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 leadoff 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, and the Top 40 single "Human" helped the Killers continue their commercial streak. A lengthy tour carried the band into 2009, which also saw the release of the concert album Live from the Royal Albert Hall. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
Selected Discography
my favorite band ever. i have seen them live and they were absolutely fantastic. great lyrics and beat in every song. i can never get tired of them<3
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Started out hating The Killers...no w I can't get enough. The Killers r freakin amazing...:)
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Totally great band. Although, I believe that Hot Fuss and Sawdust are their best albums. On Sam's Town, they got too arena rockish, betraying their true new wave meets Velvet Underground pop meets Americana sound. And on Day & Age, they just completely fell apart and released a glaring pop album, without much of the guitar edge and humanist lyrics that punctuated Hot Fuss and Sawdust.
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Hey jackass awminn or whatever it is... one, definitely not a "chic" (by the way its supposed to be "chick" dumb f**k) band. two, definitely not a dime a dozen. the killers make awesome musci and they are one of my favorite bands and guess what... I have a penis.
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Obviously a chic band judging by the comments of "OMG" "I LOVE THIS" and "HES SO GORGEOUS." In other words, they're not that bad, and certainly it takes talent to get as far as they did, but really no better then a cheeseburger . Satisfying and tasty but a dime a dozen, and overly sold. Like all chic bands.
And anyone who listens to white stripes but hates on these guys is a tool, plain and simple. |
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lol @ losers who hate on other peoples music. just listen to what u like and live your life. what kind of idiot seeks out a band they don't like just to hate on it? Cracks me up.
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the killers are an awesome band i have seen them in concert numerous times i have all of their albums i think brandon flowers is absolutely gorgeous, his voice is unlike any other band and they have their own original sound which is their unique style i love this band
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The killers should not be on my strokes radio. Disgusting music. sorry
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this is what they should make people in prison listen to, oh wait, that would be cruel and unusual punishment.
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er... what? man listen to some bright eyes or bob dylan. THOSE are lyrics. these lyrics are mediocre at best. And really not that original either.
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they have the best lyrecs i've ever heard they are so original my favoret band ever
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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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HELP ME FIND OUT THE SCARIEST MOVIE EVER MADE..VISIT MY PAGE AND TELL ME WHAT MOVIE YOU THINK IS THE SCARIEST MOVIE YOU EVER SAW. THANKS
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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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