Brandon Flowers...

[bearman🐻]

Is a douche.

http://www.nme.com/news/the-killers/44359

Not that I don't think that someone can be as big as Nirvana or Zep, but it just AIN'T gonna be his band.

[sweetcell]

yes, brandon is a douch but i do see his point:

"But over here [in America], people are still so obsessed with Led Zeppelin and Nirvana, those sorts of bands, that nobody else is allowed [to grow]."

He added: "It?s not just us; there are a lot of great bands that have been held down or confined by the influence of these people that we?ve put up on pedestals. I?m tired of it, you know? I just want to knock them all off! And people don?t like that attitude. It?s almost like they don?t believe that it?s possible that anybody else can be the real deal.

the eagles sell out stadiums with $300 floor tickets.  the most popular radio format these days is classic rock (other than urban/top 40, i suppose).  there are more reunion tours than new bands on tour.  the public doesn't want new and great, we want old and comfortable (omg, it is just me or am i sounding a bit like dupek?!? )

if the killers has kept up the momentum they built on Hot Fuss, they might have been The Next Big Thing.  but between mediocre follow-ups and general douchiness... 

he definitely is getting flak for publicly saying what a lot of people are thinking.  but at this point there isn't anything that can come out of the mouth of brandon that won't sound egomaniacal.

[kosmo vinyl]

If Brandon had any balls he'd be going after similar lame artists who are his contemporary along the lines of Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco(!), Kanye West, Nickleback, Three Days Grace, etc, barf bag, etc... These are ones "keeping" him down in terms of "popularity"   I really don't see who legacy artists who aren't touring or only re-releasing material make much impact on his bands popularity. 

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

His band's popularity is "kept down" by the two bat-shit terrible follow-ups they put up after their one great LP. I cannot possibly take the guy-who-wrote-"are we human, or are we dancer"'s complaints seriously.

[sonickteam2]

I cannot possibly take the guy-who-wrote-"are we human, or are we dancer"'s complaints seriously.

  i completely agree. 

   But it is astonishing that when thinking of bands that will be remembered forever, Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, even U2, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Pumpkins.....what band that has come out in the last even 10 years will ever gain that status? 
 
   Is it really cause of shitty music, or has the internet really killed the chance for one band to gain so much market share. or maybe rock n roll really is dead!

   but the Killers do suck it hard.

[distance]

   but the Killers do suck it hard.

i think this is what's really keeping his band down.

[Sage 703]

I cannot possibly take the guy-who-wrote-"are we human, or are we dancer"'s complaints seriously.

But it is astonishing that when thinking of bands that will be remembered forever, Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, even U2, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Pumpkins.....what band that has come out in the last even 10 years will ever gain that status?
 

Bands that already have a shot at it:

Coldplay | Kings of Leon | The Killers | The White Stripes

Bands that may yet have a shot at it:

My Morning Jacket | The Arcade Fire | LCD Soundsystem | Death Cab for Cutie | Muse

I also think Silversun Pickups, The Raconteurs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and some others have potential to go down that road, but it is too early to tell.

All of them are bands with great live shows and big followings that don't show any sign of letting up at the present.  I'm not necessarily saying they're as good or as relevant or what have you - but they're on the rise, and have big catalogs (excepting LCD and Arcade Fire) that would seem to indicate that they have some staying power and ability to keep churning out good (or, marketable) material.

And, like it or not, there are plenty of budding stars in non-rock realms that are going to be stars as big as the folks you mentioned (see: Taylor Swift, et al)

UPDATE: Oh, and Daft Punk's last tour ensured they'll be remembered forever as having one of the best live shows of all time.

[kosmo vinyl]

I cannot possibly take the guy-who-wrote-"are we human, or are we dancer"'s complaints seriously.

  i completely agree. 

   But it is astonishing that when thinking of bands that will be remembered forever, Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, even U2, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Pumpkins.....what band that has come out in the last even 10 years will ever gain that status? 
 
   Is it really cause of shitty music, or has the internet really killed the chance for one band to gain so much market share. or maybe rock n roll really is dead!

   but the Killers do suck it hard.

Most of the bands mentioned didn't have instant success, they all had some  tours and couple albums into their careers before they became big.  Pearl Jam had a success debut, but there was the Green River connection and they worked that album with extensive touring.

These days the Internet, American Idol, TV Show soundtracks all allow mediocrity to rise to the top very quickly.   Major labels don't care about developing artists anymore, they much prefer to only go for instant blockbuster success.  Mid level "indie" bands have realized it's more economical to remain well known verses famous as they are able to make a decent living on their own terms verses being crushed by a major label most likely not interest in their success after all.

