I just heard a bonus song on their 12" called "Indie Rock & Roll" where the lead singer repeats "Indie Rock & Roll is for me" about 20,000 times. Any musician that has to advertise their indiedom in a song should be .

nobody seems to disagree so far...

Also, I decided to never listen to an independent artist again because of that song.

I haven't heard this.

Have you actually heard their album though Spence? Really catchy stuff. Really good. Mostly the first half of it.

Reminds me a lot of some of the better new wave bands of the 80's.

I was avoiding this whole re-trend what with Interpol and Franz, but Franz grew on me and then I heard The Killers.

I've heard the record a couple times. Unfortunately, the lyrics are cheesy and the guy's voice makes me want to sharpen a pencil and shove it in my ear.

Goodness. Glad you got that out of your system.

I don't think they suck.
I don't mind them using the word "indie"
Maybe it will open up people's eyes to investigate what indie music is and they will stumble on even better stuff.

I remember people using this arguement about Kid A and I'm not so sure it worked a whole lot back then either.

Then again I've never listened to the Killers, so I'm only posting here to boost my count.

are they the "come on come on" band from the truck ads?

No, that's The Von Bondies who are equally annoying.

No, that's the Von Bondies (the guy Jack White beat the shit out of).

They are so annoying. I just wanna punch that guy in the face.

edit: dammit haq. my post was supposed to go next.

they played that song at coachella and it blooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwed

They're my guilty pleasure. So sue me!

I like 'em. The song "All these things that I've done" is fucking tops. The record is pretty good, I just hate the fucking "somebody told me song"

the first 5 songs are pretty good, after that there's a bit of a dropoff until the last song. i guess indie rock and roll is only on the UK version. it sounds decent but i have the same problem with the chorus that lockness has...

also, i don't really understand why Franz Ferdinand made #2 on my shmoo poll but The Killers aren't on there at all. maybe because they're from europe it sounds more authentic.

There's nothing indie about the Killers. They've NEVER put out a single release on an independent record label.

I wouldn't be suprised if they were put together like the Backstreet Boys.

A buddy of mine says that "Indie Rock n Roll" is one of the best songs of the year.

I shot him in the leg.

I like their disc. I haven't heard that song.

Well, I know their story pretty well. . .and you are mostly correct.

Their manager, Braden Merrick, is an acquaintence of mine. He was a regional A&R rep for Warner Bros., based in San Francisco when he found The Killers in Las Vegas. They were a "complete" band at that time, but, didn't have much traction (I can't imagine Vegas is very "indie friendly" when it comes to unsigned bands).

Braden introduced the band to Jeff Saltzman (producer and former manager for Green Day) who did some demos for them for Braden to shop to record labels (I think "Jenny" was the first single they finished).

Warner Bros. passed, so, Braden looked elsewhere. He found a home with Martin Heath at Lizard King Records in the UK, who put out some singles and an EP (which is the way I'm told "it is done" in the UK) to get some momentum for the band and built that UK buzz to a frothy frenzy at last year's CMJ festival (2003) in NYC.

Braden apparently had EVERYONE in the A&R community chasing the band by the time CMJ rolled around, but, had secretly inked a stateside deal that was not to be disclosed until after CMJ. I know at least one friend who is A&R at American Records who remains relatively pissed at Braden for the way he played the A&R community. Because all of the A&R weasels were at their show at CMJ, it pretty much assured that there would be lots of press and other "sheep" trying to squeeze in and see "the next big thing" (overall, Braden thought it brilliant to fill the room with "industry").

Jeff Saltzman is a good producer and from a strategic standpoint, Braden is a smart manager. As for the band, they wrote some catchy poprock songs with some 80s flair (which, after The Strokes and their 70s influence that has increasingly influenced the mainstream over the past few years, seems only natural, right?) that Saltzman did a nice job producing to get them a deal.

On the "live show" front, I think they are rather pitiful - and definitely not "indie" in any respect. They made the record looking for major label money - and they got it. And hell, they are from Las Vegas ~ I tend to think it is simply impossible to find something other than "glam" that comes from that city. . .

Infantile drivel. The music scene these days has become such a cultural backwater that people are actually sinking this low. Shite. Here today, forgotten tomorrow. What is going on?

Oh, sorry shiv. Thanks. My comprehension (and ability to read entire posts) was not so good last night.

well aren't we little mary sunshine!!

I think they have some decent songs and that's about it. I just really like a lot of that album.

I mean yeah, as I do with a lot of music, I'll probably not like it a year from now.

But that's just the way it is.