Most musicians grow up idolizing the generation that came before them and once in awhile they are lucky enough to play along side their influences. Brandon Flowers and the Killers, however, are not going to leave jamming with their idols it chance. Talking about ideas on how to follow up their Sam's Town record, Flowers reportedly stated he'd like to collaborate with Elton John.

Of course, if this came to pass, this wouldn't be the first time the Killers paired up with a legend. Lou Reed recently joined the band to record the tune "Tranquilizer." Reed says he liked the song right away upon hearing it and was pleased the way his voice meshed with Flowers'. The song appears on Sawdust, a compilation of B-sides, rarities and remixes that is set to hit stores in the U.S. on November 13th. Meanwhile, you can check out the video on YouTube.

Labels: Elton John, Lou Reed, The Killers

Taking time out from his constant vigil to save the world, Bob Geldof wants to turn people on to The Beatles one more time, marking the 40th anniversary of The Beatles' landmark Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by organizing an All-Star cast to re-record the album. The tracks will be recorded at London's Abbey Road studios by Grammy winning Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick using analog equipment common to the era in which the Beatles recorded. Oasis, Travis, The Killers, The Fratellis and Razorlight are already on board and Geldof will try to get a little help from his friends and persuade U2 contribute a track. Once completed, the new Sgt. Pepper's will debut on BBC 2 set for some time in June.

The editor of this humble site has no doubt that one of the Oasis boys is not only likely to demand to re-record the entire record themselves, but also claim their output is better than the original.

Labels: Beatles, Bob Geldof, Oasis, Razorlight, The Fratellis, The Killers, U2

By: David Schultz

Much like Oasis' Noel Gallagher, fun seems to occur whenever someone places a microphone in front of Brandon Flowers. As the ultra-charismatic front man of The Killers, Flowers easily draws the lion's share of the attention whenever the Las Vegas rockers play. When his band The Killers aren't around, Flowers can be counted out on for a brilliantly inflammatory sound byte. Keeping the chit-chat to a minimum Flowers and The Killers breezed through New York City for a two night stay at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. With a woody decor evocative of Sam's Town, their sophomore release, the Killers ultra-slick show emphasized the evolution of the band both artistically and musically.

In their earlier performances, Brandon Flowers used to wander the stage in a grandiose, near-detached manner. While it made for intriguing visuals, it didn't quite help him connect with the audience. At the Theater, a more animated Flowers kept jumping on the oversized monitors, but it seemed more theatrical preening than an attempt to get closer to the audience. When he wasn't stalking the stage, Flowers played some keys and even picked up a bass for an encore run through "For Reasons Unknown." Though not attracting as much attention as Flowers, guitarist Dave Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci, Jr. provided ample evidence that this a group effort, making it possible for their verbose singer to put his theatrics on such a grand stage.

Taking the best of '80s British synth-rock, The Killers' debut album, Hot Fuss, garnered tons of well-deserved notice and acclaim. In the two years since its release, the Hot Fuss material has blossomed into electrifying arena rock fodder. The songs on Sam's Town don't have the same glossy veneer as the Hot Fuss material; that's not a qualitative difference as much it is quantitative. Rather than follow up Pulp Fiction with Pulp Fiction II, Quentin Tarantino went down a different path, creating the more sedate, thoughtful Jackie Brown. The Killers have followed the same muse in creating Sam's Town, retaining enough of the sound that set them apart from their peers without rehashing their past creative triumph. The difference between the two projects became very clear during their stay in Manhattan. Essentially bracketing the show, between Sam's Town's "Enterlude" and "Exitlude," The Killers bounced back and forth between their two albums, including electrifying versions of "Somebody Told Me," "All These Things That I've Done" and their jealous, angst-ridden classic "Mr.Brightside." More a testament to the strength of Hot Fuss than to any failings of Sam's Town, The Killers should have presented their newer release without immediate comparison to their prior work.

Labels: The Killers

Apparently no one has told Brandon Flowers that Radiohead is one of the best bands in the world and have gotten to that pinnacle by doing things their own way. Flowers thinks they should deviate from their artistic desires and write more "pop" songs. He's reported as saying "He should feel grateful that he's been given the gift to write pop songs - which he needs to write again."

I sent that quote to a couple of friends who are devout Radiohead fans. Both reactions probably sum up the feelings of the Radiohead fans as a whole. When asked if he heard the quote, my buddy from Ireland, in typical Dublin frankness said "Yeah. What a dick." A friend from DC similarly nailed the absurdity of the quote: "I like Radiohead's earlier stuff more than their later stuff, but Radiohead the band needs to write whatever songs gets their creative juices flowing. Any attempt to write for other people will turn them into The Killers." Well said on both counts.

Flowers can only dream of doing anything remotely close to Radiohead's body of work.

Labels: Radiohead, The Killers

How goes the recording of The Killers new album? In their own words:

"Keep you chins up children. The chariots are charging. And in the church of the cherubim and the chatty, the chants that chime are kept in a case."

Alrighty then...

Labels: The Killers

The former manager of the Killers has filed a lawsuit saying the band dumped him and stopped paying him after he led them from the garage to the Grammys. Braden Merrick says he had a contract with the band that was to run until 2007.

You often hear about artists getting ripped off by record labels and managers, but if these allegations are true it will not be the first time a rising star has cut off a manager who was instrumental in their development and success.

Labels: The Killers