“Mr.
Brightside”- The Killers
Music is changing every day, almost simultaneously with
technology. Alternative music is now, modern day’s punk-rock music of the
1980’s. As many bands come and go, a predominant alternative group that came
onto the scene in the early 2000’s is The
Killers. Finding each other from an Ad in a Las Vegas newspaper, Brandon
Flowers (Lead Vocalist and Keyboard player) and Dave Keunig (guitarist) were
set out to find two missing pieces for their band. After persuading Ronnie
Vannucci Jr. (Drummer) and Mark Stoermer (Bass) to leave their bands, both
joined to complete the lineup in 2002. Being first recorded in Dave Keunigs
apartment, The Killers’ debut studio
album was released in 2004, called “Hot Fuss”. The first three singles off the
album went on to have five Grammy Award nominations. The singles consisted of
“Mr. Brightside”, “Somebody Told Me”, and “All These Things That I’ve Done”.
“Mr. Brightside” is the band’s most popular hit which
attracts many covers of it. The up-beat electric guitar in the intro soars
through your ears as each string is being plucked by Dave Keunig. After a few
seconds, Brandon Flower’s high-pitched voice chimes in with the words “I’m
coming out of my cage and I’ve been doing just fine” with the echo of the drums
in the background being played. As the next verse begins, the bass is
introduced swiftly in the background, joining the gang of instruments. The
up-beat rhythm of the song creates anxiety through my body as each string is
being plucked and each vocal cord is being heard. If you believe music is made
not just to listen but to visualize and feel, this is up your alley.
“Mr.
Brightside”- Monsters Calling Home
As many branches of music begin to appear as if they were
coming from an imaginary tree, a certain genre is on the rise throughout the
world. This genre is Indie-Rock, which is basically soft-rock mixed together in
a musical salad with alternative music. The band, Monsters Calling Home, fall into this category. Based in southern
California, the band is not really known by the common person but they should
be. They were formed in 2011 and built around the vocals and guitar of Alex
Hwang. The band also centers on Sally Kang, who is a vocalist and plays the
keys. Daniel Chae plays the guitar as well as violin alongside Jennifer Rim.
This leaves Joseph Chun as the lone bassist and John Chong as the drummer.
A song that caught my attention by Monsters Calling Home was a cover of “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. Given that this band does
not make profit off of this song and was just doing a cover of it at a show, The Killers were not greedy enough to
sue them for it. As the slow rhythm of the acoustic guitar begins the intro,
the mind relaxes into a soothing state. Hwang’s voice compliments the guitar as
his soft tone begins to sing the words to the song. It is almost like the
lyrics are much more magnified through his voice, painting a picture in your
mind. When he sings the words, “I just can’t look, it’s killing me and it’s
taking control..jealousy” helps to know the true meaning of the song rather
than the original up-beat version. The chorus begins with Sally Kang’s
high-pitched voice and the sound of violins peacefully playing alongside the
guitar. If you are a sucker for emotional songs, that relate to real life
experiences, this is it. Covers can be based off of an interpretation by
different bands. This cover will make you feel mellow or sad if you can relate
to the lyrics but it is truly a work of art.
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