06.29.2010 - The Lonely Note Twitter Buzz Recap

Here's a roundup of some of the music news we've posted on Twitter recently:

Top 5 Cover Songs By Chuck E. Cheese's Animatronic Band

Last Monday, Tae linked to an L.A. Weekly story discussing the "recent comeback" of the Chuck E. Cheese animatronic band that many children of yore have been dazzled (or terrified) by when visiting the popular children's entertainment chain.

So, what's the big deal about the Chuck E. Cheese band?  Apparently, there is a gentleman named Aaron Fechter who will program the animatronic band to perform any song you request for a fee.  The article features several Youtube clips of the animatronic performances, including covers of MGMT and Arcade Fire.   It is quite a sight.

Passion Pit Covers 'Tonight, Tonight'

Several days later, Tae kept the buzz going strong with a ripe pick from the indie cover tree.  Linking to the Levi's Pioneer Sessions, Tae steered us to a video of Passion Pit's Michael Angelakos recording his own rendition of the Smashing Pumpkins opus, 'Tonight, Tonight.'

A video of Angelakos recording the track is available at the Pioneer Sessions page.   In my estimation, this cover is one of the better ones I've heard as of late.



The Killers Bring Some Latin Flavor to Their Cover of 'Hotel California'

On Thursday, Steve jumped onto the indie covers bandwagon and led the Twitterverse to a Latin-style cover of the Eagles' superhit 'Hotel California.'  The tune was recorded to raise money for the APE Charity.

Although this cover isn't as spectacular as the Passion Pit cover of 'Tonight, Tonight,' the version is still worth at least one spin.

Bret Michaels to Replace Simon Cowell?

Friend of The Lonely Note, Bill Lamb, elaborated yesterday that Bret Michaels is a favorite to replace American Idol's outgoing judge, Simon Cowell.  Steve retweeted Bill's post.

Bret Michaels talked at length with Parade about why he should get the job as judge, and Paula Abdul stated that Bret would be "awesome" if chosen, according to Bill.




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The Killers - 'Don't Shoot Me Santa'

The Killers love their Christmas songs. Here's the one for 2007. (It's a little on the unusual side).


The Killers - 'Don't Shoot Me Santa'

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The Killers Cover Joy Division

Here's the stream of The Killers' rendition of Joy Division's 'Shadowplay.' It will be featured on the album Sawdust.

You can stream it on our sidebar (experiencing technical difficulties with our individual post flash player).

Steve's Concert Review: The Killers @ The Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines, Iowa

*This review is dedicated to number one Lonely Note fan, Rockinjock, whose generousity made my attendance of this show possible.



It's easy to see why Brandon Flowers has made his enemies. Whether it's his slew of criticisms of other bands or his aloof mannerisms, Flowers has a track record of exuding a certain degree of elitism. And such haughtiness was on display last Monday night when The Killers came to a sold-out Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines. Between donning the typical formal wear and the contrived prancing on stage, the reputation that had preceded the lead singer was quite evident.

But that's showmanship.

After all, The Killers are a synth-rock band who hail from the City of Sin. It is only fitting that a group arising out of that musical context would be expected to perform with spunk and overconfidence. The ladies loved it: whether getting groovy on the ballroom floor or screaming sweet nothings at the stage while straddling the shoulders of their boyfriends of reality.

The band began the first half of their set by exhausting a good portion of the singles off latest album Sam's Town. Under normal conditions, such a choice may have seemed ill conceived, but considering the venue's air temperature was well over 100 degrees, it served as subtle gratitude for the fans' dedication at putting up with the preceeding hour and a half's worth of heat. (Nobody wants to put up with deep-track filler after spending 90 minutes melting away). 'When You Were Young' was belted with almost studio-like precision and 'Read My Mind' was performed with brilliant passion. Local Iowa native Dave Keuning strummed the axe with a stunning presence reminiscent of a 70s stadium rocker and drummer Ronnie Vannucci slammed the skins with an eruption of energy Every. Single. Time.

After taking a 15 minute intermission to cool off, The Killers returned with a renewed stage presence, digging into tracks from debut long player Hot Fuss. 'Mr. Brightside' was met with intense celebration from the crowd, while the defining line from 'All These Things That I've Done:'---"I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier"--held unspoken significance given America's current geopolitical situation. 'Jenny Was a Friend of Mine' retained its dramatic kick. 'Smile Like You Mean It' evoked its signature feelings of emptiness. All in all, the defining qualities that made Hot Fuss a modern classic were effectively brought to the final half of the show.

With a true encore, the band turned the amps up to 11, performing 'When You Were Young' once again, but with more fervor than they had only two hours previously. By this time, having perspired into one lukewarm mass, everybody in the crowd was singing their heart out in unison with Flowers, desperately holding on to every last moment before the show inevitably came to an end:

"We’re burning down the highway skyline on the back of a hurricane that started turning when you were young."

The Killers were in great form on Monday, May 14th, 2007. An Iowa native was welcomed home, and this fan went back to the ranch singing every song.

Now that's showmanship.


The Killers - 'Read My Mind'

The Killers - 'When You Were Young'