A lot of mystery has surrounded the release of the Killers‘ Ronnie Vannucci‘s solo project – what will it sound like, when will it be released, what does this mean for the Killers – but the answers are soon to be revealed.
Vannucci’s solo project Big Talk is due to release a self-titled album July 12 on Epitaph Records.The first single is “Getaways” and will be available May 10.
Though Vannucci has primarily served behind the drum kit for the Killers, he’s taking a step out into the spotlight by taking over vocal duties and other instruments. He already has a diverse musical history outside of the world famous rock band – playing with ska act Attaboy Skip and more recently performing on several tracks for indie rock group Mt. Desolation. Based on his impressive musical resume, this album is one to keep on your radar.
Vannucci’s friend and former bandmate Taylor Milne joined him in the studio and will play lead guitar for Big Talk’s live show. Dates have not been released yet, but Big Talk is expected to announce a summer tour with a full band.
With the recent release of their second EP Never Be Content, Innerpartysystem is starting to set some serious standards for themselves. With the new EP came a new sound, a little more mixed, a little more DJ then their previous releases, and they finally nailed down a unique sound of their own. Now they are hitting SXSW in Austin next week to spread their infectious dance music to even bigger crowds.
I’ve been keeping an eye on them since their first EP (The Download) back in 2007, after seeing them tour with Kill Hannah, and they just keep getting better and better. Ever since then, their live shows have become more expansive and more technical, developing into full dance parties during their most recent tour opening for Pendulum. They released a self-titled full length, in September 2008, that hinted at the new directions the band was taking, but they have exceeded expectations with both the new release and their live shows.
IPS has remixed everyone from Katy Perry to The Killers, 3OH!3 to Lady Hawke. Not only do they have live shows that are borderline sensory overload, but they also do live DJ sets, spinning everything from 80’s pop to 90’s rap, new Skrillex releases and some seriously filthy new trance tracks, with a little bit of their own style thrown in. Soon they will be challenging longstanding techno masters like Deadmau5 and Skrillex or even possibly hitting up the UK scene a la Gatecrasher.
The trio will be playing three days in Austin. That’s three chances to dance to some of the most innovative and groundbreaking dance music around right now. I plan on catching them at least twice. Catch them now and again either in their upcoming European or US tour dates and be amazed at the amount of new creative ingenuity they can work into their shows in a short amount of time. I promise- you’ll have danced, clapped, and been to one of the best parties you’ve ever been to, and you won’t regret it.
Though Brandon Flowers isn’t free from haters, one thing was obvious Saturday night – he is loved by more.
The audience at Liberty Hall in Lawrence was a diverse group. Hipsters, bros, children, seniors – they were all united for this one show. And while there plenty of crushing women there, there were plenty simply there just because they like music; and, if you can believe it, there were even more guys in attendance than women.
Travis frontman Fran Healy opened the show with an acoustic set of Travis songs and solo material. Before each tune, he told little anecdotes that ranged from his love of darts, his birthday party show the last time he was in Lawrence and turning vegetarian for Paul McCartney. The songs were pleasant, and easy to listen to with his lilting accent, but it were these stories that were most memorable.
Set List
Sing (Travis)
Sing Me to Sleep
Moonshine
Dear Diary (Travis)
As It Comes
Writing to Reach You
Buttercups
Brandon Flowers took to the stage and it seemed as though the amount of people in the venue had magically tripled. Looking around as he began the reflective, “On the Floor,” and seeing all the lips moving along, it was a great surprise to see that these people weren’t just there for the curiosity of seeing The Killers frontman. They actually knew the solo material! Another great surprise was seeing that joining Brandon’s backing band was KC local and former Ghosty guitarist Jake Blanton. Brandon even gave Blanton a special shout out later in the set right before an acoustic performance of the Killers’ “When You Were Young.”
