Video Killers And Radio Stars

Now that the dust has been allowed to settle somewhat, what should we make of The Killers' latest attempt to rule the musical world? I always had them pegged as the Shed 7 it was cool to like. I think they themselves wouldn't have had loftier ambitions - perhaps they would claim Oasis but, frankly, who would be worse in your book post 1997? You wouldn't be allowed to make the comparison in a respected music publication but as this is the blogosphere, I guess anything goes. So here goes: The Killers are no more than the exact reincarnation of the modern day Boston Red Sox.

Example A) Out of nowhere, both land without warning in 2004 and sweep all before them. The Killers release Hot Fuss (of course, to no fuss whatsoever), sell millions and make everyone talk about having soul while not being a soldier and have no idea what it means or why they're shouting it from those rooftops. This was generally a good thing. The Red Sox meanwhile, after decades of near misses and agonizing defeats more akin to how Hollywood would have scripted it (actually, scrap that - even in La La land, no one could be that cruel) storm to the World Series in the feel good sporting story of that and indeed any year.

Example B) The following year, we hear very little from either. The Killers release singles from the same album as well as touring it. The Bo Sox are still living in the glory of October 2004 and pretty much no one gives a damn that they perish in the play off's.

Example C) The general consensus is that both need to deliver. Sam's Town is chock full of American references and everybody drones on about how it's the second coming of Springsteen, despite Bruce releasing material of his own. It is true to a certain extent: opening track Sam's Town overdoses ever so slightly...

"I took a bullet and I looked inside it
Running through my veins an American masquerade

I still remember grandma Dixie's wake
I've never really known anybody to die before
Red white and blue upon a birthday cake
My brother, he was born on the fourth of the July...and that's all"

But really, let's not forget that they are from Vegas and the amount of wishing you were from Manchester or York won't change that. But how does it compare to the Red Sox? Easy. Neither the 2006 version of The Killers or the Sox quite match the 2004 version...except in one area. Tracks 3, 4 and 5 on Sam's Town are easily the equal of Hot Fuss and the Red Sox's line up in exactly the same position (Ortiz, Ramirez and Varitek) were all around in '04 and were just as good, if not better this time around in an otherwise disappointing campaign.

So there you have it. Incisive analysis it might not be, Pulitzer Prize winning it won't be but it's precisely the kind of spurious nonsense the internet was invented for.