The Killers
Biography
Few bands in the mid-2000s rose so quickly to the forefront of pop music as Las Vegas quartet the Killers. With a mix of '80s-styled synth pop and fashionista charm, the band's street-smart debut, Hot Fuss, became one of 2004's biggest releases, spawning four singles and catapulting the group -- particularly their dandyish, 22-year-old frontman, Brandon Flowers -- into the international spotlight. Hot Fuss reveled in the garish glitz of the band's native Las Vegas, spinning tales of androgynous girlfriends and illicit affairs to a public whose taste for revivalist dance-rock would prove to be virtually insatiable. Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, and the Bravery all benefited from such retro-minded interest, but the Killers unapologetically trumped them all -- even when their sophomore effort, Sam's Town, deemphasized the group's new wave sensibilities in favor of something more akin to the heartland rock of Bruce Springsteen and Rattle and Hum-era U2.
Brandon Flowers (vocals/keyboards), David Keuning (guitar), Mark Stoermer (bass), and Ronnie Vannucci (drums) first came together in 2002, two years before the stylish Hot Fuss introduced their band to the public. Flowers had been sacked by his former synth pop band, Blush Response, after refusing to move to Los Angeles alongside his bandmates. Instead, he remained in Las Vegas, where he soon met local guitarist and Oasis fanatic Keuning. The two began collaborating on material; within weeks, they had composed their soon-to-be radio hit "Mr. Brightside." Stoermer, a former medical courier, and Vannucci, a classical percussion major at UNLV, soon joined the fray, and the band began playing small clubs in their hometown. A U.K. representative for Warner Bros caught wind of the Killers' brewing hype, and although he neglected to bring them aboard the Warner roster, he did pass along their demo to the London-based indie imprint Lizard King. The British label quickly signed the Killers, who temporarily moved to the U.K. and issued a limited-edition single for "Mr. Brightside." The Killers' buzz had effectively traveled back across the Atlantic by fall 2003, and the band was offered a prime spot at the annual CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. A worldwide deal with Island followed shortly thereafter, positioning the Killers to join the ranks of Interpol, the Rapture, and the Strokes.
Shared U.K. dates with British Sea Power and stellastarr* in summer 2004 gave the Killers the opportunity to showcase material from their debut album, Hot Fuss, which arrived in June. "Somebody Told Me," "Mr. Brightside," "Smile Like You Mean It," and "All These Things That I've Done" all became worldwide chart hits, and Hot Fuss peaked at number seven on the Billboard Top 200. Buoyed by such success, Flowers became a sought-after media presence, often lashing out at such groups as the Bravery for riding his band's coattails into the mainstream. The frontman's confidence was not unwarranted; by 2006, Hot Fuss had earned five Grammy nominations and sold over five million copies. Rather than take a break to recover from their relentless tour regime, the Killers immediately set to work on their sophomore effort. A newly built facility at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas became the band's studio, and legendary producers Flood and Alan Moulder (who had previously worked together with U2 and the Smashing Pumpkins) were chosen to helm the controls. Instead of mining the glamour and glitz of their hometown (as they did to successful extent on Hot Fuss), the group instead focused on nostalgia and the demise of old-fashioned American values, citing veteran songsmith Bruce Springsteen as a chief influence.
The popularity generated by lead-off single "When You Were Young" led up to the highly anticipated release of Sam's Town in early October 2006. While the album did not match the commercial popularity of the band's debut, it nevertheless sold 700,000 copies worldwide during its first week, eventually spawning three U.S. singles and gaining the Killers two additional Grammy nominations. Sawdust, a collection of B-sides, rarities, and remixes, followed one year later, serving as a stopgap recording between the band's proper studio efforts. The Killers then returned in 2008 with Day & Age, which eschewed the Americana tangents of Sam's Town in favor of pop pastiches and sleek, oddball dance-rock. The band's return to the dancefloor was emboldened by Stuart Price, a veteran producer who had previously worked with Madonna and Gwen Stefani. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
Selected Discography
Not really a huge fan of The Killers, but I really like that Backburner song. "I got soul, but I'm not a Soldier"
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to make yourself feel better about the people posting 'hate' comments about The Killers, simply check out their radio stations.
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they should be stoned to death, this music has no value... i wouldnt take the s**t for free
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my first concert was the killers. i as 8 yearz old!!! im 13 now though
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amazing artists. luv em. i like the strokes, modest mouse, and franz ferdinand to. really cool people
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one of my fav songs is mr. brightside and on other, but otherwise most of their songs suck
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:))))))))))) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) i l y killers
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the killers are a bunch of cocksmokers, they should all get together and make a scat video, because they are s**t lol hahahahahaha h a h a h a h a h a h a but really they suck listen to some real music f**kers
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People are probably just posting hate comments to get a kick out of seeing all the Killers fans all pissed off. So just don't waste your time arguing.
I, on the other hand, really like The Killers. :) |
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right, I get that this is only your opinion, but most of the people who read this are probably killers fans.
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truly horrible music, i'd rather be a fan of country music, or f*g pop or whatever terribly contrived other pop bullshit than this, thankfully i'm not a fan of any of it.
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I can never get tired of The Killers; they have a song for every mood that I have(: Sawdust owns over all the albums that they released, then Hot Fuss.
Top ten songs( in my opinion & in no particular order) 1. Under The Gun 2. Believe Me Natalie 3. Shadowplay 4. A Crippling Blow 5. Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll 6. All the Pretty Faces 7. When You Were Young 8. Daddy's Eyes 9. Joy Ride 10. Leave the Bourbon on The Shelf one of my favorite bands, even though they're quasi-mainst r e a m ( : |
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yeah, theyve got like 3 good songs... and i hate all those Mr. Brightside remixes! it's a good song, but remixes are ussually gay as f**k! and in this case, that definitely applies... ya know what band pisses me off? Kings of Leon.
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i love "Mr.Brightsi d e " and "Somebody Told Me". those songs rock!
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I'm getting kinda tired of the Killers. Day and Age just didn't do it for me.
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How many suck-ace remixes are there of this friggin song. 30 minutes of the same thing over and over=lame.
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His voice grows on you. Didn't really like them that much at first, but my friend got me hooked by means of SPORK. ;P
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Amazing band, although I didn't like Sawdust. But overall, possibly one of the greatest bands i have ever heard. Hot Fuss, Sam's Town, and Day & Age are just simply amazing.
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you know what i love about them? you know how in bands like Coldplay they're so passionate and emotional in their songs, but with the Killers you can picture them being like, "okay, fine, i'll record this song if you really need me to, but you won't get me into it."
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you really have nothing to do other than talk s**t on a specific group? go listen to the stuff you like and give your artist props.
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