Anyone at the show would be hard-pressed to criticize a moment of Flowers set. Sure it was just barely over an hour, but it contained essentially all the solo album material, a flawless cover of 80′s classic “Bette Davis Eyes” and two reworked Killers tunes. Flowers performed with a charismatic energy that carried him to jump on monitors, reach out to the crowd, perform quirky, but fun dance moves and perhaps the best part – a contagious smile. Vocally, he didn’t miss a beat — or a pitch. The solo material on recording has the alt country vibe that makes it fitting for a bar-type venue, but Flowers managed to carry these tunes to a higher level live. They were anthems. “Crossfire,” as a single could have been expected to be huge, but “Jilted Lovers” and “Playing with Fire” also exploded with their vocal intensity. “Was It Something I Said” and “Only the Young” turned the venue into a rocking dance party.
Flowers didn’t give quite as many anecdotes as his opener, but the few stories he did tell were interesting notes on the material. He explained the pilgrimage behind the beautiful “Magdalena” and his love of his home before “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” but the most fascinating story was about a song that almost didn’t happen: “The Clock Was Tickin.” This is a song about Flowers’ mother’s life. The song is a lively country song as it details how Jackie fell in love, raised all those kids, but then it slows down as the family has to say goodbye, before picking back up again. It’s kind of beautiful that he wrote a song that instead of mourning her death, celebrates her life. So why didn’t the studio want it to happen? Too country and too different they said. Which Flowers said was funny, because it is essentially the same tune as “Was It Something I Said?” Regardless of what the studio originally said or thought, everyone listening to that song that night would probably agree that they are glad that Flowers finished the song and shared it.
The night, of course, ended with the aforementioned “When You Were Young.” It was a perfect evening and for anyone who gets the chance, check out Brandon Flowers on tour. These songs only get better when you hear them live.
Set List:
On the Floor
Crossfire
Magdalena
Bette Davis Eyes
Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas
Was It Something I Said
Hard Enough
Losing Touch
Swallow It
Only the Young
Playing with Fire
///
Clock Was Tickin
When You Were Young (acoustic)
Mt. Desolation is set to release its self-titled debut album on October 19 on Cherry Tree Records and is going on tour later this month, playing some dates handily enough with Mumford and Sons. If you like what you hear in the video below for their song, “Departure,” catch them at a venue near you.
Tour Dates
Oct 18 – Palladium / Los Angeles*
Oct 20 – Warfield / San Francisco*
Oct 22 – Crystal Ballroom / Portland*
Oct 23 – Vogue Theatre / Vancouver*
Oct 24 – Moore Theatre / Seattle*
Oct 27 – Mercury Lounge / New York City
Oct 28 – Drake / Toronto
Oct 29 – Pike Room / Detroit
Oct 30 – Schubas / Chicago
*with Mumford and Sons
Bummed that the Killers‘ front man’s solo tour was skipping your town? Well, you just might be in luck. Three additional stops were just added to Brandon Flowers‘ fall tour.
The added dates are:
November 9 – Pomona, CA – Fox Theater
November 20 – Lawrence, KS – University of Kansas, Liberty Hall
November 27 – Atlantic City, NJ – Showboat Hotel&Casino (House of Blues)
Members of the Victims, the official fan club of the Killers, will have access to a pre-sale on Wednesday, Oct 6 at 10 a.m. (local venue time). General sale begins Saturday, October 9 at 10 a.m. (local venue time) on Ticketmaster.
If you’re a fan of Brandon, we highly recommend you check this tour out, but be warned that this music is a lot folk-ier than the Killers, though definitely still worth it.
When he gets back to touring with the Killers, you’ll likely never see him in venues this intimate again.
