Wednesday, April 15, 2009

When Egos Collide (aka stick to what made you famous)


With Kanye in self improvement mode and Brandon Flowers touring (or trying to tour with aggitated bandmates...who'se to blame?) in support of newest (deeply disappointing) Day and Age...it seems like the two are perfect partners to collaborate with.  Right?  According to Spin.com, Flowers dropped by ye's studio while he was recording with Jared Leto from 30 Seconds to Mars and My-So-Called Life. (Which of Jared's characters do you like better...down and out teenager or rock singer?  I personally like heroin addict [Requiem for a Dream])  Kanye tells a story only like a true linguist can:

"I WAS WORKING ON THIS DOPE ASS SONG WITH JARED AND BRANDON STOPPED BY"

"Dope Ass" as it might have been, it wasn't  dope ass enough that Flowers couldn't interrupt in his Swarovski Crystals encrusted shirt (note picture and then contemplate the last person you saw wearing Swarovski Crystal...Grandma?)  But midst a recording session:

"BRANDON HOPPED ON THE KEYBOARD AND I HOPPED ON THE MPC [type of drum machine.]"

As noted on West's blog, this took place "before everyone bounced,"  so lets not make Flowers seem like he high jacked the intensely creative recording session between Vocoder and Actor.  Flower's trip to the studio is nothing more than a "lets get my solo career going, and, please Kanye either show me the power of the Vocoder, or, produce the single on my next camaraderie-free (that I loved to fake on my rock band obsessed Sam's Town) album.  (what's missing from Day and Age?  Cohesiveness of styles.)  Flowers is proving too large for the band that made him famous, and traveled to the sensi of "too famous," West and current understudy Leto.  West stopped rapping (made him famous) and started singing, Leto  paused acting (made him famous) and started singing in all white outfits (although he seems to be more Cobain now [see photo]), and it seem Flowers is going to abandon the Killers (although they seem to be like the Titanic, nose deep in water just waiting for the rear to become heavy enough to split the tanker in half).  I know money, fame, and admiration for your art can prop you into lala land--think you can sing or think you can go solo (question: are you that iconic--or can you be?) but please remember when your ego gets you into places you don't belong, you should have stuck to what made you famous in the first place.

*note: I know this is probably my fourth Kanye related post in this blog's short life, but the guy is everywhere--on one of  my favorite TV shows, working with one of my favorite directors...

**second note: exposure does not make you an icon... longevity does.

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