And The Middle Finger Goes Up To....

Yesterday good ole Britain put on Shockwave's NME awards, and oh how interesting it always is!
Here be your big winners:






Godlike Genius: The Cure
Best British Band: Oasis
Best International Band: The Killers
Best Solo Artist: Pete Doherty
Nest New Band: MGMT
Best Live Band: Muse
Best Album: Kings of Leon, Only By The Night
Best Track: MGMT, Time To Pretend
Best Live Event: Glastonbury 2008
Best Album Artwork: Muse, HAARP
Hero of the Yeat: Obama (go fig)
Villain of the Year: George W Bush (go fig)
Best Dressed: Alexa Chung
Worst Dressed: Amy Winehouse
Worst Album: The Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
Worst Band: The Jonas Brothers
Sexiest Male: Muse's Matt Bellamy (wait, what??)
Sexiest Female: Paramore's Hayley Williams








That's all for now, kids. I'll be back to discuss!

THE Tour Year

This is the year in which I tear up the tours! Yep. Traveling a lot in 2009.

May is going to be one of the busiest months, for sure. Sunday, May 5th I am heading to Poniac to rock with Franz Ferdinand. Monday is work, then Tuesday I head down to Columbus for some Killers lovin'. For a few weeks I will attack my finals (psh...s.i.m.p.l.e) before I head to Cleveland to make magical music love with Keane.
What?? It's only just about March???....lame.

Later this year I have plans to head to NYC, Tampa, FL, only to end it with Vegassss. While I'm there? Mucho music happenings.

I can't really explain how excited I am for this year. New music, amazing tours, and finsihing my B.A degree are all in store, and I'm mothereffing ecstaticccccc (who says that??...).

ANYWAY
Kings Of Leon to come out with new album 2010
Keane announces N.American Tour (dur)
Yeah Yeah Yeah's out with new Zero
Bruce Springsteen headlining Glastonbury





Tis allll for now.

Toodles

--------------------------
EDIT!



Starsailor Feat. Brandon Flowers Tell Me It's Not Over


Oh yeah.

Brit Awards 2009

The Brit Awards were Wednesday night, and I must say...why is the US slacking in the music department?? That's a whole nother post, I guess!

Anyway, here are your winners:

Duffy (biggest winner of the night!)- Best Album, Best British Female, Best British Breakthrough

Elbow- Best British Group

Iron Maiden- Best Live Group

Kanye West- Best International Male

Katy Perry- Best International Female

Kings Of Leon- Best International Group, Best International Album

Coldplay, nominated for 4 awards, went home with zipppppoooo, and my loves, The Killers, also went home empty handed. But I've learned to take award shows lightly. Whatev. Kings of Leon do rock my socks though.

And even though he didn't win anything, Brandon Flowers DID introduce the Outstanding Contribution to Music award to Pet Shop Boys where he later joined them for a medley along with good 'ol fashiontastic Lady GaGa:






After the awards, The Killers, Coldplay, Bono, and Gary Barlow got together to do a gig for War Child.
Epic. All. These. Things. That. I've. Done.
Freaking Bono...WTF, mate??? Otherwise, AMAZING!





Yes?

mmmk.

How alone can you FEEL, Franz??

Franz Ferdinand: Tonight
A Review

I have always seemed to have a "thing" for walking tempo songs. I actually realized this when I first heard "Take Me Out" by FF 6ish years ago. I am a sucker for the songs you can strut to, with the heavy/easy bass, and the forced snare and bass drum. Because of this reason, it's no surprise I have a "thing" for Franz Ferdinand. There is no mistaking their sound, meaning as soon as you hear the drum beat and the bass line, you know who you're dealing with. Alex's voice is just the icing on the cake.

This is no different with their new album, Tonight. More than half the songs, including No You Girls, Twilight Omens, Bite Hard, What She Came For, and Can't Stop Feeling have THAT sound; The Franz sound. If you are a fan of their first self titled album, you will fall in love with Tonight for theses reasons, and then some.

The flow of the album is simple and well put together...with the exception of the first track, Ulysses. In just about every song, Alex makes us feel his longing, his loss, and his undying love for someone who thinks nothing of the same...except Ulysses. They are bored, they want to get high (they found a new way). From then on it's dirty works on calculators, flirting with the girls, longing and dreaming of what once was, and reaching out to one Katherine.