Full North American tour dates:
November 9 – Pomona, CA – Fox Theater
November 10 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
November 11 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
November 13 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
November 14 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
November 15 – Vancouver, Canada – Commodore Ballroom
November 17 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
November 18 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
November 20 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall
November 21 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
November 23 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theater
November 24 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
November 26 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
November 27 – Atlantic City, NJ – Showboat Hotel & Casino
November 28 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
November 29 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
December 2- New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
December 4 – Toronto, Canada – Sound Academy
Chicago is not a stranger to Brandon Flowers. Last time the Killers‘ front man was in town with his band in 2009, he headlined the city’s three-day music festival: Lollapalooza – a festival that draws well over 200,000 people. At that festival, he danced around the stage in an audacious feathered jacket with thousands of people reciting back every single word to his songs that span a three-disc catalog (four, if including the B-sides album). Pyrotechnics and a state-of-the-art light show enhanced his performance. And though he was the center of attention, people were just as familiar and excited to see his band mates: Dave, Ronnie and Mark.
This time around, things were a little bit different.
Brandon Flowers was in Chicago, but instead of performing for thousands upon thousands of people, he was performing for less than 900 at a small club called Park West. Instead of fire, confetti and light up palm trees, he settled on a modest set where the only decoration was a flamingo on the bass drum’s head. The lights were modest red, blue and orange tones. His outfit was toned down to a plaid shirt with suspenders. The songs were unfamiliar – the words almost foreign to the usually well-learned tongues of the fans. Then perhaps, the biggest adjustment: no where in sight were Dave, Ronnie and Mark. This was Brandon Flowers solo.
After waiting 45 minutes without an opener, his touring band (featuring some members of The Red Romance/Ex-Ambulance LTD, The Neighbors, and other musicians) took to their spots and began playing the slow tempo-ed “On the Floor.” Flowers slowly gantered out on the dark stage, singing the Johnny Cash-esque song. For early critics of the Killers that said he sounded too British, his southwestern accent is really apparent in these more open-sounding solo songs. He has a bit of a warble, or an almost alt-country tinge to the usual expectation of the glitzed up pop rock songs of his regular band, which is what many may have been expecting. From the already released single, “Crossfire,” it didn’t seem like his solo material would be too far a departure from the Killers. “Crossfire” is catchy, laden with guitar hooks and danceable. Actually, it’s very danceable, as the audience showed when Flowers followed “On the Floor” with it. It was fun to see a wave of confidence wash over him when it came time for this song. He flashed a half-smile as the audience began singing along and chuckled as fans cheered at some of the more forward-lines: “Watching your dress”and “lay your body down next to mine.” He finally took his hands out of the pockets of his suspendered-pants and started moving around the stage more. For a front man of one of the biggest rock bands in the world, the guy is surprisingly shy and confidence-lacking at times (hence why he is doing a “warm-up” tour), but this is just one of the more endearing features of Flowers.
He didn’t talk too much in between songs. At the beginning, he mumbled a “We’re performing new songs tonight. You won’t really be familiar with these. Well, I guess, some of you are familiar.” And he did wish a “Happy Birthday” to a girl with a sign. This just made the two times that he actually talked to the crowd all the more poignant. The first came right before “Magdalena.” He explained how he learned of a pilgrimage that takes place in Mexico every October. People go to ask for forgiveness for sins or blessings for their loved ones. They walk 60 miles along this sacred road to the town of Magdalena. Flowers spoke to one man about his journey and composed a song about his story. This is one of his best lyrical masterpieces. From the opening, “Please don’t tell me I can’t make it. It ain’t gonna do me any good,” to the more pleading lines, “Tell him that I made the journey. Tell him that my heart is true. I’d like his blessing of forgiveness before the angel’s send a crew,” to a beautiful line of slipping up and sinning again, “And if I should fall to temptation / when I return to the evil throes / from Nogales to Magdalena / as a two-timed beggar, I will go,” it is just a well-crafted story. “Oh-oh-ohs” also make it a fun singalong. As one of his best songs to date, it’s a pity that the religious elements will keep it from being a standout radio pick. Magdalena with intro:
Since “Crossfire” was so early in the set and the solo songs were mostly unfamiliar. Flowers and co. threw in a few surprise treats. The first was a stripped down cover of Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes.” This fit his style well and most importantly, it introduced his younger fans to a great, classic song that they might not otherwise had known about. After the moody rocker “Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts,” the Springsteenian “Something I Said,” and the rock alt-country doozy “Hard Enough,” (who’s album version features indie darling Jenny Lewis), Flowers gave fans another treat. A long intro with a steady drum beat and guitars tricked the audience thinking that this was another new song, but then Flowers sang, “Console me in my darkest hour.” It takes a strong song to go through a massive stylistic overhaul like what Flowers did here, but “Losing Touch,” off the Killers’ Day & Age was a sweet addition to the set. The brassy flairs and bombastic instrumentation was stripped to fit the style of the of the show, and while many will argue that the original recording is, of course, superior, this version was awesome in its own right. The ending was especially great with the backing vocalists going back and forth with Flowers like it was a conversation, “I’m losing touch!” he’d sing and they’d respond, “But you made your way back home!”
