Killers End the "Fuss"

Las Vegas rockers launch final trek behind debut, ready follow-up After a final stint in support of their multiplatinum debut album, Hot Fuss, Las Vegas synth rockers the Killers will polish off work on their next effort, due "no later than June," according to frontman Brandon Flowers.

The band -- Flowers, guitarist David Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci -- has almost a dozen songs to choose from, including "Higher and Higher," which Flowers says is their follow-up to "All These Things That I've Done," and "The Natural," packed with sevenths chords.

"There's a couple of Beatles songs that are all sevenths chords," says Flowers. "It just makes it feel so different -- almost like a Bee Gees feel. [In 'The Natural,'] we sing about the ocean and things, but it's dark. It's like the beach meets Nick Cave."

The outfit has also been rehearsing "Where the White Boys Dance," which, unlike other new material, they've yet to test live. "We're holding on to it," says Flowers. "It's our ace in the hole. It's a pop song, but when you hear it, it makes you feel dirty. Everybody's going to love it."

With plans to hit the studio in January, the four-piece first needs to narrow down their lengthy list of production candidates. "We have too many," Flowers says of their choices of producers. "If we could make another record like the first one, then I think it would be successful. But I want to get a producer who will mess with the parts, somebody with different ideas on how to arrange it. We've already proven that we can write a perfect pop song, but I admire bands like the Talking Heads for having hits that are still pop and rock, but out of the norm."

In the meantime, the Killers will kick off their last Hot Fuss trek tonight at the Borgata in Atlantic City. After fifteen months on the road supporting the release -- which spawned the hits "Somebody Told Me" and "All These Things That I've Done" -- the band still has a few tricks up its sleeve. "We're going to up the ante on production," says Flowers. "And we've never done [the album closer] 'Everything Will Be Alright' live, so we might do that. Nobody seems to know it, but I think it's one of our best songs."

The Killers tour dates:

9/29: Atlantic City, NJ, Borgata Hotel Casino
9/30: Wantagh, NY, Jones Beach
10/1: Staten Island, NY, Richmond Co. Bank Ballpark (Across the Narrows Festival)
10/6: Long Beach, CA, Long Beach Arena
10/7: Las Vegas, Hard Rock Hotel
10/8: Mountain View, Shoreline Amphitheatre (Download Festival)
10/12: Seattle, Key Arena
10/13: Vancouver, PNE Pacific Coliseum
9/29: Atlantic City, NJ, Borgata Hotel Casino
9/30: Wantagh, NY, Jones Beach
10/1: Staten Island, NY, Richmond Co. Bank Ballpark (Across the Narrows Festival)
10/6: Long Beach, CA, Long Beach Arena
10/7: Las Vegas, Hard Rock Hotel
10/8: Mountain View, Shoreline Amphitheatre (Download Festival)
10/12: Seattle, Key Arena
10/13: Vancouver, PNE Pacific Coliseum

source: aversion by JOLIE LASH