.
[Because of my ongoing problems with embedding videos, please read this post about The Killers, Neon Trees, and Imagine Dragon at A Motley Vision. Thanks.]
Brandon Flowers is a Mormon
I guess it’s official now, Brandon Flowers is a Mormon. If you haven’t seen it yet, HERE is Brandon Flowers’ profile on Mormon.org. That’s right, it’s mormon.org/brandon.
I can’t believe the LDS church could get an interview that we couldn’t!!! Okay, I guess I can kinda see it. There’s an awesome video interview on the website, but here’s a YouTube link to give you an idea. I love it.
The Neighbors – Family Band and Singing with Brandon Flowers
The Neighbors, one of the more well known bands in Utah, have been making big strides in the music scene. On May 14th they came to Rexburg, ID to play at Sammy’s Cafe for a secret show. There they announced that they will be moving to California to try and land a record deal.
However, for now only Adam will be moving there. His sister (and other band member) Rachel will continue on touring with Brandon Flowers of The Killers singing back-up vocals. Rachel was approached after performing at The Velour in Provo by Brandon Flowers’ brother (who is also his manager) to sing back-up vocals for his tour. She has preformed at Coachella, and in concerts throughout Mexico and Europe. Continue Reading →
Linescratching Post for the week of May 23, 2011
Vol. 1 No. 13, Week of May 23, 2011
This week: Brandon Flowers goes Gene Simmons, Nothing good ever comes of disobedience except international fame and glory, Gladys Knight on making a living in a casino, Neon Trees buy-in while Fictionist eschew corporate label, festival, and magazine, plus updates on the JaneDear girls, Maroon 5, and much (a little) more!
Linescratching Post for the week of May 2, 2011
Vol 1 No. 10, Week of May 2, 2011
In this issue: Ian Fowles gets spiritual in the desert, Fictionist can’t stop winning, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir gets manly, The Killers reunite, The Barefoot Movement lose us, a great gift for yo momma, all this PLUS Is Oskama Bin Laden going to have to break up now? and MORE!
Linescratching Post for the week of April 18, 2011
Vol 1 No. 8, Week of April 18, 2011
In this issue: A (non-Arcade Fire) Mormon storms the Canadian music awards scene; Cary Judd tries out a new career path; Low and Uncle Jesse’s project comes to fruition; The Steelwells get remixed; Mayan Fox mash up; SHeDAISY talk breakfast, Aquabats, Neon Trees, and Brandon Flowers do Coachella; Jennifer Thomas give a tutorial on instrumentation, and more.
Linescratching Post for the week of April 11, 2011
Vol 1 No. 7, Week of April 11, 2011
In this issue: Colby Miller requests to entertain you, Sugar Ray meets Provo, John Hunstman turns out to be a “Prog”ressive, Mayan Fox heals the world and makes it a better place, mean (but true!) rumors about David Archuleta, Ken Jennings on the Book of Mormon musical, Jennifer Thomas, Idiot Glee, Alan Sparhawk, and more!
Linescratching Post for the week of March 14, 2011
Vol 1 No. 4, Week of March 14, 2011
In this issue: A Mormon hits #1 on Billboard; various linescratchers play a ridiculous amount of shows in Austin; Brandon Flowers plays Eden; The Sweater Friends promote Autism; The JaneDear girls give us some contraries to wrestle with, and we don’t talk about Jimmer Fredette leading BYU to the #3 NCAA seed, Brandon Davies and the honor code, how many babies John Stewart wants to have with The Book Of Mormon musical, or anything related to the 5 Browns because we’re too busy discussing whether Charlie Sheen is a Mormon, an ex-Mormon, and old school Mormon, a freelance Polygamist, or just a run-of-the-mill tigerblood. Continue Reading →
Linescratching Post for the week of Feb 28, 2011
Vol 1 No. 2, Week of February 28, 2011
In this issue: Gladys Knight, The Aquabats!, bands and people with rather more tenuous connections to Mormonism, a story about a ward talent show that you’ll not soon forget, Porter Rockwell, Spencer W. Kimball, and much more.
Brandon Flowers – Flamingo review
I first heard “Only The Young” from Brandon Flowers’ new solo album last week, and I was completely entranced. It had such a relaxing, Annie Lennox-ish rolling pop vibe and the video was beautiful and flowing. In the following days I have seen several conversations arise in some Mormon circles (including our new friends at This Week in Mormons) over whether or not the video contained “Mormon imagery.”
I bought the album on my way to class (despite being late) at a local CD shop near campus, and gave it a listen that afternoon. I was floored. The music was indeed good, but the most striking thing to me was the fact that the album is a long tale of redemptive explicit spirituality, and it was obviously intended to be interpreted so. Leave it to Mormons to overlook an entirely and intentionally spiritual album, straining over whether an image of Brandon Flowers in a pool of light has something to do with Joseph Smith.
Yet it’s a pretty well-accepted fact that, once you explain a joke, it completely destroys the chance that joke had at ever being funny. Likewise, I think that the spiritual tale contained in Flamingo really works best without extracting and exposing it, because I’m not sure it would stand as well on its own. However, being that I’m the creator and owner of the only website online devoted to promoting Mormons in the world of music, I guess that means I should at least share my thoughts. I’m happy to oblige. Rather than destructively over-analyzing his lyrics, I’ll just post excerpts (as well as I can hear them) and let you figure it out.
Flamingo is a loose tribute to Western Americana, a cautionary tale of the wonders and pitfalls of Las Vegas, and a curious insight into the spiritual battles happening there and in Brandon Flowers’ mind. It’s an ambitious conglomerate of ideas, for sure, and Flowers may not have quite reached his lofty goal, but he actually said more in trying than I really would have expected. I never did listen to The Killers too much (they really peaked when I was on my mission and I never got caught up), so I can’t provide a meaningful comparison to that, but Brandon Flowers has proven himself to be a far more spiritual being than I knowingly gave him credit for. Continue Reading →
Brandon Flowers – “Only The Young” video
I saw this today for the first time and I really dig the song. It’s from Brandon Flowers’ new solo album Flamingo. Hope you enjoy it.
And here’s a live version with our friend Rachel: Continue Reading →
Rachel Kaiser now singing for Brandon Flowers
Not too long ago, we here at Linescratchers welcomed a tight brother-sister duo into the fold: The Neighbors. Adam and Rachel Kaiser are well-known for their great live shows and fun and accessible alternative pop. But fans of the band might have recently been surprised to see Rachel Kaiser, keyboardist, songwriter, and singer, on the Jay Leno show singing backup for Brandon Flowers. She will be singing for him at live shows until January. Here is their Jay Leno performance:
Brandon Flowers – Flamingo now available
Brandon Flowers’ new solo album, entitled Flamingo, is now available for purchase on iTunes and other media outlets. You may have heard clips of the single, “Crossfire”, on the radio (and it was on NPR this morning too).
I haven’t purchased this album yet and probably won’t for a while. I’m on a student/musician budget. However, Linescratchers is now taking submissions for a guest review. If anyone is planning on purchasing the album, feel free to write up a review of it and send it to linescratchers@gmail.com and we’ll publish it!
P.S. Brandon Flowers is LDS by the way. Pretty sure you already knew that though.
Brandon Flowers solo single “Crossfire” now available on iTunes
Brandon Flowers has just released a single from his upcoming solo album Flamingo on iTunes. The song is called “Crossfire”. It’s probably a taste of the tone of the album, but we have yet to find out.
For “Crossfire” on iTunes, click here.
What do you think?