If the Flaming Lips are Oklahoma's Willy Wonka, then the
Starlight Mints are the Sooner State's wide-eyed Charlie Bucket. The band plugged away in relative obscurity until a golden-ticket tour with the Lips introduced its quirky chamber pop to a national audience. It's been a candy-factory adventure ever since, with 2006's
Drowaton throwing everything and the kitchen sink into the mix. The group's live shows are frequently accompanied by psychedelic visuals and piped-in sound effects, fueling a blissful racket strung together by the razor-sharp wordplay of songwriter Allan Vest. Toss in some baroque cello and Beck-style slacker raps, and you've got yourself a yummy goo that no indie-rock Oompah Loompa could resist.