Which brings me to one of my favorite pieces about the album. We hear "No You Girls", (you know, one of them walking tempo, dancetastic, clap with me types that I LOVE). it feels like the boys are out on a crazy, club filled night, out with women, watching them, wanting them, before they realize that boys really don't always care how a girl feels. We go through some dreams, and then at the end, we are RE introduced to a more clam, lovely "No You Girls". However, this time, Alex is alone. He is thinking and wishing for the ONE Katherine to some day understand his love for her...she just doesn't understand how the boy feels. Almost like a "Julia" by Lennon(though minus the mom thing).

It's a story, when put all together (except for...Ulysses). And a beautiful one. Though,I must admit my LOVE for the original version of Lucid Dreams (maybe with the ravetastic ending of the new one added on to it). Aside from that, it's fun, it's sad, it's sexy, and you will love it.

------------------------------------------------------------

Ulysses: Probably the most popular single from this album. It's the only one that doesn't seem to fit with the rest, so it's good that it's at the beginning. It's about finding a new way to be unbored...let's get hiiiigh. It's alright.

Turn It On: The beginning of their "love" story. He forgives, and forgives, and can't stop thinking of her...but it doesn't seem like she agrees. It's beat is simple, like the chorus. One of the more forgettable tracks, but still good.

No You Girls: This is the audience participation track. Clap it UP! Probably the sexiest song, and the most mind altering one. He goes on about how girls don't know how they make boys feel until he realizes that...well...boys don't care how girls feel. Walking. Tempo.

Send Him Away: One of my favorites lyrically. As far as the music goes, their European roots come out, which is something I wish America would embrace. Love it.

Twilight Omens: One of the least Franzlikeish songs. But that's not a bad thing! Change is good. Also one of my favorite lyrically. It also reminds me of good 80's stuff. The Talking Heads come to mind.

Bite Hard: My first favorite of the album (aside from Lucid Dreams orig.). You don't know what to expect in the beginning...then all the sudden walking tempo GALORE! (Honest). Fav.

What She Came For: Another audience love, I'm sure. "WHOA/LOOK OUT!" Hard beat, download it.

Live Alone: One of the stressed points in the album. He wants to live alone, and doesn't mind it. Put this with The Killers "Joy Ride" and we have a new wave of disco coming on.

Can't Stop Feeling: Another new kind of sound from Franz. And like the former, it's a good thing. Another dancy, sexy, smoky song. Mmmmmmohyeaaahhhh

Lucid Dreams:...umm...I miss the original. This one seems out of wack, but maybe I have a bias. I love the random ending. Full of synth and rave! Put THAT at the end of the original, and you have orgasmic music making.

Dream Again: They slow it down, finally. Well, it's the end of the album, so it fits. Lyrically, great. You can hear how much they have matured in 4 years (...let's not take that long again! We missed you...!)

Katherine Kiss Me: Reintroduced to No You girls, but it's much more intimate. It's the first time a girls name has been mentioned in this love story, which makes you really feel for him. Katherine, KISS HIM for God's sake!

I say 4/5 Staaarrrzzz

Download: No You Girls/Bite Hard/What She Came For/Can't Stop Feeling

Anticipation: Albums of 2009

To go along with this weeks pollllllllllllllll, here's the list of some shweet artists coming out with new albums this fantastical year of 2009:

U2
Franz Ferdinand
Green Day
Animal Collective
Anthony and the Johnsons
Tokio Hotel
Dave Matthews Band
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Kasabian
White Lies
The Enemy
The Strokes
The Arctic Monkeys
The Cribs
Maccabees
Depeche Mode
Florence
The Prodigy
Mono
Patick Wolf
No Doubt


Also, rumors about Weezer, Muse, Sex Pistols and posssssiiiibbbllly My Chemical Romance.

Me? What do I think??
Thanks for asking.

Franz, Muse, Weezer, Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs , No Doubt all the way!
Greenday...not so much. Over it.

You?

Ain't Supposed To Die On A Saturday Night...

