Come around Sundown

[4AssedMonkey]

Kings of Leon were good once.

Then they toured with U2.

They knew the risks.

[sifi]

Na, they sold out. They were nothing in America til they radically changed their sound.

[fowls]

I normally avoid the term 'selling out', but when a band suddenly gets a cleancut fashionable image, eliminates the regional accent which used to make their songs indecipherable and goes from dirty southern rock to effects-laden stadium rock all in the space of one album to another, and then they stick with that sound for 3 consecutive albums, that's pretty hard to justify through "their sound just matured".

Deciding whether to jump into the mainstream or maintain artistic integrity is always a hard decision to make. I don't think it's right to slam bands who decide to make a change for commercial gain (the music business is a tough nut to crack, and everyone's just trying to get by), but at the same time it's pretty obvious they did it for the fame and fortune and I don't see why their fans are so defensive about it. Their old sound aimed at a niche, their new sound is more pleasing to the general population. No need to be ashamed or coy about it, although selling out is a bit of a blunt way of phrasing it.

Edited October 23, 2010 by fowls

[MattL80]

I normally avoid the term 'selling out', but when a band suddenly gets a cleancut fashionable image, eliminates the regional accent which used to make their songs indecipherable and goes from dirty southern rock to effects-laden stadium rock all in the space of one album to another, and then they stick with that sound for 3 consecutive albums, that's pretty hard to justify through "their sound just matured".

Deciding whether to jump into the mainstream or maintain artistic integrity is always a hard decision to make. I don't think it's right to slam bands who decide to make a change for commercial gain (the music business is a tough nut to crack, and everyone's just trying to get by), but at the same time it's pretty obvious they did it for the fame and fortune and I don't see why their fans are so defensive about it. Their old sound aimed at a niche, their new sound is more pleasing to the general population. No need to be ashamed or coy about it, although selling out is a bit of a blunt way of phrasing it.

[In transit]

Main thing about Come Around Sundown is that they've clearly seen the commercial success of OBTN and decided that rather than return to the roots that made good music got them their break they'll produce the same stadium-friendly rock that challenges nothing. It's just a nothing album really.

I bloody hate Radiohead but all their music sounds the same?

If Kings of Leon had tried something like Radiohead's Kid A moment then they'd have at least got some integrity back but that would have put future stadium dates at risk.