Directed by Barney Clay, this black and white, vaguely surrealist short film is as trippy as they come, with members of the YYYs playing distorted versions of themselves (The Scientist, the Phil) while attempting to “lose their minds in order to recover purity of truth.” The seven-minute video is a collage of monochromatic footage, with various bizarre scenes pasted together to form a fascinating whole. Check it out.

The issues surrounding the 18+ show are well-known and long-standing; in Minneapolis, efforts to limit underage binge drinking have prompted City Councilwoman Lisa Goodman to propose restrictions on 18+ events. If the motion passes, two options would be available for live events: all-ages, alcohol-free concerts, or 21+ shows with free-flowing alcohol. Quoted in Minneapolis’ City Pages, Goodman claims, “I just don’t know how I can in good faith look at these public-health people and tell them we don’t propagate youth access to alcohol when we allow 18-year-olds into bars where 21-year-olds can pass them alcohol. If I don’t do something to address this now, I’m going to face something far more onerous.”

Local venue owners have expressed concern about the ordinance, and a petition on Facebook lists performers that would likely forgo performing in Minneapolis should the proposal be put into effect, including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Girl Talk, and Phoenix. Booking manager James “Taco” Martin says that a ban on 18+ concerts would limit the amount of bands passing through the city, claiming that “A lot of bands require [the 18+ age restriction] because they can sell a lot of merch to people who aren’t buying drinks with the money in their pocket.”

A petition against the measure is circulating online; sign it here.

Coming to the aid of the Beastie Boys, who just announced that they are canceling their upcoming tour in order to provide Adam Yauch with enough time to recover from cancer, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have stepped in to fill the Beastie’s now-empty slot at Lollapalooza.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs like T-shirts and they want you to make one for them. A word from Ms. O herself:

Hey Folks, all us YYYs have been avid collectors of t-shirts over the years, what can we say, WE LIKEY A GOOD T-SHIRT. In our travels many of you have chucked a homemade YYY tee on the stage or what not and all the shirts have always been unique and poured over with loooooove. So it got us thinking: how about giving you the fans a crack at coming up with a fresh new blitzin’ YYY T-shirt design! It’s a natural fact that YYYs have amongst YOU a whole heap of ART STARS! So school’s out for the summer and we want you to spend a hot lazy afternoon throwing something together for us YYYs to REPRESENT! And I got a hunch you’re gonna bring it! And if you do we’ll bring back a little something in return…!! Luv, YYYs

Official contest details can be viewed here. The winner gets signed stuff from the band, and their shirt printed and sold on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ upcoming tour. Dig out your Beadazzle machine from middle school and get crackin’! In other YYYs news, the band will be releasing the Heads Will Roll remix EP on July 14th, and there’s a sweet werewolf on the cover.

The Flaming Lips are releasing their 12th studio monstrosity later this year and according to a SPIN report, Embryonic features some extra-special guests: MGMT and Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Frontnut Coyne sent some sounds and ideas via e-mail and telephone and in what we’re sure was a flash of glittered genius, something gnarly was born. That something will be sandwiched somewhere amid the many layers of psychedelia Embryonic—a double album which Coyne claims is similar to the Lips’ masterstroke the Soft Bulletin—promises.

—Meryl Natow