Kings of Leon on the TODAY SHOW

Lifted

what is with some of you who seem to get so bent out of shape when someone states the obvious?....kings of leon have sold out. get over it. it's a fact, they would probably happily tell you themselves. it's like some of you take personal offense to it and have to go out of your way to defend them to reassure yourselves that you are actually listening to an original heartfelt piece of art. you are not. you are listening to a manufactured product for teenage girls who like to spend daddy's credit card on i-tunes purchases. if you still like their music that's fine, but don't deny the fact that they stopped making music for themselves and started making music to sell out arenas. i'm pretty sure the band has openly admitted that that was the new direction they planned on taking. you really think that, as someone stated earlier, middle aged moms with their teenage girls would be singing along to their songs on the today show just because they had some better marketing? absolutely not. it's because they delibrately made a disposable pop album for top 40 radio. pearl jam for instance has obviously tried to up their game on the last two albums from a marketing standpoint, but you don't see the top 40 crowd gushing over them. the reason is because they've kept their musical integrity. there's a huge difference between good marketing and completey changing your sound to fit in with the mainstream, which is what kings of leon have done. i even heard that they are supporting a remix that is being done for the whole 'only by the night' album'. i forget who's doing it but i'm pretty sure it's some big time hip hop producer and justin timberlake is involved. give me a break...

by the way, i'm not saying all music that breaks out to the mainstream is bad, obviously their have been some great albums that have broken through to the masses, so if i come off as a snobby asshole, that isn't the intention. but when a musician or band comes out with a generic sounding mainstream album after being around for 6 years or so making rawer grittier albums....and then they get huge and start doing hip hop remixes to their songs, then yeah, it's a real head scratcher.

ledvedderman

Tiki Barber wrote:

what is with some of you who seem to get so bent out of shape when someone states the obvious?....kings of leon have sold out. get over it. it's a fact, they would probably happily tell you themselves. it's like some of you take personal offense to it and have to go out of your way to defend them to reassure yourselves that you are actually listening to an original heartfelt piece of art. you are not. you are listening to a manufactured product for teenage girls who like to spend daddy's credit card on i-tunes purchases. if you still like their music that's fine, but don't deny the fact that they stopped making music for themselves and started making music to sell out arenas. i'm pretty sure the band has openly admitted that that was the new direction they planned on taking. you really think that, as someone stated earlier, middle aged moms with their teenage girls would be singing along to their songs on the today show just because they had some better marketing? absolutely not. it's because they delibrately made a disposable pop album for top 40 radio. pearl jam for instance has obviously tried to up their game on the last two albums from a marketing standpoint, but you don't see the top 40 crowd gushing over them. the reason is because they've kept their musical integrity. there's a huge difference between good marketing and completey changing your sound to fit in with the mainstream, which is what kings of leon have done. i even heard that they are supporting a remix that is being done for the whole 'only by the night' album'. i forget who's doing it but i'm pretty sure it's some big time hip hop producer and justin timberlake is involved. give me a break...

by the way, i'm not saying all music that breaks out to the mainstream is bad, obviously their have been some great albums that have broken through to the masses, so if i come off as a snobby asshole, that isn't the intention. but when a musician or band comes out with a generic sounding mainstream album after being around for 6 years or so making rawer grittier albums....and then they get huge and start doing hip hop remixes to their songs, then yeah, it's a real head scratcher.

So at what point does a "evolving sound" become "selling out"? Say a band wanted to put out a album like "Help" or "Rubber Soul". It's pop rock aimed at a large audience, but it is also artistic and needs to be looked from a different point of view. If the songs were crap on OBTN, it would be one thing. However, they show a ride range that the band has. I think the KOL suffer from the same thing as Pearl Jam on this board, everyone gets a stiffy over the old stuff that when anything different or could be viewed as commercial comes out, it becomes total shit.

DewieCox

Am I the only one that doesn't hear much of a stylistic difference between BOTH and OBTN?

