What's he on about now?

In case the articles, essays and opinions throughtout this site just weren't enough for you, here's my online diary (a.k.a. 'blog'). It's as close as you'll come to the inside of my head, so don't say I didn't warn you
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   Wednesday, February 28, 2007

   NIPPING AT THEIR HEELS

I can't say I'm a fan of the Killers but they've got potential, and it's been interesting watching this young band either
a) experiment with a wide range of sounds in order to develop their own, or
b) rip off the sounds of many other bands in order to develop their own.

Depends on how charitable you're feeling, I suppose.

Their first album Hot Fuss was a stew of 80s new wave pop influences with a hint of 70s glam-rock gender-bending. Quite fun, mostly pointless. Now, lead singer Brandon Flowers (his real name!) freely admits that he listened to a lot of Bruce Springsteen while writing their latest album Sam's Town, which leans towards the classic rock. Damned however if the new single "Read My Mind" doesn't sound a whole lot like pre-Achtung U2. When the video hits its Big Pop Chorus, it seems Tokyo is where the streets have no name:



But I give the lads some credit -- their songs are catchy, they're stealing from all the right people, and they asked the Pet Shop Boys to remix the new song (Flowers is a big fan) which I find very peculiar and somehow endearing. So maybe third time's the charm. I'll give 'em another chance. After all, Fountains of Wayne have been ripping off Cheap Trick and the Cars for years and I'm still fond of them:

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, music, Pet Shop Boys, the 70s, the 80s