[walkonby]

don't you think wearing guyliner ruined it?

[bearman🐻]

I think Flowers' comment about Nirvana taking the fun out of music goes to show how little he understands the business. I like some metal but really now, it had gotten so overdone and Nirvana truly was the breath of fresh air, but of course they sold like mad and then after that record labels just saw $$$$$$, so that was it. I don't disagree that rock'n'roll as a genre is pretty much mutating into something so watered down that the days of bands like the Who or even the Clash are kinda done. And I see Flowers' point about how it would be nice to see someone take over, but his band blew it, lost momentum here in the States, and I cannot fathom that they'll ever seriously be in the running.  I'm not saying music today sucks, it's just VERY different. But really now...we are kind of not the norm when it comes to music fans. Some of us still will buy every single LP put out by our favorite bands, or fill in our collections with Australian-only releases because of the 3 bonus live tracks that we can't get anywhere else. Or the double-CD third reissue of "OK Computer" because there's a hidden track of Thom Yorke burping out "Fake Plastic Trees" in a porta-potty at Glastonbury 96 or whatever. Music geeks like most of us boardies are still buying records, and those numbers are dropping off. The Killers (or anyone else for that matter) has to put out THE album that people who only buy 2 CDs a year will buy. Only then will you be the next Nirvana or Shania Twat.

[sweetcell]

Bands that already have a shot at it:

Coldplay | Kings of Leon | The Killers | The White Stripes

good list.  killers are at the bottom of it, tho, and KoL aren't a lot higher.  and to get really nit-picky, muse's first album came out over 10 years ago (although most folks only heard of them in the last 10...)

Bands that may yet have a shot at it:

My Morning Jacket | The Arcade Fire | LCD Soundsystem | Death Cab for Cutie | Muse

I also think Silversun Pickups, The Raconteurs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and some others have potential to go down that road, but it is too early to tell.

another excellent list.  don't think the raconteurs will make it - had the potential but didn't take it far enough.  maybe the dead weather will pick up where they left off.  QOTSA are just over the 10-year cut-off we've given ourselves.  LCD soundsystem need to do something big to stay in the running.

And, like it or not, there are plenty of budding stars in non-rock realms that are going to be stars as big as the folks you mentioned (see: Taylor Swift, et al)

 
and i'm thinking of hip hop/urban stars. 

UPDATE: Oh, and Daft Punk's last tour ensured they'll be remembered forever as having one of the best live shows of all time.

this bears repeating.

[kosmo vinyl]

My guess is that Brandon's swipe at Nirvana has more to do with the fact that  the anniversary of Curt's death recently occurred and he probably hear or read a story about it prior to sitting down to the interview.  And he's probably annoyed with the fact that kidz buy more Led Zep than Killers T-shirts at Hot Topic.

[kosmo vinyl]

Well in the second division legacy league I see...

The Decemberists / Belle & Sebastian / Phoenix / Elliot Smith

You can also add R.E.M. and possibly the Stone Roses

[sonickteam2]

Bands that already have a shot at it:

Coldplay | Kings of Leon | The Killers | The White Stripes

Bands that may yet have a shot at it:

My Morning Jacket | The Arcade Fire | LCD Soundsystem | Death Cab for Cutie | Muse

  i agree with Coldplay and had thought that already, but i like to pretend they dont exist. The White Stripes are the best band on that list, but somehow, i think Jack will get bored and just stop too soon, and go on to something else (has he already?)
 
  Death Cab and MMJ are good ones too, i guess. but i just can't see anyone uttering "Stones, Beatles, Death Cab"

   and LCD Soundsystem.....i dont know where you pulled that one.  completely random. 

[Sage 703]

Bands that already have a shot at it:

Coldplay | Kings of Leon | The Killers | The White Stripes

Bands that may yet have a shot at it:

My Morning Jacket | The Arcade Fire | LCD Soundsystem | Death Cab for Cutie | Muse

Death Cab and MMJ are good ones too, i guess. but i just can't see anyone uttering "Stones, Beatles, Death Cab"

That's just because you're not 16

and LCD Soundsystem.....i dont know where you pulled that one.  completely random. 

Selling out clubs, playing big festival appearances, and largely holding it down in a big way in a live setting - no matter how big the audience.  They also have two hugely acclaimed records - very similar to the Arcade Fire in this respect.