Indie 2000

Professor Jones searches for the decedents of college rock in Indie Jones and the New Millennium.

Each decade after the 70's has had a rock sub genre that supposedly contains the purity and creativity of the art form. In the 80's it was college rock, the 90's alternative and in the 00's it's indie. Indie has become a sort of catch all term for any rock music that is different from the mainstream in an arty sort of way, so I'm using the term in that same way. Now, on with the show this is it.

The New New Wave

The kids discovered the joys of Joy Division and Men Without Hats forming bands that sounded a lot like groups from MTV's birth. Franz Ferdinand's self titled debut (2004) had the angular guitars, Talking Heads style odd sparseness and dance grooves to set the world on fire for a second. Las Vegas' The Killers handed in two great albums that meshed the giddy feeling of synths and grandeur of stadium rock on Hot Fuss (2004) and Day and Age (2008). Meanwhile The National came across as a mildly depressed but not as down as Joy Division on their hypnotic 2007 disc The Boxer. All proof that even now kids still want their MTV...in 1983.

Cool As Ice Ice Baby

What it comes down to is that the indie rock I listen to mostly come from major labels meaning its an attitude more than a literal term. Enter The Strokes, arriving with much fanfare as the supposed saviors of rock music following Is This It (2001). Oddly, it's their weaker follow up Rooms On Fire (2003) that I enjoy the most with its The Cars style synth twists such as on "The End Has No End". Deservedly or undeservedly The Strokes symbolized hype overkill because old folks like me wanted new music that reminded us of something good from the past. The poster child of this scene I would pick to be Jack I'll-Form-A-New-Band-Every-Time-I-Sneeze White. Elephant (2003) by The White Stripes was dynamite with sharp material to support heavy guitar riffage and bare bones drumming. I also will throw in the Stripes Icky Thump (2007) as being just as great. Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot(2002) famously took a circular route from major label to no label and back again with old fashioned strong songwriting and tasteful performance. Death Cab For Cutie was another buzz band that broke through embodying those weepy sensitive guy ways like the excellent Transatlanticism (2003). I feel so much closer.

More Accordion Pleaze

Some bands made their name on unusual sonic templates, like Arcade Fire whose disc Neon Bible (2007) I found dark and moving like an undertow at night. Just before they attempted to be Fleetwood Mac, Rilo Kiley had the likeably low key More Adventurous album (2004) anchored by the mild toned swipe at George Bush Jr and pressure to write a pop song on "It's A Hit". And who could forget the quirky funk of Spoon? The only Spoon album I have is Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga which was a blast of hip shaking weirdness.

Next up...old timers day.

...I've Got Soul But I'm Not A Soldier...

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas. Las Vegas band The Killers make some noise on their third outing.

When The Killers hit the scene a few years back with the Hot Fuss album, I dug their new wave sounds and catchy songs. Too much too soon seemed to go to their head as lead singer Brandon Flowers began to talk as if they were the greatest band ever and the first single to their second album was the Springsteenish "When We Were Young". The songs from their second album Sam's Town seemed decent yet nothing caught my ear like the first disc. So when The Killers released their third disc Day and Age last year, I was interested but wary even though I liked the single "Human". Good word of mouth spread about the CD so a few weeks back I got it.

While "When We Were Young" felt overblown to me, Day and Age marked a return to a more modest New Wave influenced sound. "Human" could have percolated off a Men Without Hats album in '83 with the overlapping wave of synths it has. "Spaceman" takes off like a John Hughes fueled jet and doesn't touch down for a few minutes. Along with the renewed focus on A Flock Of Seagulls sonics is a touch of Bowie, horns and slight funk rhythms blast in and out particularly on the swanky "Joyride". "Neon Tiger" has a nice ring to it with it's upbeat pop feel.

The Killers seem inspired and have a strong set of songs, not a clunker in the bunch. Even the Island rhythms of "I Can't Stay" come off well. I don't like it as much as Hot Fuss, but Day and Age is good enough to make me re-evaluate if skipping Sam's Town was such a great idea. On it's own, Day and Age is heady fun. I'm going to try rating things on a scale of Dixie Dogg barks from 1 to 10, 1 being the lowest. Dixie gives Day and Age an 8 barks.

Is it Prom Night for Molly Ringwald?

The Killers go crazy for Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald.

The Killers have released their new single "Human" from their forthcoming release Day & Age. A few years ago, The Killers hit the scene with a wave of other bands reviving the Big 80's New Wave sound for a generation of kids who saw The Breakfast Club every weekend on TV. Singles like "All These Things That I've Done" and "Mr. Brightside" made a huge impact on the music listening public. But ego and...more ego led to the bloated and self important follow up "When We Were Young" which was OK but caused me to lose interest quickly. Now they're back to the funner, poppier sound of their debut record on this single. "Human" (not to be confused with the Human League "Human") would have fit perfectly running over the credits of a John Hughes movie, flame haired Molly Ringwald beaming at the camera in her homemade clothes as she beats the "richies" or whatever the supposed class warfare she was engaged in during those flicks. While I can't say this is the best Killers song I've heard, I like the heavy synths, percolating beat and O.M.D. worthy vocal. It's pretty good and I deem it Farmer Ted worthy. I'm only Human, of flesh and blood, I'm made.

The Killers "Human"