Thursday, February 19, 2009

Hey Kings of Leon, Thanks for Reading!

Posted by Adam Gold on Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 3:36 PM

click to enlarge I love when Steve Martin makes that funny face!
  • I love when Steve Martin makes that funny face!

According to an article on digitalspy.com:

Bass player Jared Followill said: "Everyone recognises us, but they just hate us. The local papers always put a question mark after Nashville when they're writing about us. Like we're not really from there. But now we're so unpopular at home, it is becoming cool to like us. It's gone full circle." Drummer Nathan Followill added: "When we say something in the UK, the Nashville press repeat it and take all the jokes and sarcasm out." He compared the band's humour to that of Ricky Gervais, and said that some people do not understand it.

I think they might be confusing the humor of Ricky Gervais with that of his character David Brent.

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I hate the Kings of Leon. They tried to set Eric on fire back in the day.

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Posted by a deagol brother on 02/19/2009 at 5:13 PM

They've moaned about this before in the Christmas edition of the NME last year. I have also read interviews where they have complained that the British press focus too much on their backstory.
I must congratulate them on winning Best International Band & Best International Album at the Brits on Wednesday. The Brits is the most irrelevant awards ceremony ever, designed purely to increase the sales of major label artists. You only win something if you've sold million of records, are over-hyped, mediocre media darlings a la Duffy, Katy Perry and of course, Kings of Leon. Caleb mentioned that their record label would have dropped them if England had not taken to them (I think he meant to say the UK, unless no one buys their records in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and ROI). So for the record, I am very sorry "England" likes them so much.

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Posted by Nik on 02/19/2009 at 5:23 PM

let's show that highly successful band from our own city how we feel about them, their success and their stupid million selling albums! Ha ha!
we showed them...
ummm....
so how's Jeff doing these days? Gooood.

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Posted by You get em people! on 02/19/2009 at 5:30 PM

What KOL record sold a million copies? Just saying. It's not like they're Coldplay famous.

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Posted by Gold on 02/19/2009 at 5:32 PM

hahaha! Coldplay is RRRAWK! I was thinking total sales...maybe I'm a little off there...

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Posted by You get em people! on 02/19/2009 at 5:35 PM

coldplay sold almost 7million the last time out, so i mean, 1 million isn't even close to 6.83million.

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Posted by silver on 02/19/2009 at 5:43 PM

They're on a par with Coldplay over here, They've sold out 4 dates at the O2 Arena in June, where they have already played twice and they've sold nearly 2 million copies of their latest album. I don't hate them but their current record is pretty dull hence the reason why they're so popular and cleaned up at the Brits.

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Posted by Anonymous on 02/19/2009 at 5:50 PM

Actually OBTN has sold almost 5m copies globally. And obviously more people are going to buy watered down shite like Coldplay over the years that the edgy rock that KoL treated us to with their first few albums. Arseholes to you :)

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Posted by Anonymous on 02/20/2009 at 3:52 AM

Surprised that no one is talking about how he compared their humor to Ricky Gervais'. That was a softball.

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Posted by MBH on 02/20/2009 at 7:59 AM

I guess the point is to find something new to write about. You aren't going to reverse any success they've had worldwide and you start to look like an ass by continually running the same "KOL sucks" blog. We get it, you don't like them. That would certainly explain why I didn't see an article covering their return to a very enthusiastic crowd here in Nashville last year.
Right?

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Posted by Anonymous on 02/20/2009 at 8:01 AM

it's really sad that nashville treats kol like shit. obviously kol doesn't need us to be successful, but it sure would be nice to feel welcome in your own "hometown". such a small percentage of us were actually born here that it doesn't seem fair for us to call nashville home, but successful rockstars can't? does everyone hate them b/c they are such a big deal overseas or b/c they act like cocky rockers? they are like gods in many overseas countries and chances are they never did anything to you so why can't you just respect it or at least let it go?
i wish they were more involved with our music scene, but i sure can see why they aren't. would you hate them less if they had played springwater, bluesboro, the 5spot and some house parties? i think they are hated alongside paramore b/c of the fact that they virtually came out of nowhere to blow up commercially and instantly made your band look stupid and less badass.
they don't even have radio hits in the US. you guys should love that. they aren't mainstream. you should love that. they are weird and quirky. you guys should love that. what's the problem?

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Posted by vicious cycle on 02/20/2009 at 8:30 AM

KOL are an immense band! seen them 4 times in the past 2 years and each time is a treat.! live in the uk and i hav no idea why they arent as big in the US (esp their home town) surely they are due at least a little bit of respect!!?

