Late last year I was browsing through the news online, where on the side menu an article title read ‘When Bands Fall Off Cliffs…’ intrigued I clicked said title with picture of Kaiser Chiefs below and read on.
A on going swirling thought of mine is about bands that have fallen off of the radar of the vast musical industry mostly indie bands from my teenage years, who sold thousands of records and hit the scrapheap quicker than you can say ‘I predict a riot’, but there are bands who have seen off the tough times, bands who have worked through the second album sludge and still shine through…But why?
In the week that The Queen marked her diamond year a band mentioned in the article and already previously mentioned released greatest hits ‘Souvenir’, A band that saw off the second album sludge but fell flat soon after…Kaiser Chiefs. With 8 years in the spotlight behind them, albums that have sold multiple times platinum and a bathroom shelf so full of awards that it’s bowing to burst and break. The never ending hits of the band can rile the smallest amount of bodies into a frenzy while having thousands upon thousands screaming choruses at festivals worldwide but flip the coin and the story changes.
From the roaring success of ‘Employment’ with hits such as ‘Oh My God’ ‘I Predict A Riot’ and ‘Everyday I Love You Less And Less’ they released another hit machine in ‘Yours truly, Angry Mob’ which included ‘Ruby’ and fitting ‘The Angry Mob’. Then occurred a ‘downward spiral’ of sales, ‘Off With Their Heads’ shifting just over 200,000 copies not even half eclipsing the numerous double in sales of previous albums and the outright failure of ‘The Future Is Medieval’.
With a fan base bigger than Leeds United football club the only question worth asking is…Where did the fans go? A band that so quickly prospered with hit after hit ran out of hits consequently taking the biggest hit with lead singer Ricky Wilson confirming the band a ‘Singles Band’ and the greatest hits release almost possibly hammering the last nail into the Kaiser coffin until festival reincarnation years on.
A band who reign within the same indie timeline are Kasabian, lad rockers who have written indie anthems for fun whilst reinventing themselves behind a ‘like what we do or fuck you’ attitude. From the release of self titled album ‘Kasabian’ in the same year as Kaisers ‘Employment’ they’ve gone on with a succession of albums in ‘Empire’ ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ and most recently game changer ‘Velociraptor!’. They go on minus a greatest hits with attitude intact.
The indie roll call of bands from the ’04 rise to the present day is endless…The Fratellis, who unfortunately fell at the second album hurdle are to re-unite, Arctic Monkeys who continually succeed as a band and Alex Turner as a solo artist, Bloc Party are set to release new album ‘Four’ already receiving critics acclaim after empty rumours of a split and The Enemy possibly kicking a reigniting ember to form a flame once again for British guitar music.
From the negative we lead to positive while still asking questions, who should the finger of blame be pointed at?…Is it the record label who simultaneously place bands on pedestals that they shouldn’t have to hold, lead into a musical direction too quickly without time to gather themselves in a clouded haze.
Two Door Cinema Club over 2011 became a band of indie folklore, 2010 saw the release of ’Tourist History’ supported by French label Kitsune who have nurtured Cut Copy, Delphic, Tom Vek, Hot Chip, La Roux, Phoenix and Klaxons (to name but a few). A label who (in my opinion) let the artist breath and write their own story, Two Door Cinema Club are currently in Miami (not by choice) recording a second album minus the drum machine with added samba. It will be anticipated to be as if not better than the first album, in a ’fly or die’ situation what are bands to do?.
Other labels aren’t so forgiving, Kitsune are a large label but are shadowed by big players like Columbia Records, Domino or EMI who (in my opinion) look for the quick fix, take the band who make the hit and build them into a money making machine but when the cord is cut, who picks up the pieces?
In conclusion, the cut throat attitude of the current music industry in personal opinion is that a outwardly reckless 2 and out album by decreasing sales by numerous bands is devastating .When the dust finally settles and guitar music is ripe and strong once more we will take a clearer outlook on our musical surroundings, but for now we have to stress for the new and worry for the old.
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