Killers, Thrillers, and Fillers

In world left devoid of any Keith Richards type figures, and the demise of gobby swaggering twats like Liam Gallagher, new music has the tunes, but not the icons to go with it. Though Franz may have done for art pop what Jarvis Cocker did for those who had no chance of getting a girlfriend, even if vocalist Alex Kapranos shot himself ala Cobain, or was even killed like namesake Ferdinand, its unlikely shrines, and t-shirts emblazoned with his image will decorate our lives for years to come. So, in come the new wave of PR company’s wet dreams, those who have gaudy lives before forming a band. Enter The Killers. Hailing from LA, the four piece have the names (Ronnie Vannucci, Brandon Flowers, ), the sex, the bluster, the previous employment, (wedding chapel of love) and namely the songs to bring a bit of sleaze and excitement, and the bright lights of Las Vegas to our overly long winter. Draining Duran Duran’s ‘This Is Planet Earth’, for single 'Somebody Told Me' shaking more camp all over it, adding the vocals of ex-cars front man Ric O’Casek, and making androgyny cool in a way Placebo never could., somebody told me that The Killers are definite ones to watch.

While others may have written off Stellastarr* as a shoddy Pixies rip off, new single ‘My Coco’ minces along to be oh so contrary to popular belief. Taking over the room with the feel good pints held aloft of Pulps ‘Disco 2000’, while Blondie’s ‘Heart Of Glass’ thunders behind vocalist Shawn Christiansen’s yelping assertions, The band add a bolshyness to The Cure’s ‘Close To Me’, proving that this eighties revival isn’t summed up by Simon Le Bon beating his arms against his chest to ‘Wild Boys’ at the Brits.

Britain has put a lot of pressure on The Open, dragged from a city where the scallydellic Deltasonic fronted Liverpool scene has even prompted an imminent La’s reformation, The Open have been pinned by the broadsheets as the bright young hopes of the British music scene. Weighty, for a band who have obviously not even settled into their own sound.  If new single ‘Close My Eyes’, is one of the songs Britain is using to bay the disheartened music fan with promises of salvation, its about as viable a concept as going to war when the weapons of mass destruction had not even been found. While the fact the band formed les than a year ago is pushed as a commendable quality, it should be used as an excuse for the contrived harmonies, and Bunnymen, and Simple Minds references that masquerade behind the track. However, the song pulls on all the right strings, the harmonies, though banal, are tested, and winners. Given time, the band may well change British music, but for now, ther’re just borrowing from the wealth that’s gone before.

Like Blind Melon, if they’d have had the inclination to call their band Devil’s Earth (the band names literal meaning), Glaswegian four piece Terra Diablo release ‘Swings And Roundabouts’, a swirling and dark menacing cloud of a track, with essence of Chris Cornell in Ian Faircloughs vocal. The band manage to combine the riff from At The Drive In’s ‘One Armed Scissor’, and any Foo Fighters track you care to mention for b-side ‘My Crutch’, but ultimately both tracks lack the passion of their influences, and though possessing a brooding element, it’s the kind of brooding done by a grounded teenager in their bedroom.

Coming out all acoustics blazing, Watford’s Mohair release their debut, the double a-side ‘Brown Eyes Blue’/ ‘Something To Remember’. Quirky and charismatic, beaming from the first track to the last, the band are from that part of Watford where mariachi trumpets sound joyously from the moment you open your curtains, until you close them to sleep at night. ‘Brown Eyes Blue’ begins like Greendays ‘Good Riddance’, mixed with Dire Straights ‘Walk Of Life’, sung by a younger David Gray. While ‘Something To Remember’ has the innocent young lust flirtation of the Wannadies ‘You And Me Song’, while parading what Turin Brakes would be like if when asked to describe themselves, they replied “I’m bloody mad me.”

As Detroit four piece Gold Cash Gold release debut single ‘Vultures’, the only thing you need to concern yourself with is ‘do we need another Jet?’. If the answer is yes, then the Stones influence ground into every chord, the sexed up Bolan style vocal, and the pretense that this band could drink you well under the table all ensure that this single is for you. If the answer was no, then pray Vodaphone don’t pick up this tune for their next add campaign.

In the same way that band such as Scooter have massive keyboards, with unlimited sound effect capabilities, yet choose to use ‘cheap tacky people will like this piano effect’ on all their tracks, Haven seem incapable of starting any of their songs differently. And thus, the band open in that timeless Haven tradition on new single ‘Wouldn’t Change A Thing’. Of course, its all lovely stuff, with Gary Briggs vocals coaxing a smile out of you having made you sob profusely just the second before, the twinkling guitar, and after the third time MTV2 plays it on the big pub screen, you might start to think its not that bad at all actually. But you’ve heard it all before, and what’s more, you’ve heard it done better on the band's last album ‘Between The Senses’.