― Bimble (bimble), Saturday, 24 July 2004 19:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 24 July 2004 19:38 (nineteen years ago) link
They even beat early Marion stuff in my book, though I'm glad I'm not the only one who spotted the connection.
― Bimble (bimble), Saturday, 24 July 2004 19:39 (nineteen years ago) link
Global nuwave poprock, local media habits, my mom, me, & u
Hovering around 20 in the UK album charts is a drab pop-punky nu-wave band from Las Vegas named the Killers. . Apparently I need to crawl out from beneath the rock I live under, bcz I know this only bcz my mom sent me (as in: an envelope with a stamp on it, how quaint) (also, I was hoping it was a check) a clipping from the Des Moines Register’s style section from early July about them.
I grew up with the guitar player, Dave, in a small Iowa town. I wasn’t friends with him, but I knew him. He was quiet, and big into Smashing Pumpkins. You’d never know it from his current band but he could TOTALLY SHRED, too, such a shame. I went off to college and the last I heard he was jobbing in a Christian grunge band out of Newton. And now there he is with Strokes hair, a sportcoat, and tennis bracelets. They grow up so fast!
The online article has of course been ecto-trapped in the Register’s pay vaults, which is too bad, cos besides the obligatory local-boy-make-good angle I’d like for you all to see the hint of the contempt that the Des Moines media holds for Pella, the town I’m from. It’s not wholly accurate to describe Pella as an insular, conservative, religious community of Dutch Protestants, cos Dave and I are from there and are not that, but it’s fair enough. Pella is tacky and touristy as well (Register "critic" Kyle Munson sagely noted “omg, so is Vegas, weird!”), known state-wide for riding a theme-park version of its 19th cent. Dutch immigrant history to the bank every year. So poor nascent rockstar Dave had to answer eye-rollers like whether he’s ever worn wooden shoes and what his favorite pastries are. Well DUH of course he did; in grade school marching in the Tulip Time parades is MANDATORY. And Dave diplomatically mentions something from both the town’s bakeries, same as everyone else would. Don’t you media people know anything? More to the point, do you think that by broadcasting your dislike for this odd, churchy, nasty little burg you’ll somehow make living in fucking Des Moines any better? Get over it! (cue you: “yes geoff get over it”)
Now, if any other publication on earth had thought to ask a musician on his/her preferences in wooden footwear or pastry it would be a sorta-funny dadaist jab (and megawierd coincidence in Dave’s case, since he’d actually have an answer). But for the Register it’s just pro-forma and sad. See, I could win a Pulitzer or go to jail for planting an unsolicited kiss on Barack Obama (both are in the works, mind), and the Register would be on the phone asking a “Pella boy” about the klompen and the pofertjes.
Anyway I listened to a few clips on the Killers’ website and they suck. Good luck Dave!
― g--ff (gcannon), Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― g--ff (gcannon), Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:04 (nineteen years ago) link
Marion being an influence on anybody hurts my brain. And I don't even mind Marion much.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:08 (nineteen years ago) link
now that's funny.
having always found morrissey and merritt highly overrated i am pleased to hear of their being implicated in this horrible, horrible alterna-fiasco. it's hard for me to believe some of the praise isn't people joking around. this is probably the worst shit i have ever heard in my life and i'm not kidding.the way he says "potential" or whatever in that video is full-on fucking hilarious.
― duke nevada, Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:23 (nineteen years ago) link
Oftentimes, I'm willing to forgive otherwise dreadful ticks in songs that make me tap my foot without thinking about it. Let go of your anger!
― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:25 (nineteen years ago) link
as another Dutch Protestant from the Southwest i'm afraid it simply will not be possible in this case. this is a transparent masquerade of a band, and though seeded in probably legitimate desperation, i will not personally be able get past the basic (and super-unsuccessful) ludicrousness of the approach. i bet i like tons of stuff it will otherwise get lumped in with, but that always happens. hey i also did happen to mention it's very, very funny... and meant it.
― duke desert, Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:38 (nineteen years ago) link
Yes, isn't that peculiar? I've got several examples of this sort of thing happening to myself, but can't explain why.
― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:41 (nineteen years ago) link
i have to write about these guys this weekend. they're okay. they get played a lot at work. they stike me as the manifestation of a cardinal music industry rule.
― jess, Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― duke cardinal, Saturday, 24 July 2004 21:52 (nineteen years ago) link
― jess, Saturday, 24 July 2004 22:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 24 July 2004 23:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 15:34 (nineteen years ago) link
the first the Killers NME front cover
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 15:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 15:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 16:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Softly Weeping at the Oki Dog (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 23:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 17 August 2004 23:52 (nineteen years ago) link
p.s. "somebody told me" reeks of suck.
― reo, Wednesday, 18 August 2004 06:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 21 August 2004 18:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― piers (piers), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 11:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 24 October 2004 20:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Sunday, 24 October 2004 21:16 (nineteen years ago) link
― sometimes i like to pretend i am very small and warm (ex machina), Sunday, 24 October 2004 21:55 (nineteen years ago) link
on the More In The Monitor blog they pointed out that the guys don't move around much live. Disappointing, as I was hoping they did more Duran-style sashay-age or something.
