We must determine which is the better AOR band. Mercury Rev's been going at it since '95 so they have a bit of a lead. I sort of prefer Mercury Rev's warmed-over meditations on the meaning of life to the new Flaming Lips stuff, to tell you the truth.

MR have gotten really pussified. They're the AC end of AOR now.

Whereas Coyne's voice will always be too unpurty for that end.

AOR was always a mystery to me. First it meant "album oriented rock" which was odd in and around itself because most of the bands had huge singles that were considered AOR. Then it became "adult oriented rock" I think of bands like Counting Crows, Train, Aerosmith, Goo Goo Dolls, and Bon Jovi as AOR now. Never, if put in front of me with a multiple question sheet, would I lump FL or MR in with the AOR crowd.

Mercury Rev's last record put them over the top. Are you basing the "AOR" tag on Flaming Lips' last two records? If so, I guess I could see it. No, no I can't. Maybe Yoshimi. Other than that, this thread is unfounded.

There's no actual AOR format left in U.S radio, by the way. It's been fragmented to a bunch of formats. Classic Rock. Classic Modern Rock. Brite Classics, Triple A, Active Rock, etc, etc,.

Thanks for the clarification.

both bands keep getting more and more boring.
if that's what you mean.

AAA is the weirdest because I think sometimes it considered "americana" but then groups like FL end up there.

Just saying using the phrase "AOR" is radio equivalent to calling someone a "groovy cat."

The new Calexico is kind of AOR.

It's exactly what I mean.