Tuolumne Mama

Personally, they rather remind me of The Band in their early days - but have yet to hit their "Big Pink". If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then I suggest you look them up. I think I'll hang around with these guys for the ride, because as they mature - so will their music.

As a "middle aged woman" who likes KOL, I am curious just how the fuck you are supposed to get heard today???? There are no more music channels, unless you consider the idiocy of 23hours each day of reality shows with an hour thrown in for current music " Music Television". Has it ever occured to you that the guys in Pearl Jam are "middle-aged" men??? Sometimes the absurdity of the reasoning on here simply astounds me, yet amuses me at the same time.

soulsinging

DewieCox wrote:

Am I the only one that doesn't hear much of a stylistic difference between BOTH and OBTN?

You're not. There isn't one. The difference that does exist is their popularity and success, which is the problem for some morons around here. Never mind that the music is the same as the last album, this new one is a clearly calculate move, along with fashion choices and other nonsense, to become nsync. Stop listening to the music and forming your own opinion, just look at all the magazines they're on and refuse to consider anything else.

soulsinging

Wordless Chorus wrote:

I just happened to be browsing through a people magazine and I have to admit its pretty disappointing to see them all over the celebrity favorites and the "songs for summer 09" (which is just unbelievably irritating to me... "Use Somebody" is a song for summer 2009!?!). Then again I'm sort of embarrassed to admit to have looked through a people magazine . But I'm planning on seeing them in September, though hopefully I won't regret it.

Yeah, it's really disgusting. I mean, imagine is PJ was ever all over mainstream magazines! I mean, aside from the times they were on the cover of Rolling Stone, Spin, Time, etc. Those don't count.

And what posers KoL are for writing a song that a lot of people love. I am so glad that PJ never sold out like that and wrote music everyone liked. I mean, aside, of course, from Black, Alive, Jeremy, Even Flow, Daughter, Elderly Woman, Better Man, Corduroy, etc. Those don't count.

ledvedderman

soulsinging wrote:

Wordless Chorus wrote:

I just happened to be browsing through a people magazine and I have to admit its pretty disappointing to see them all over the celebrity favorites and the "songs for summer 09" (which is just unbelievably irritating to me... "Use Somebody" is a song for summer 2009!?!). Then again I'm sort of embarrassed to admit to have looked through a people magazine . But I'm planning on seeing them in September, though hopefully I won't regret it.

Yeah, it's really disgusting. I mean, imagine is PJ was ever all over mainstream magazines! I mean, aside from the times they were on the cover of Rolling Stone, Spin, Time, etc. Those don't count.

And what posers KoL are for writing a song that a lot of people love. I am so glad that PJ never sold out like that and wrote music everyone liked. I mean, aside, of course, from Black, Alive, Jeremy, Even Flow, Daughter, Elderly Woman, Better Man, Corduroy, etc. Those don't count.

Just another reason why soulsinging is my favorite poster on the pit...

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

they are sellouts, but i like them anyway!

tvismyfriend

soulsinging wrote:

DewieCox wrote:

Am I the only one that doesn't hear much of a stylistic difference between BOTH and OBTN?

You're not. There isn't one. The difference that does exist is their popularity and success, which is the problem for some morons around here. Never mind that the music is the same as the last album, this new one is a clearly calculate move, along with fashion choices and other nonsense, to become nsync. Stop listening to the music and forming your own opinion, just look at all the magazines they're on and refuse to consider anything else.

I kind of see BOTT as the transition to OBTN. BOTT still had a couple of songs with somewhat aggressive vocals, but OBTN most aggressive song is Crawl.

Wordless Chorus

soulsinging wrote:

Wordless Chorus wrote:

I just happened to be browsing through a people magazine and I have to admit its pretty disappointing to see them all over the celebrity favorites and the "songs for summer 09" (which is just unbelievably irritating to me... "Use Somebody" is a song for summer 2009!?!). Then again I'm sort of embarrassed to admit to have looked through a people magazine . But I'm planning on seeing them in September, though hopefully I won't regret it.

Yeah, it's really disgusting. I mean, imagine is PJ was ever all over mainstream magazines! I mean, aside from the times they were on the cover of Rolling Stone, Spin, Time, etc. Those don't count.