The recently released on iTunes “Swallow It” and “Playing with Fire” ended out the set. The plucky start to “Swallow It” and a quality of cheesiness to the lyrics make this one of his weaker songs in comparison to the rest, but it does grow into better piece as more layers are added. As for “Playing with Fire,” there really could not have been a better pick to end the set. Just as there is always one Killers song on each album that starts small before growing into a giant full out chorus that epically repeats at the most rocking part of the song, Flowers has that for his solo album. In spirit, it’s the “All These Things That I’ve Done” to the solo album (emphasis on spirit, this isn’t a comparison of musical sound type). Flowers really got into this one and climbed on an amp before hopping down at the end thanking the crowd and high-fiving a few hands with the front row on his way off stage.
After “Playing with Fire,” some started to leave. This was the 5th of these warm-up shows, and thus far, Flowers hadn’t been doing an encore. However, at some point during the set, Brandon told his second story (the first being that of Magdalena) and this story foreshadowed the evening’s final surprise. It was story of how the band had traveled from California to get to Chicago. It was a two-day drive, and during the trip, they camped. “We camped, told stories, and made experimental s’mores,” said Flowers. “But we also practiced and played around with some acoustic tunes, which may be to your benefit later.” At the time, it was a weird thing to say during the set, and must just chuckled at the phrase of “experimental s’mores,” quickly forgetting the bit about “to your benefit later.” Well, Flowers didn’t forget and he quickly re-appeared for an encore, accompanied by one other musician on acoustic guitar. He then debuted an acoustic version of the popular Killers’ song “When You Were Young.” It was like ending with a big campfire singalong – like he was transporting the audience back to his trip through the mountains from California to Chicago, gathering everyone around to sing and make “experimental s’mores.”
“When You Were Young” acoustic encore:
Really the only complaint that one could have is that this show was too brief, especially at the ticket price, but with two Killers’ songs and a cover, Flowers did his best to make it as full and great an experience as possible. Really, could anyone ask for a more intimate experience at a show? Here’s hoping that he takes some confidence from these warm-up shows and does a more complete tour once the debut solo album, Flamingo, drops Sept 14.
Set List:
On the Floor
Crossfire
Magdalena
Bette Davis Eyes (Kim Carnes cover)
Jilted Loves and Broken Hearts
Something I Said
Hard Enough
Losing Touch
Swallow It
Playing with Fire
–
When You Were Young (acoustic)
Prior to Thursday night, the last time I caught a show at Merriweather Post Pavilion was back in 1998. I don’t really like the place all that much; after you’ve seen great shows in smaller, intimate clubs where you can have a connection with the band that’s performing, the lack of intimacy in an outdoor amphitheatre like Merriweather is startling. The crowds also tend to be very different than those you encounter at club shows – Columbia is quite a drive from Washington or Baltimore, so you will mostly run into older patrons and their spouses drinking beer or parents with their underage kids in tow. Pulling into the parking area, my friends and I looked at the pretty empty field and were worried that there wouldn’t be a good turnout. Thunderstorms had moved through the area earlier, making the walk around the grounds a soggy adventure. I might not go to Merriweather to see most bands, but I will make the exception for Keane.