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 24 October 2004 23:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 24 October 2004 23:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― teeny (teeny), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 07:29 (nineteen years ago) link
Two years ago, I thought that KRMTX "Ice Hatchets" single was really good. I just put it on recently, though, and thought, "What's the point?" I realize that they have a "darker" aesthetic, but there's nothing musically present in KRMTX that sets them apart from, say, Franz Ferdinand. And Franz Ferdinand write better songs, play better, have a better sound, and have a singer that you can actually hear/understand. The thing is, I think, that some of youse think that the new crop of successful and popular nu wavers are dumbing something down. So, what, Franz Ferdinand are dumbing down the Chromatics? The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are dumbing down Glass Candy and the Shattered Theater? The Killers are dumbing down Gogogoairheart? Now, maybe youse guys aren't really into the Chromatics, Glass Candy and the Shattered Theater, and Gogogoairheart, but I'd guess that you don't feel so vehemently opposed to them as you do to the Killers and Frank Ferdinand.
My point is that THERE WAS NOTHING TO DUMB DOWN IN THAT MUSIC IN THE FIRST PLACE. There is no CONTENT in the music of those bands that is missing in bands like the Killers or Franz Ferdinand. In fact, a band like the Killers seem to be GOOFING on the lack of content in this genre with their ridiculous lyrics and the guy's ridiculous singing (which is what I was getting at with that "Believe Me, Natalie" thread).
Also: it's only "fucking Dawson's Creek music" because these bands have better production value.
PEACE-OUT!
T.
-- Tim Ellison (timejeanne...), January 10th, 2005.
― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 07:38 (nineteen years ago) link
xpost
― sundar subramanian (sundar), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 07:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― chaki in charge (chaki), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 10:00 (nineteen years ago) link
I simply can't believe that even indie critics would accept this sub teen movie crap as something good, and beyond good, as something cool!!!!!
Do people have any standards whatsoever?
― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 10:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 10:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― pete b. (pete b.), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― pete b. (pete b.), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:05 (nineteen years ago) link
― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― henry miller, Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:14 (nineteen years ago) link
Sounds good to me.
― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― henry miller, Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:20 (nineteen years ago) link
The problem with The Killers is that they take all that was annoying about Placebo and nothing that was good (ie, the first two albums).
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:34 (nineteen years ago) link
The Killers totally sound like early Placebo, when they were in NME rather than Kerrang.
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 11:36 (nineteen years ago) link
it really seems that having producers who can help them to really flesh out their arrangements has made a huge difference
― ufo, Sunday, 15 August 2021 00:22 (two years ago) link
this album is awesome, i love "cody" so much
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Monday, 16 August 2021 00:26 (two years ago) link
astonished that flowers' attempts to get into granular storytelling do not weigh this album down one bit (not that he's ditched the broad, bombastic thing, those eagles still have "glory-painted wings")
also think this is better than imploding the mirage :O
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Monday, 16 August 2021 00:31 (two years ago) link
I'm not ready to deliver a judgment, but there are moments like "Terrible Thing" where the Nebraska tropes -- the echo, perfectly arranged harmonica -- try to deepen narratives that don't exist except as Springsteeisms.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 August 2021 00:47 (two years ago) link
Every predictable image is so damn perfectly paced.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 August 2021 00:51 (two years ago) link
Holy shit, yeah, this is fantastic. Even better than I'd hoped and definitely even better than Mirage. So many great moments - really digging "Cody", "In the Car Outside" and "Runaway Horses" most on first blush, but it's all pretty great.
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 27 August 2021 21:03 (two years ago) link
the obvious springsteen songs i can easily lose as they do nothing more than springsteen did, the upbeat Triffids/Big Country stuff is great.
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Saturday, 28 August 2021 14:12 (two years ago) link
Triffids/Big Country stuff is great.
Which songs were these?!
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 28 August 2021 14:13 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWdeRkr6dLs
decent single
― ufo, Thursday, 4 August 2022 22:24 (one year ago) link
Enjoying this but boy, that's a blatant Erasure riff they drop in
― groovypanda, Saturday, 6 August 2022 17:22 (one year ago) link
gosh yeah.given the bronski beat riff that brandon used for his solo debut, and now this, i think it's clear that he/the band just need to go the whole hog and make an 80s synth album to get it out of their system.
― mark e, Saturday, 6 August 2022 17:47 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-JdPeMQoAU
seems like they are indeed making an 80s synth album. this one's a pretty good new order pastiche, just with heavy autotune for whatever reason
― ufo, Friday, 25 August 2023 03:45 (eight months ago) link
Do these guys do anything original?
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Friday, 25 August 2023 03:49 (eight months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH2P73cwZMk
lol they made a "born slippy .nuxx"
― ufo, Friday, 8 December 2023 07:28 (four months ago) link
Too bad they don´t do ipod ads anymore, this would have been a no-brainer for that
― /asarco (AcnalbasacNoom), Friday, 8 December 2023 14:54 (four months ago) link
Heard a Christmas song while I was shopping that sounded like someone parodying very early Springsteen, and was curious enough to look it up. Of course it turns out to be the Killers, "A Great Big Sled."
― Lily Dale, Friday, 15 December 2023 03:08 (four months ago) link