And what posers KoL are for writing a song that a lot of people love. I am so glad that PJ never sold out like that and wrote music everyone liked. I mean, aside, of course, from Black, Alive, Jeremy, Even Flow, Daughter, Elderly Woman, Better Man, Corduroy, etc. Those don't count.

I didn't say that them being in mainsteam magazines is disgusting (though I'd prefer Rolling stone, Spin, or Time over People magazine!). And I still really like their music and I'm fine with a band being popular. I just think its so strange when a song can suddenly catch on a year after it comes out...I hope that doesn't rub anyone the wrong way

soulsinging

Wordless Chorus wrote:

I didn't say that them being in mainsteam magazines is disgusting (though I'd prefer Rolling stone, Spin, or Time over People magazine!). And I still really like their music and I'm fine with a band being popular. I just think its so strange when a song can suddenly catch on a year after it comes out...I hope that doesn't rub anyone the wrong way

Yeah, I got the feeling you weren't being one of those tools clogging this thread with their self conscious hipster bullshit. I should've quoted the guy before you probably.

Lifted

soulsinging wrote:

Wordless Chorus wrote:

I didn't say that them being in mainsteam magazines is disgusting (though I'd prefer Rolling stone, Spin, or Time over People magazine!). And I still really like their music and I'm fine with a band being popular. I just think its so strange when a song can suddenly catch on a year after it comes out...I hope that doesn't rub anyone the wrong way

Yeah, I got the feeling you weren't being one of those tools clogging this thread with their self conscious hipster bullshit. I should've quoted the guy before you probably.

news flash for you, this thread was started because the o.p. was venting his frustration with the direction a band that he seemed to have liked in the past has decided to take with their careers, so if anyone is clogging the thread, it's you. can you not understand the huge difference in sound from "youth and young manhood" to "only by the night"? does it really surprise you that they would lose some fans with the new album? why so defensive? whether you dig it or not is not the issue. no one is saying there is anything wrong with listening to kings of leon, all that is being said is that they made a mainstream record, and some old fans don't like it. get over it. just because someone doesn't dig the same bullshit you do doesn't mean they are self conscious hipsters. if anyone is being pretentious here it's you. i mean really, i love third eye blind's self titled album, but if someone tells me it's shitty teenybopper rock, i'm not gonna throw a hissy fit and accuse them of spewing some "self conscious hipster bullshit". why are you so offended by the kol backlash? does it take away from your listening experience when you put the cd on now? maybe you are a bit self conscious.

p.s. you really think there are these so called self conscious hipsters here on the pearl jam message board? the way you used the word in such a negative context i'll assume you're reffering to the indie poser, pitchfork worshipping crowd, which i know, they do exist, and they do suck...but those people hate pearl jam. we're all cool here.

soulsinging

Tiki Barber wrote:

news flash for you, this thread was started because the o.p. was venting his frustration with the direction a band that he seemed to have liked in the past has decided to take with their careers, so if anyone is clogging the thread, it's you. can you not understand the huge difference in sound from "youth and young manhood" to "only by the night"? does it really surprise you that they would lose some fans with the new album? why so defensive? whether you dig it or not is not the issue. no one is saying there is anything wrong with listening to kings of leon, all that is being said is that they made a mainstream record, and some old fans don't like it. get over it. just because someone doesn't dig the same bullshit you do doesn't mean they are self conscious hipsters. if anyone is being pretentious here it's you. i mean really, i love third eye blind's self titled album, but if someone tells me it's shitty teenybopper rock, i'm not gonna throw a hissy fit and accuse them of spewing some "self conscious hipster bullshit". why are you so offended by the kol backlash? does it take away from your listening experience when you put the cd on now? maybe you are a bit self conscious.

p.s. you really think there are these so called self conscious hipsters here on the pearl jam message board? the way you used the word in such a negative context i'll assume you're reffering to the indie poser, pitchfork worshipping crowd, which i know, they do exist, and they do suck...but those people hate pearl jam. we're all cool here.

