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For nearly a decade, Black Lips' shambolic NC-17 live shows-which have included bodily fluids and too much information about private parts -overshadowed the band's studio output. That's why the Atlanta-based garage punk-rock act's rather daring decision to enlist celebrity producer Mark Ronson for its new album, "Arabia Mountain," seemed risky, if not a waste of time. Best-known for his retro sheen, Ronson has proved himself both shameless and awesome in his homages to (and thievery from) Motown, Stax, Phil Spector and anyone who has a pulse. The nine tracks Ronson produced on "Arabia Mountain" (Deerhunter's Lockett Pundt helmed two; Black Lips produced five) show he's equally adept at plundering the garage, psych and punk treasure troves. There are nods to Os Mutantes ("Family Tree"), the Seeds ("Mad Dog"), the Ramones ("Raw Meat") and classic Rolling Stones ("Go Out and Get It," "Dumpster Dive"), but with production finesse that includes theremins, warm twangy guitars and horns. The propulsive "Modern Art" is the jam, and likely the only song ever to be written about being in a k-hole at the Dali museum.
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