign with a label soon.
Genre labels have been applied to The Lips music, seeking to put it in one category or another, but indie is the only one that can stick. Indie, independent, original, and more. The music is not just entertainment, it’s art. It’s passionate, it’s moral, it’s cultural, and it can be controversial.
Their diversity of sound, which accounts for the band’s appeal to a wide range of fans, has a minimalist style that marries sound and lyrics. Perhaps Governor Chris Christie might learn to do more with less by catching The Lips on tour; because The Lips do more with less on a regular basis, relying on Laido and his drummer Mario Khoury.
The term band, as it applies to The Lips, is applied loosely. Laido is the source for the music and lyrics, and he reached out to his friend Khoury to play drums. It is Khoury who travels with Laido on tour, and in the studio there may be other musicians who get involved in the production. (Laido also produces for other artists).
Esto quod es, Latin for ‘be what you are’, is a thread that carries through The Lips album. It’s not specifically in the lyrics or in the music, but it can be heard by anyone aspiring to be true to themselves.
Below is a webcam video of Laido performing Cotton Mouth in what appears to be his Oakland basement – that’s pretty cool.
A few songs from the new album can be heard online by clicking here.
Additional Interviews & Reviews for The Lips:
PunkBandsOnTheRise
OnlyTheBestMusicHere
SaveTheMusic
IdleAndTheBear
Band Links:
Facebook
PureVolume
YouTube