Okay, so old news. But it's worth posting.

The '59 Sound -The Gaslight Anthem





So there's obviously much Bruce influence here (oh how well this transitions from my last entry...), but that's not a bad thing. Bruce with a newer twist.
And the more and more I hear this song, and the more and more I listen to this album...the more I want to rock out.

These guys have major potential. Mark my words here, people! Mark them. Right now.

They are coming to Detroit this Spring and, not gonna lie,...I think I'm going.

Brandon Flowers; Our Generations Bruce

So here is the link to an article discussing the need for our generation to recognize new bands, and giving Brandon the title of our "Boss".

http://www.dailyfreepress.com/remmert_the_boss%2C_the_bible_and_sam_s_town-1.1355751

I got this from The Victims site, which is The Killers official fan club, and I was surprised at the reaction by many of the Victims. A lot of them really disliked the comparison on Brandon to Bruce, but they were missing the writers point.

For one, no where in the article does the writer actually say that Brandon Flowers is equal to Bruce Springsteen. This whole article is about what my blog is trying to be about; the fact that new rock music is being missed out on, ignored. Our future "classics"...what are they going to be? If we play our cards right, and give notice and credit to our generations rock music, it WILL be songs by The Killers, Coldplay, Keane, Kings of Leon, Franz Ferdinand, etc...

But we are MISSING IT.

I think fans of The Killers still have the critics words about Sam's Town in mind when they read this article, which is not what he's doing. Critics compared Sam's Town to a Springsteen album, which I always hated, for sure. When You Were Young may have a Born To Run sound to it, but no other song on that album sounds Bruceish. Sam's Town is unlike any other album out there, and I agree with Flowers when he said it is one the the greats of the past 20 years (which he got slammed for. Well, he's right, so SHUT IT). For that to CONSTANTLY be compared to Springsteen was ridiculous. I think that critics were too busy reading other critics' reviews to really listen to Sam's Town, and see it's uniqueness and it's genius.

But this article isn't doing that. The writer asks, "Who's our generations Springsteen?", not "Who is equivalent to Springsteen?". He says Brandon wants to be one of the greats in rock and roll, and that The Killers aim to be one of the biggest bands, which is no secret to any music fan. How many times have you heard The Killers say that exact thing? All the writer is doing is lining up our generations musical greats, naming Brandon Flowers as one of them.

I think he's right. We will see Brandon Flowers (and hopefully The Killers!) for years and years to come. Brandon has such a passion for music that makes him unable to stop making great music, and I really don't see that happening any time soon. Brandon will make music until he dies, I'm pretty sure, and I only hope that's the truth. A lot of "pop" bands like Nickleback, and Buck Cherry are missing A LOT. They aren't going to be here for the Super Bowl 30 years from now, promise. They don't have what The Killers have when it comes to song writing. I always like The Beatles and The Who, etc. for a long long time, afraid that no bands of my generation could measure up to their greatness. Then I heard Hot Fuss and Sam's Town, and found a new radio station.

There ARE greats out there, we are just missing them. The writer is trying to make people acknowledge that, is all. He is NOT comparing Brandon Flowers to Bruce Springsteen. He is comparing what Brandon is about to what Bruce has always been about; a great love for making music, and being great about it, and one who is not afraid to go out there and push it on you.

It's a complement. And it's a shame that us fans had to hear the comparisons of The Killers to Bruce Springsteen when it came to Sam's Town that we missed the point of what this writer is trying to say.

So I say, he's right. Brandon Flowers is one of our generation's greats, and I can't wait to see what he has to say when my kids and I sit down and watch the Pre Game show for the Super Bowl 30 years from now.

Kiiiiiim and Jeesssieee

So I don't have much time before I get ready for good ol work! But I thought I would leave you with noteworthy amazingly amazing songs that you should download...if you don't have them...so go ahead, RIGHT NOW!



Stop -Against Me !
Daylight -Matt & Kim
Kim and Jessie -M83 (anyone who saw The Killers in concert recently knows this song. Yeah, okay)
The '59 Sound -The Gaslight Anthem



Well!! I said download!
What do ya think? You love it!? I knew you would.

Oh Oh Oooh Oh Oh OOHHH!