You would have a point here... IF the post had been about not liking the band's music. But it's not. It's about who listens to their music and what jeans they're wearing and what magazines they're in... it IS all about that Pitchfork hipster bullshit. This thread is about everything surrounding KoL EXCEPT their music.

Lifted

soulsinging wrote:

Tiki Barber wrote:

news flash for you, this thread was started because the o.p. was venting his frustration with the direction a band that he seemed to have liked in the past has decided to take with their careers, so if anyone is clogging the thread, it's you. can you not understand the huge difference in sound from "youth and young manhood" to "only by the night"? does it really surprise you that they would lose some fans with the new album? why so defensive? whether you dig it or not is not the issue. no one is saying there is anything wrong with listening to kings of leon, all that is being said is that they made a mainstream record, and some old fans don't like it. get over it. just because someone doesn't dig the same bullshit you do doesn't mean they are self conscious hipsters. if anyone is being pretentious here it's you. i mean really, i love third eye blind's self titled album, but if someone tells me it's shitty teenybopper rock, i'm not gonna throw a hissy fit and accuse them of spewing some "self conscious hipster bullshit". why are you so offended by the kol backlash? does it take away from your listening experience when you put the cd on now? maybe you are a bit self conscious.

p.s. you really think there are these so called self conscious hipsters here on the pearl jam message board? the way you used the word in such a negative context i'll assume you're reffering to the indie poser, pitchfork worshipping crowd, which i know, they do exist, and they do suck...but those people hate pearl jam. we're all cool here.

You would have a point here... IF the post had been about not liking the band's music. But it's not. It's about who listens to their music and what jeans they're wearing and what magazines they're in... it IS all about that Pitchfork hipster bullshit. This thread is about everything surrounding KoL EXCEPT their music.

well i think some people are just putting the pieces together and calling it what it looks like, selling out. i doubt it's a coincidence that their huge leap in popularity/chic haircuts/teenage girl fans etc. came after releasing a mainstream sounding album. it's all relative. anyway, i at least appreciate you accepting the point i was trying to make...cause let's be honest here, we both came here to argue. that's part of the fun of message board discussions.

...i gotta ask you though, don't you think it's alarming how many teenage girl fans they have gotten from the new album? 90% of teenage girls, probably even higher, listen to terrible music. you can say music is subjective or whatever, but come on, just admit it. they gotta be doing something wrong to attract that crowd...

South of Seattle

Tiki Barber wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

Tiki Barber wrote:

news flash for you, this thread was started because the o.p. was venting his frustration with the direction a band that he seemed to have liked in the past has decided to take with their careers, so if anyone is clogging the thread, it's you. can you not understand the huge difference in sound from "youth and young manhood" to "only by the night"? does it really surprise you that they would lose some fans with the new album? why so defensive? whether you dig it or not is not the issue. no one is saying there is anything wrong with listening to kings of leon, all that is being said is that they made a mainstream record, and some old fans don't like it. get over it. just because someone doesn't dig the same bullshit you do doesn't mean they are self conscious hipsters. if anyone is being pretentious here it's you. i mean really, i love third eye blind's self titled album, but if someone tells me it's shitty teenybopper rock, i'm not gonna throw a hissy fit and accuse them of spewing some "self conscious hipster bullshit". why are you so offended by the kol backlash? does it take away from your listening experience when you put the cd on now? maybe you are a bit self conscious.

p.s. you really think there are these so called self conscious hipsters here on the pearl jam message board? the way you used the word in such a negative context i'll assume you're reffering to the indie poser, pitchfork worshipping crowd, which i know, they do exist, and they do suck...but those people hate pearl jam. we're all cool here.

You would have a point here... IF the post had been about not liking the band's music. But it's not. It's about who listens to their music and what jeans they're wearing and what magazines they're in... it IS all about that Pitchfork hipster bullshit. This thread is about everything surrounding KoL EXCEPT their music.

well i think some people are just putting the pieces together and calling it what it looks like, selling out. i doubt it's a coincidence that their huge leap in popularity/chic haircuts/teenage girl fans etc. came after releasing a mainstream sounding album. it's all relative. anyway, i at least appreciate you accepting the point i was trying to make...cause let's be honest here, we both came here to argue. that's part of the fun of message board discussions.