The pavilion is pretty empty when the first opening act, Fran Healy, begins his one-man acoustic set. Frontmen are all going solo these days – Brandon Flowers of the Killers, Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, and more recently, Paul Smith of Maximo Park. Healy is better known as the frontman for legendary Scottish alt-rock group Travis. He’s putting out his first solo album, Wreckorder, in October, so touring with Keane is a good way for Healy to preview tracks from his forthcoming release. He is very funny, at one point dedicating the 1999 Travis hit “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” to the unfortunate souls who have lawn seating, and at another point, saying that bugs were biting him and asking if Columbia had mosquitoes, saying, “back in Scotland, we call them ‘midges.‘” In his Scottish accent, it was adorable to say the least.
He also told the story about how he successfully invited Beatle bassist Paul McCartney to play on his solo song “As It Comes” and trying to come up with an appropriate way to thank the Cute Beatle, decided he and his family would go vegetarian in honor of him. (McCartney later mailed Healy three of his late wife’s vegetarian cookbooks in recognition of the gesture.) The older crowd is appreciative of the Travis numbers sprinkled in the set like “Why Does It…” and “Sing” as they are played alongside new songs like the set-ender, “Buttercup.”
The second opener was bespectacled indie pop/folk singer Ingrid Michaelson, backed by a full band. Most of the time Michaelson, dressed in a frilly, small black dress, sang while strumming a ukulele. I’m not really a fan of her music, but even I cannot escape the radio play of her songs “Maybe” and “The Way I Am.” She is obviously a talented singer/songwriter, so I think I would have been more impressed with her performance if she hadn’t played so many covers. Michaelson’s version of Radiohead‘s “Creep” – just her warbling voice and her playing ukulele – was odd to say the least. Perhaps the strangest moment of the night was her saying goodbye with her version of Britney Spears‘ “Toxic”, including a choreographed dance sequence that ended with Michaelson on the shoulders of her bandmates.
Ingrid Michaelson Set List
Soldier
Poker Face (Lady Gaga acoustic cover fragment)
Die Alone
Parachute
The Hat
Creep (Radiohead cover done as an acoustic solo)
Maybe
Locked Up
The Way I Am
The Chain
Toxic (Britney Spears cover)
Keane‘s incidental music before they came onstage was a winner, including Two Door Cinema Club, Everything Everything (the Manchester quartet who recently opened for them on their sold-out Forest Tour of the UK), and Florence and the Machine. It got me appropriately psyched up for what was a fabulously tight set of songs from the English trio. From their recently released EP Night Train, Keane rather smartly only played the best tracks from the r&b-leaning release, including “Clear Skies,” “Stop for a Minute,” and “Your Love.” The latter is now famous as the only song in Keane‘s pretty substantial back catalogue that pianist / principal songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley sings on, and it is a great showcase of Rice-Oxley’s voice. One can only hope that he will share more lead singing duties with Tom Chaplin in the future.
This is not to say Chaplin did not keep up his end of the bargain. As usual, Chaplin’s beautifully compelling voice soared on the Keane ballads we all know so well, including “Everybody’s Changing” and “Somewhere Only We Know,” while being inexhaustible for the more fun, up tempo numbers, like “You Haven’t Told Me Anything” and “Spiralling.” I am torn between Thursday night’s versions of “This is the Last Time” and “Perfect Symmetry” as to which gets my vote for best song of the show. Both are tear-inducing when you hear them live, just gorgeous pieces of piano-driven pop. Going to see Keane is an event. An event you don’t want to miss.
