VMP Magazine

The Isley Brothers may forever be tied to 1959’s “Shout!”, their rambunctious, gospel-style hit that’s been steeping in pop culture for decades. From National Lampoon’s Animal House to The Wonder Years to an oldies station near you, “Shout!” is still shouting at us. If you don’t have a strong feeling about the song in the 21st century, you’ve got company — the Isleys themselves.

The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne is known as psychedelic rock’s mad scientist and merry prankster, releasing 24-hour songs encased in a human skull and traversing adoring crowds in a plastic bubble. It’s hard to imagine today, but before the confetti cannons and bunny suits, Coyne worked menial jobs in Oklahoma City — unloading trucks, installing office equipment, and frying fish and chips at a Long John Silver’s.

Peter Kember arrived in the 1980s as Sonic Boom, the co-founder of English space-rock pioneers Spacemen 3, who snarled about heroin, suicide, and the benefits of LSD. In 2020, he lives in a national park in Sintra, Portugal, and makes synthesizer music inspired by the growth and behavior of plants. His last album under his old stage name came out 30 years ago.