The Flaming Lips formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City and released several albums and EPs on indie label Restless Records in the 1980s and early 1990s. Known for their lush, multi-layered, psychedelic arrangements, spacey lyrics and bizarre song titles, the band soon developed an underground following.

The Flaming Lips scored a hit in 1993 with "She Don't Use Jelly" after signing to Warner Bros. Records. Throughout the 1990s the band released many albums on Warner until their real breakthrough came with the release of The Soft Bulletin in 1999.

In 2005 the band was the subject of a documentary called Fearless Freaks, featuring appearances by other artists and celebrities such as The White Stripes, Beck, Christina Ricci, Liz Phair and Juliette Lewis.

In 2006, after the release of their eleventh album, At War With The Mystics, the band toured throughout the UK including a finale at the Royal Albert Hall.

In the September 2006 issue of Spin magazine, the band was ranked #16 in the article "The 25 Greatest Live Bands Now."