Keane Set List
House Lights (instrumental)
Again and Again
Bend and Break
Everybody’s Changing
Nothing in My Way
Clear Skies
This is the Last Time
Stop for a Minute
Try Again
You Haven’t Told Me Anything
Spiralling
Bad Dream
Is It Any Wonder?
Your Love
Perfect Symmetry
Somewhere Only We Know
Bedshaped
//
My Shadow
Crystal Ball
Tour Dates
Aug 07 – Mann Center / Philadelphia
Aug 10 – Riverside Theatre / Milwaukee
Aug 11 – 1st Ave. / Minneapolis
Aug 13 – Fox Theatre / Boulder
Aug 14 – Mile High Festival / Denver
If you haven’t heard the new Brandon Flowers single, “Crossfire,” it still very much so has a the Killers sound to it. With the talk of God and the slowed down tempo, it’s a lot closer to the Sam’s Town era for the band, just with tamer drums.
Flowers just released the music video for “Crossfire” and much like the title, he’s caught in the crossfire of all sorts of deadly situations: ninjas, torture situations, bombs. Eeks. Thank heavens Charlize Theron is there to save him. No wonder he repeats “lay your body down” over and over once he’s rescued. That’s Charlize Theron! We’d do her.
Oh, and Brandon Flowers is currently doing a promotion to reveal Flamingo‘s album art. Go to Facebook and click “Like” to help reveal it here.
With well-enunciated vocals, a wealth of pop hooks and synth heavy melody lines, it’s easy to fall in love with Neon Trees. With their newly released debut album, Habits, the band merges Hockey with The Killers in songs about sexual-longing. The Killers comparison might not be that great of a surprise considering they group first picked up buzz when the Vegas rockers took Neon Trees out on tour for a few dates.
Radio single, “Animal,” gives a good taste into the band’s character. Musically, they start with a hooky intro with big drums and a great cue for clapping along. When Tyler Glenn enters with the vocals, he spirals down the scale, while singing the lines, “Here we go again,” before singing about the routine anguish of falling for someone and being willing to accept any form of love you can get even if it will end in pain or be emotionally unrequited. And just as he says, with the “Here we go again,” this does become a theme on the album. For example, in “Love and Affection,” he sings, “I just don’t understand why my love isn’t good enough.” This album is called “Habits,” so a theme of bad love decisions is appropriate. “Animal” also has some of the best lyrical presentation on the album. At one point, Glenn sings, “You’re killing me now,” but when he gets to “now,” he breaks it into “n-owwww.” By doing this it is like he is saying the “owwww” like he really is in pain.
DrummerElaine Bradley is a real gem for this band. She seems to favor big drums like on opening number “1983,” but she also knows when to reel it in like on the more syncopated and jazzy brushes she uses on “In the Next Room.” One of the best parts of the album is on the last song, “Your Surrender,” when the bass and guitar drop out and its just her drumming against Glenn’s voice. And as if her drumming wasn’t enough of a great addition to the album, she also lends backing vocals.
“Our War” is the only number that seems to lose direction, as the development section is a bit boring compared to other songs on the album. However, the band makes up for this one dull number by following it with the brilliant “Sins of My Youth.” “Sins” changes up the intro pattern the band usually takes, and Glenn’s voice takes on more of a nasally quality like that of Nate Ruess‘ while he sings with piano and incorporates a fun stutter into the lyrics. As the tune builds up with guitar and drums, the band hits one of their catchiest choruses on the whole album. It also has a killer bass-line right before the “Would you love me still?” section of the tune making this song an all-around win.
These songs are just begging for singing along to, so if you’re ready to be hooked on a new group, check out Neon Trees. Neon Trees is also currently touring with 30 Seconds to Mars.
You can view the Tim Burton-inspired music video for “Animal” below:
Track Listing:
1. 1983
2. Animal
3. Girls and Boys in School
4. In the Next Room
5. Love and Affection
6. Our War
7. Sins of My Youth
8. Your Surrender
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Concert Calendar
Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO
Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS
In this golden age of supergroups (think 