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Posted by Anonymous on 02/20/2009 at 9:52 AM

paramore isn't hated by anyone.
i mean, I would lay down with at least three of them without them writing about how my sex is on fire, or whatever the hell that song is about.
clitoris'

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Posted by bf on 02/20/2009 at 10:36 AM

What a douchebag.

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Posted by Anonymous on 02/20/2009 at 11:06 AM

y'all should put them on the cover.

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Posted by coward on 02/20/2009 at 11:14 AM

I am happy for KOL, they deserve everything they have worked for!! I am proud that they are from Nashville I think it is one of the things that makes Nashville cool. Sure they might be self righteous but that is just ego, and ego fades after time when your double chin appears and hair is growing out of your ears. for all the haters, deep inside you know you like them. You are jealous of their success because your band has not gotten where they are. end of discussion...

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Posted by anonymous on 02/20/2009 at 11:24 AM

dear bf: please scroll to the top of the page, type "paramore" in the search box and read the comments and threads. i sense a fair amount of hatred and jealousy regarding them.

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Posted by vicious cycle on 02/20/2009 at 11:47 AM

You limey bastards! Kings of Leon aren't that great. That sex on fire song is a great example of their craptasticity. There's nothing original about it. It sounds like the Police doing a commercial for Zima whilst on quaaludes! Then again, you guys like the Streets and Coldplay, so maybe mediocre shit is your thing.
Their success is to be envied by many, I'll give you that. But that shit is almost as boring as Wilco, and twice as overhyped!

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Posted by burrito on 02/20/2009 at 3:40 PM

Dammit, burrito. I was rooting so hard for your comment—100% behind it in virtually every way. Then you had to go and drag Wilco into it. For shame.

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Posted by d. patrick on 02/20/2009 at 3:53 PM

I, on the other hand, am behind your comment 100%, burrito.
Good lookin' out.

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Posted by Bawston Sean on 02/20/2009 at 4:41 PM

Just for that, I'm switching my vote for "Best Blogger" to Shawn Mahoney.

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Posted by d. patrick on 02/20/2009 at 5:02 PM

Vote for Shawn Mahoney!

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Posted by Louise8 on 02/20/2009 at 5:06 PM

vicious cycle: I guess what I meant was that all MY friends adore them. Sorry man something's on fire, I better go get a shot.

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Posted by bf on 02/20/2009 at 5:33 PM

jesus , im from england and cant beilve these guys are hated this much here , i find it funny

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Posted by rob willson on 02/21/2009 at 3:42 AM

Well its not that I dont like them,Their mom is a sweet person but they are an embaressment to the people who contributed to their wellbeing as kids.In some of their first interviews they kinda dogged on some people like the people from some of the churches their daddy scammed.Yes those folks were simple but they helped feed and clothe them when their daddy wouldnt.I remember them living in a travel trailer and people taking turns taking them food.If it wasnt for some of those simple people they would be in foster care ungrateful brats.You ever seen that movie with Robert Duvall where he is the traveling preacher well that's there daddy but worse.Its because of those simple backwoods people that they had a good childhood.And they can miss me with the deprived always on the move they have a large extended close family and friends.I guess they inherited the hypocritical part.

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Posted by truth on 02/21/2009 at 1:14 PM

It kinda reminds me of how Bush decided to host his class reunion at the White House but lots of his classmates didnt want to go because they know the truth about him.

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Posted by truth on 02/21/2009 at 1:17 PM

it's just fucking music. i understand that most the people on here live for their tunes or whatever but jesus christ. i think everyone gets it, the locals or the scene kids or whatever don't like kings of leon. Bashing them only gives them more attention. I bet you fifteen or twenty extra people went out and checked out the band because of reading all that shit. They probably gain a fan every time you yelp envy. Maybe it isn't envy, either way its sad. Just let the motherfuckers live. How would you like your ass on display for the world to bash? i'm just sayin.... take a fuckin' breather people.

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Posted by crazyidea! on 02/21/2009 at 2:06 PM

Love them. Think they're sweet.

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Posted by Mary on 02/21/2009 at 7:18 PM

i find it funny how bitter you guys are of them , i mean its ok to dislike there music , but to say you hate them so much ?
why what have they done!
and coldplay haha sad song after sad song , and they call themself rock ?
and yes coldplay song 7 million records KOL have 3.5 , which isnt bad seeing as coldplay are the biggest band in the world

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Posted by hello on 02/22/2009 at 3:57 PM

They've become tabloid fodder in the UK of late, especially since they released Only By The Night, which is shame because the previous three albums were pretty good. I saw them in London last year and a large percentage of the audience was made up of rabid young female fans, squealing at a sickeningly high pitch all the way through and taking umpteen photos to post on their KoL livejournals for other fangirls to swoon over. "OMG!!!1!!! lyke Jared's a$$ is sooo hot!!!!" type of fans. It kind of took away from the fact that KoL are evolving into great musicians. It's almost like they've turned into a boy band with their increased success. Another factor is that they've had so many puff pieces written that the over exaggerated praise will make people tire of them which would be a pity (or not if you can't stand them).

