A special look at The Killers

A few years ago I recall there was a definite date that The Killers were scheduled to hold a concert here. And yet for some reason, it never took place. However, that was then. And this is now—when the concert scene here in the Philippines has never been more alive than ever! In fact, it has been red-hot for the last few years already and because of that I believed it was inevitable that The Killers would finally find their way here to be able to perform for their fans.

The Killers is the latest band of greater importance and current relevance scheduled to perform here in the Philippines. But before we talk about their upcoming concert on the 26th of September, I, as a music aficionado, have some things I would like to share about this band from my own point of view since The Killers has been one of my favorite bands since 2004.

Making an immediate impact

They just seemed extra special to me in the sense that they were able to make an immediate impact with their brand of music. Their single “Somebody Told Me” from their major label debut ‘Hot Fuss’ shot them to fame and they became an instant favorite among music aficionados. The music of The Killers got people talking, excited, and asking themselves: “Where did this band come from?” and “How come I have never heard of them until now?” Questions like these were soon answered on music channels, radio shows, late night talk shows, and which wanted to learn more about the band and interview them. Magazines like Rolling Stone and Spin began featuring them, too.

Flashback time

The very first time I heard of The Killers was when I was watching a show on Channel V which played only the latest and newest music videos. If I am not mistaken, that was sometime in 2004. My first exposure to The Killers was via the music video for “Somebody Told Me” and my initial impression of them was that they sounded like David Bowie and New Order. Obviously, there were elements in their music that were derived from both those influential acts.

It is not often that I can remember where I was at the time I had seen a music video that made me an instant fan of a band. But The Killers was a different case—they had that kind of effect on me.

Band names beginning with “The”

In those years, in the early-to-mid 2000’s to be exact, there were many quality bands whose names began with the word “The” such as the following stand-out bands like The Strokes, The Hives, The Vines, The Datsuns, The Ataris, The White Stripes, The Bravery, and a few more. Whether that was just a trend in coming up with a creative band name or the band members themselves really chose what their band name should be, it really didn’t matter because they all sounded great and each band had their own specific strengths as well. But for me, one band stood above the rest of them and this was The Killers.

Looking back, those were some exciting times just to have the option as to which bands you favored more. While all aforementioned bands were all good in their own right and definitely also worth listening to, for me, it was The Killers that have proven that they would be around for a long time and exhibited more “shelf life” than many from that bunch. In my opinion, they are without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best bands ever to debut in the last 14 years.

Brandon Flowers

Lead vocalist Brandon Flowers has that high chest voice and he can keep his voice in tune. I haven’t heard a song from The Killers which in his voice sounded flat and lacked motivation. For me, that makes The Killers easily likeable because they have a front man who can actually sing and doesn’t sound like he is trying too hard either.

It comes as no surprise that his style of singing has not only gotten the nod of approval from music critics but also positive feedback from fans as well. He has been compared to a number of Rock greats already! Brandon Flowers, in my opinion, is becoming the ideal front man for the modern era of rock bands. He is stylish, intelligent, and he makes the rest of the band look good, too.

Proven longevity and relevance

In my estimation, most bands only have two or three potential hits per studio-release. But The Killers had around 4 to 5 great songs per new album that they have put out in the market. The Killers have released a total of four studio albums already (‘Hot Fuss’, ‘Sam’s Town’, ‘Day & Age’, and ‘Battle Born’). Not only were the track listings in these four albums worth listening to over and over again, but more importantly, they have had singles that stayed at high positions for a long time in numerous charts around the world.

The Killers had tracks that weren’t only chosen to be singles because of the potential they had to be Number 1 hits but because these singles were so well crafted in all aspects which made for made for great records! I felt that The Killers took much pride in their work and that didn’t merely want to release records that they liked but that their fans would like also.

Their music to me still sounds as fresh and attention-grabbing as it was back then. In fact, each time I think of a band like The Killers, it is hard to believe it was nearly 10 years ago already that I had first heard of these guys! By now The Killers have proven they have staying power. They have outlasted even most of their contemporaries already. The Killers have made quite an impressive list of popular hits: “Somebody Told Me”, “Mr. Brightside”, “Smile Like U Mean It”, “Bones”, “When You Were Young”, “Read My Mind”, “Human”, “Spaceman”, “Runaways”, and many more.

So watch out for their upcoming concert on September 26, 2013 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.