Listen: New Flaming Lips tracks from 'Embryonic'

Quartet is onto something with this roll-out release schedule

By Katie Hasty Thursday, Aug 13, 2009 5:18 PM

Wayne Coyne in his human hamster bubble

Credit: AP Photo/Matt Sayles

The Flaming Lips have been giving away an EP of three songs culled from their forthcoming "Embryonic" double-album at shows (plus a trio of B-sides) -- which, by the way, is an excellent way to get people excited for new music.

Especially new music as innovative and weird as this.

"Convinced of the Hex," "The Impulse" and "Silver Trembling Hands" are all available now, too, via iTunes, ahead of the Oct. 13 release date. You can click here for the band's MySpace pop-up player, which has all three, or scroll below for a stream of the former.

Pitchfork is also streaming "See the Leaves," which is obviously not on the advance EP. It's a wonky, aggressive track, with plenty of arc and frontman Wayne Coyne's mysterious lyricism. To be sure, don't expect the soothing pop sounds of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" or "Waitin' For a Superman."

In other words, the music video will be undoubtably awesome.

Coyne & Co. will be rolling their giant human hamster ball to several cities on tour, kicking things off on Saturday (Aug. 15). They're also curating All Tomorrow's Parties over the weekend of Sept. 12 and headlining Treasure Island Music Festival and Voodoo Fest this fall.

Aug. 15 - Del Mar Race Track - San Diego
Aug. 17 - Greek Theater - Los Angeles
Aug. 18 - Fox Theater - Pomona, Calif.
Aug. 20 - Edgefield Amphitheater - Portland, Ore.
Aug. 21 - Marymoor Amphitheatre - Redmond, Wa.
Aug. 23 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, Colo.
Aug. 26 - Chastain Park Amphitheater - Atlanta
Aug. 28 - Merriweather Post Pavilion - Washington, D.C.
Aug. 29 - Festival Pier - Philadelphia
Aug. 30 - Bank of America Pavilion - Boston
Sept. 13 - All Tomorrow's Parties - Monticello, N.Y.
Oct. 18 - Treasure Island Music Festival - San Francisco
Nov. 1 - Voodoo Fest - New Orleans

Katie Hasty
Managing Editor

After five years as a columnist and editor at Billboard, Katie Hasty joined HitFix in 2009 for music and film reporting out of New York. The Midwest native has worked as a writer, music promoter and in A&R since 1999 and performs with her band Numbers And Letters.