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Posted by Mable on 02/22/2009 at 3:59 PM

The Kings of Leon. What happened? The singer used to give forth with such painful honesty about adolescent sex it would actually embarrass the delighted listener for all of the right reasons. Sex On Fire is just plain embarassing and Use Somebody is nothing more than stadium rock bluster.
I don't really know what it is, could it be that OBTN was a HUGE let down, the fact they are regularly being featured on gossip sites, or the fact that Miley Cyrus knows who they are? I am happy for their success, their Grammy, their Brits, their sold out concerts. I wouldn't want it any other way, they deserve it. It's good now but it was UN-FUCKING-TOUCHABLE before, huge difference! They were incredibly cool. Now they play pool and smooch models in their glossy but inexplicable videos. The latest one even featured that standard slo-mo black and white tracking shot of the band walking from the tour bus directly into a pre-stadium-gig group hug (how very 80's). Is there no other way of trying to conquer the music scene without becoming so predictable? I want to like them like I used to but they've lost what made them so special in the first place.

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Posted by Anonymous on 02/23/2009 at 8:18 AM

Yeah fuck Wilco too

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Posted by buddy on 02/24/2009 at 12:22 AM

maybe we don't like them because in the September SPIN Caleb, at the end of the article, says "fuck nashville, this place sucks, the people here suck. I'm moving to New York."
Just a thought.

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Posted by the dude on 02/24/2009 at 9:52 AM

I think you guys should shut up, Kings Of Leon are just a band, that I happen to love, maybe you don't but that doesn't give you guys to right to bash them, maybe they said that shit, but what ever the music is good, theirs obviously alot of love and alot of hate, just like EVERY other damn band, chill.
Their a great band, just for the record they hate "Only By The Night" ALOT, I personally like a couple tracks, but their label made them release that album, they agree their last album was HELLA better.
any way chill out.

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Posted by Audreyeffingwattsintern on 02/24/2009 at 10:10 AM

Err, Audreyeffingwattsintern YOU chill out. Those who dislike the band are just as entitled to comment as those who do like them, it's called FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Everyone has the right to express an opinion without interference, so suck it up.
To suggest the band were forced into recording this album is laughable. KoL have said on numerous occasions that this is their best album yet (agree or disagree, it doesn't matter, it goes back to the old freedom of speech thing again). Regardless of anyone's opinion of the band, I highly doubt they or the label would waste so much time, effort and money on a record KoL personally hated so much. BTW, your comments kind of make you sound like a 12-year-old stalker. Oh, and look up There, They're and Their.

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Posted by Anonymous on 02/24/2009 at 12:35 PM

i remember first hearing KoL back in '02 on some shitty college station...in maine.
when i went down and lived in nashville again (for the last 3 years) i was surprised that there was so much distaste for them, well, for ANY band from 615.....
i mean, i love nashville, but damn....y'all are a bunch of haters.
i moved back up to maine a few months ago and since ive been here all they ever play on MAINSTREAM radio stations is KoL. they are obviously doing quite well.

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Posted by Raychelle in Maine on 02/24/2009 at 1:52 PM

I really liked the first three albums but Only By The Night is songwriting by numbers. They've recorded three near masterpieces and then followed it up with a limp, uninspiring fourth. I am glad they're successful but why, oh why has it taken until this album for people to finally pay attention?

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Posted by Anonymous on 02/24/2009 at 4:20 PM

Wow! I was thrilled to discover a band I love as much as KoL. And even more thrilled to hear they were from Nashville which is just a hop, skip and a jump away from home. But reading this blog I can see why it's been so hard to find them playing a venue nearby. I'm not adverse to dialougue that might include criticism, but just aimless insults is a sure sign of incompetency or jeolousy. It's easy to be a critic- What's your talent? And if you're expecting rock-n-rollers to be perfect, free of ego and holding somekind of moral highground, you're sure to be mistaken. They suffer like the rest of us, and hence have to learn to cope, like the rest of us. In fact if they didn't, I don't think they would get very far as artists of any kind.
Opinions are relative. Just because I enjoy chocolate more than I do vanilla doesn't mean that vanilla sucks, just not my taste.

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Posted by Tonya on 02/26/2009 at 11:37 AM

Sit DOWN Kings of Leon haters. Caleb, Jared, Nathan and Matthew your talent is God-given - thanks for sharing it with us.

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Posted by KOL Fan on 07/28/2009 at 12:33 PM
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