I think it's only right that I start the blog off with a Killers music video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj_cmZ7Ac3Y



It's their new video, "Spaceman", directed by . He's somewhat of a new comer in the video world, only having directed a few videos for other bands such as MGMT. He also premiered his student thesis film, "Death to the Tinman" at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007.

Thoughts?

When I first saw it, I was so excited that a new video was out. When it was over, I had mixed feelings. I thought the band could have been in it more...and that I really had no idea what the hell was going on. But after a few min., I realized that that's what MOST Killers videos are about. They don't make videos based on the song (except "Mr. Brightside") because they don't want to make the song something it's not. They want their listeners to make the song their own, and have it's meaning be whatever they choose....even if the song really does sound like the man's being abducted by aliens...anyway...

After seeing it again...and again even, I have pretty much fallen in love with it. It's incredibly RANDOM, and who doesn't love that!? The thought that went into each character, and ever movement was obviously well planned out, and only by genius. Who else would think of something like that? I have much respect for people with talents and memorable imaginations.
I also feel the loneliness that Brandon's character is going through throughout the video. I mean, who would want to go through all of THAT?? In the dark...with strange...backward things walking around...even if it is a party.

So, I say 3.5 out of 5 stars. I've seen better ("All These Things..." and "When You Were Young" are hard acts to follow), but there's something about that 2nd or 3rd screening that makes you want to dance in space...

When I Was Young

I think it's only appropriate to start a music blog by blogging about my own first music experiences. Yes? No? Okay.

I was one of those fortunate kids to have a parent with a great passion for music. My dad is always blarring different albums from his stereo, and that hasn't changed since I've been born. I grew up listening to all the classics, like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. He introduced to other greats like John Hiatt, Bob Dylan, The Talking Heads, and Steely Dan. When I was younger than 10, I knew the words Lennon and McCartney wrote together, and was dancing with my little sister to the stories Hiatt would swoon about. When I was about 5, Michael Jackson danced into my life, and I was HOOKED! I taped every music video, I had the glove and the hat, and I made my own microphone stand. Yeah that's right. Billy Jean had nothin on me. What happened to you...
I loved music since I can remember, and it's not stopping anytime soon.

By the time I was in elementary school, I was given my first portable CD played (how awesome were THOSE!). I never went one night without listening to the few CD's I had before I went to sleep(at this time I had a few Beatles and a Dave Matthews Band album), and popped a new one in before I headed out for school. In Middle School, my CD player was everywhere I was. My mom must have spent a fortune on batteries. My CD collection grew, and so did my knowlegde on all these amazing bands.

In Middle School, I knew everything you ever wanted to know about The Beatles. I read all the books (hell, I OWNED all the books), I read up on them on the internet (I loved days off!), and I knew the words to every song inside out. I gave facts away at school to people who could probably care less, but that didn't matter. My first Viynl was a Beatles '65 original, and it's hanging up in my room with the rest of them right now. I just couldn't get enough.

It seemed every year my dad had something new for me to listen to. It wasn't long before I was rockin to David Bowie, Janes Addiction, U2, and Peter Gabriel. I would come home from school, grab a notepad, a pen, and my CD player and write notes, stories, poems, drawing while listening to Gabriels SO. I felt like I was the only one of my age who didn't care for Britany, Christina, The Spice Girls on NSYNC (I must admit, I did have a thing for BSB. I saw them in concert with my neighbor and it was awesome, okay??). I loved my rock music, but didn't really know that rock bands of that time even existed. I was pretty much convinced by my mother that the only radio stations that existed were pop music one's. So I listened, and I would record songs on a tape from the radio when the good one's came on. But one day, on a trip home from Cedar Point with my fellow choir members (I was in choir and heavily into theatre when I was young. I miss it sometimes, still...) when I heard 89X, a Detriot alternative rock station. I had no idea who any of the bands were, and was amazed at the fact that rock bands existed today...!?! What?!? I programmed that in my mom's car.

