Brandon Flowers might be slightly wrong

At least Brandon Flowers believes in himself:

"Whether the people want to accept it or not, we might be the best band in the last long time," Flowers is quoted as saying. "I'd go up any night against just about any band that's come out in the last 15 years. Not that it's a competition, but I do feel sometimes people don't have a grasp on what we've accomplished and what we've acquired."

I think people know what you've accomplished, Brandon. A half-decent album; some amusing Christmas special things for Jimmy Kimmel. In Mr Brightside, a song chosen by people who think they're being edgy when they appear on singing talent shows. A sequence of albums where the proportion of acceptability slid from 'half-decent' to 'three per cent alright'.

I think there's around nine thousand bands who could probably crush yours if you went toe-to-toe, but let's just start with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs while you nip off to pick up your coat from the hatcheck, shall we?

Brandon Flowers calls Mitt Romney a bad Mormon

The return of Brandon Flowers brings back to attention the second highest profile Mormon. And he's been having a pop at the highest profile Mormon:

"I think Romney would even admit that he wasn't a great ambassador for [the Mormon Church]," Flowers said in an interview with the Daily Beast. "His answers weren't great, and it made it even worse; it seemed like he was hiding something. But there's really nothing to hide. You can find out what you need to find out! It's all there."

It's true that there's a lot of information that you can find out about Mormonism, because even the anti-Mormon MM Outreach site lists "facts the Mormons won't tell you" while admitting that, erm, it sourced most of these facts that the Mormons won't tell you came from the Mormon Church website.

The Washington Post has some sympathy for Romney:

But in Romney's defense, from 2008 to 2012, the percentage of Americans who said they would not vote for a generally well-qualified candidate their party nominated who happened to be Mormon was between 17 percent and 24 percent, according to Gallup polling. Only gays or lesbians, Muslims, and atheists had a higher percentage on that question.

Actually, if you're less hobbled by your religion than by a rejection of religion, or your sexuality, you might think that you're not that hard done by, but let's just sit that to one side.

Let's just focus on something else, though. Brandon Flowers is proud to be a spokesperson for Mormonism.

If he wants to take that role on, let's ask him about how the time the Mormons of Utah tried to ban same gender marriage in California. Let's ask him about why the church then tried to cover up what it was doing. Let's ask him about the church's support for "religious freedom" laws that are basically legalising discrimination.

If we wants to be the poster boy for Mormonism, let's ask him the difficult questions.

Sorry, America

It's two uninspiring solo artists detached from their welcome-outstaying bands for the price of one:

Beginning November 10th in Los Angeles, CA, Healy will join The Killers' front man Brandon Flowers for a two-week tour of the United States.

Staying in never sounded so good, right?

Just the Flowers

Imagine The Killers if the rest of the band had no real way of keeping Brandon Flowers' ego in check. They'd be a lot like The Killers, right?

So it's not entirely clear why Flowers feels the need to do a solo tour, but he does. Oh, he does.

What is it with furrowed-brow bands doing Christmas singles?

As if the Manics wasn't bad enough, we're also going to have to put up with The Killers entering the holiday fray with Don't Shoot Me Santa. It's for charity, of course - in this case RED - which might explain why Brandon Flowers is getting to grips with Santa, who is something of a slippery subject for Mormons.

Bravery wish they hadn't beefed with the Killers

The interesting-enough-when-theres-no-Springwatch battle between The Bravery and My Little U2 ("the Killers") seems to be drawing to an end, with the Bravery wishing the thing had never started. Sam Endicott calls a halt:

It all started when [Brandon Flowers] started talking shit about us, and we responded. Now, I just regret the whole thing even happened."

Although having got a few good column inches out the battle, we note that Endicott was happy to call a halt while he had something to promote.

Killers flee Colorado

Poor value for money from The Killers at their Red Rocks show: They managed one and a half shows before Brandon Flower's voice gave out.

They're going to try again in September, but even so, the haul out to Red Rocks isn't a simple one and the fans aren't happy, reports the Rocky Mountain News. The paper has been on the internets:

"I seriously can't believe he walked out on a sold out crowd at Red Rocks. He should have been honored to see all those people singing his lyrics!" one fan posted.

Another took umbrage with the fact the band was still scheduled to play in Los Angeles on Friday: "Wow so you guys are playing (Friday night)? What a miraculous recovery. Ya know, there's nothing like showing your fans you don't really give a (expletive) about them."

The paper also says the audience has "sat through Hot Hot Heat", suggesting this was the injury to which insult had been added.

Flowers plants seeds

Brandon Flowers has completed the successful impregnation of his wife Tana and, currently, a foetus is gestating inside her womb.

We thought we'd stick to the facts, rather than copy Victoria Newton's strange tone:

I hear the happy couple, who married in Hawaii two years ago and have been desperate for a little soldier, are thrilled.

Desperate for a little soldier? What, because they feel the need to help out with the Iraq surge?

This could, though, mean the end for the band, to judge by an interview Flowers gave to Craig McLean for the Observer last year:

He's desperate to have a baby, 'a little Flower child', but Mormonism places an exalted premium on the solidity of family life; one of his cousins gave up a place on the PGA golf circuit because it would mean being away from home too much. Flowers sees how difficult it is for (non-Mormon) Dave Keuning, whose son is one year old; he couldn't countenance being on the road and not being around his own kid.

Hmmm.