...i gotta ask you though, don't you think it's alarming how many teenage girl fans they have gotten from the new album? 90% of teenage girls, probably even higher, listen to terrible music. you can say music is subjective or whatever, but come on, just admit it. they gotta be doing something wrong to attract that crowd...

I think they attract the girls because they're "pretty boys." Simple as the that.

tvismyfriend

This may be a shock for some of you, but the following is a picture of them in 2006. When they started to slowly dress more "hip."



2007:

soulsinging

Tiki Barber wrote:

...i gotta ask you though, don't you think it's alarming how many teenage girl fans they have gotten from the new album? 90% of teenage girls, probably even higher, listen to terrible music. you can say music is subjective or whatever, but come on, just admit it. they gotta be doing something wrong to attract that crowd...

No, I don't. I couldn't care less. I like the new stuff and I listen to good music. When I was really young, I liked Bryan Adams. It took a few grunge bands to bring me to some great stuff. So maybe that's what's happening here... they're drawing fans that used to listen to generic pop but are now looking for something with a bit more to offer... and KoL is their guide. Like PJ was for me all those years ago.

And I'm all for having more pretty girls at concerts I go to. Even if a lot of them are jailbait!

drew0

There isn't much difference between Only By the Night and Because Of The Times. Outside of Sex On Fire, I don't really hear a difference. Crawl is still classic Kings of Leon, so is Manhattan and Revelry.

Sorry that you can't be a hipster and listen to a band that got popular. They've always been great and are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

You do realize you're posting on a Pearl Jam message board, the band known as the biggest band of the 1990s and had multiple radio hits? I've heard more Pearl Jam songs on my classic rock and "new music" radio station in my town than I do Kings of Leon. I actually heard Daughter and Jeremy driving around this weekend while I only heard Use Somebody once.

olderman

KOL is ok by me. i don't care what kind of clothes they wear.

as for What Is Hip, listen to Tower Of Power. They are HIP!!

(and i don't care what kind of clothes they wear, either)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN8pWdZh ... L&index=62

"What is Hip,
Tell me, tell me,
If you think you know"

Zoso

soulsinging wrote:

Tiki Barber wrote:

news flash for you, this thread was started because the o.p. was venting his frustration with the direction a band that he seemed to have liked in the past has decided to take with their careers, so if anyone is clogging the thread, it's you. can you not understand the huge difference in sound from "youth and young manhood" to "only by the night"? does it really surprise you that they would lose some fans with the new album? why so defensive? whether you dig it or not is not the issue. no one is saying there is anything wrong with listening to kings of leon, all that is being said is that they made a mainstream record, and some old fans don't like it. get over it. just because someone doesn't dig the same bullshit you do doesn't mean they are self conscious hipsters. if anyone is being pretentious here it's you. i mean really, i love third eye blind's self titled album, but if someone tells me it's shitty teenybopper rock, i'm not gonna throw a hissy fit and accuse them of spewing some "self conscious hipster bullshit". why are you so offended by the kol backlash? does it take away from your listening experience when you put the cd on now? maybe you are a bit self conscious.

p.s. you really think there are these so called self conscious hipsters here on the pearl jam message board? the way you used the word in such a negative context i'll assume you're reffering to the indie poser, pitchfork worshipping crowd, which i know, they do exist, and they do suck...but those people hate pearl jam. we're all cool here.

You would have a point here... IF the post had been about not liking the band's music. But it's not. It's about who listens to their music and what jeans they're wearing and what magazines they're in... it IS all about that Pitchfork hipster bullshit. This thread is about everything surrounding KoL EXCEPT their music.

it's about their new image but also but their new sound.. it's terrible. For their sake I hope the turn back to aha shake type sound next album but for me the damage is done. They have sold out more clearly than other band I know of .