And then, the iPod. I am a firm believe that the iPod has changed my life. My boyfriend had given me an iPod for graduation, and it never left me! That is, until it got stolen, but I would just get another...and then that one was stolen...and a new boyfriend got me another which I still own!
All of my albums on one little device! I could take it anywhere and it wouldn't skip! It was music everyday, almost all day for Chelsie. When I couldn't listen to that, I tried getting on the new alternative rock band wagon to figure out who all these people were.
It wasn't long before I owned Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse, Keane, and Coldplay. The my first Killers Album: Hot Fuss. My parents and I went to the mall, and I knew I wanted it, even though I thought Somebody Told Me was...weird...but something drew me in, and I had to have it. Oh My God, what a freaking delight. Everysong was played on repeate on the way home, and my dad even burned it for himself when we got home. It was Mr. B and On Top everyday for a very long time...my mom loved that.

I thought, FINALLY, a new band that is AMAZING! I was worried for a while, that most of these bands were just mediocre compared to the greats, but The Killers were an exception. Their music was different than everyone else's, and the lyrics were actually...created...not just thrown together. Gosh, I loved them...

As time grew, I got to know every band on 89X. Myspace came around, and though I had vowed FOREVER NOT to get one, I gave in. The best part about it was the music. I could browse new music I had never heard before, and it was amazing. Many of the bands I like today I found on Myspace.

I had never been much of a concert goer, mainly because not many of my friends were that into music (or at least the bands that were touring). I had seen 38 special when i was little, and a few local bands before (some of my friends were in bands, too, which I was always jealous of). My boyfriend and my best friends boyfriend made a band together, finally. Thet played a lot of classic rock, and practiced in my friends garage. They had a lot of gigs, and it was an amazing time! My boyfriend sang, and hers played guitar. They had a drummer, who was awesome, a young bass player, and an organ player. We had some really great times, for sure. Holly and I even took part....but I think our Canadian Boys Choir impressions weren't exactly what they were looking for for some reason...whatever.

But time passed. They broke up...WE broke up...and we found new loves. Sam's Town came out, and I listened to that non stop...well since today. The place I worked at let me conrtol the music and I ALWAYS had Sam's Town in the player. No one complained, and I got some people into serious Killer love. I had to see them.

May of 2007, 5 of us went to see The Killers at the Fox Theatre in Detriot. Though I had been first in line to buy tickets, our seats were seperated into 2 groups, and way in the balcony...but we didn't care. The venue is AMAZING, and perfect for Sam's Town. The concert started, and I was somewhere else....I was IN Sam's Town...for about 2 hours. I couldn't beleive Brandon was right there. Ronnie! Dave!Mark! The balcony shook, and I never sat down, and couldn't understand the people who were. I yelled every word, and forgot about life for a while. The experience was like nothing else. We were all there, together, for the same reason. We all had something great in common, and felt that same love together. Amazing.

Since then, I have seen The Killers one more time. This time, I had signed up for The Victims, the fan club for The Killers, months before their tour started. I got floor seats for their show at EMU in Ypsi, MI, and it was just my boyfriend and I. We got there amazingly early, and waited 3 hours in freezing cold temperatures, but it was worth it. No balcony for us, it was front row, barrier standing! I can not describe the DIFFERENCE that makes! I tooka lot of pictures, fell in love again, got lost in the music, and felt such a rush as never before. Ahhhhh I can't wait until May. I see them again.

So that's how it started. I'm sure I missed some milestones...but that's the jist. I can't thank my dad enough, really, for his influence. My collection grows more every month, and I'm here to share. I really beleive there's a new Rock Revolution going on right now, and it's sad that people in America are MISSING IT! So I'm doing my part in educating you people.

Rock out.





wow I wrote a lot...

In The Beginning...

So I've done it. I have a xanga, and even another blog...but here is the beginning of what could be border line obsession; the Rock Blog. I have been meaning to do this for a while now, but them good ol things like class and work seem to get in the way.
But not tonight!
Tonight I start my own Sweet Talk.
My mission? To rock the rock blogs, and your socks (and perhaps quiver your liver at the same time!).
I have a list started of music I love, but of course that's just a smaaaalll dose of my music loves. You'll hear a lot about The Killers, no doubt, but I'm in a pretty amazing Kings of Leon, Joy Division, and Muse groove right now too...so WATCH OUT!


...I be bloggin.