 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Hot Fuss
- By The Killers
- Genre: Indie Rock
Common Sense Media says
Indie rockers throw some attitude our way.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the lyrics are mostly innocent with the exception of a couple of minor sexual references in "Mr. Brightside" ("But she's touching his chest/Now, he takes off her dress") and "Midnight Show" ("I wanna look up, look up, look up, yeah yeah/You got a real short skirt").
What's the story?
Something about The Killers' HOT FUSS CD brings to mind an old joke: How many lead singers does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Just one -- he holds the bulb up to the socket and waits for the world to revolve around him. Or, as the joke relates to the CD, how many hours does lead singer Brandon Flowers actually spend singing along with Jim Morrison to old Doors albums in front of the bedroom mirror? But this might not be a bad thing -- if you're going to join the pantheon of rock & roll bad boys, you might as well emulate the vocal stylings of one of the greats.
Is it any good?
Brandon has a terrific voice. Though some of the content is disturbing, it's subtle enough to go zooming over the heads of younger teens. What isn't subtle is the musicianship. Though the band is excellent on every level, there's an air of pretentious self-importance that gets just plain tedious after a while. "We're The Killers and You're Not," the songs seem to shout. To create a truly sensational album, these Las Vegas self-defined bad boys will have to learn how to get out of their own way and enjoy the rock & roll ride.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about where The Killers display their attitude. Is it warranted? "Mr. Brightside" deals with a past love moving on: How would you deal with a broken heart? How does jealousy help or hurt a situation? You can also discuss how music from the '80s has influenced the band.
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Kind of boring...
Their music is kind of dull, but sometimes brilliant. Any kid who doesn't listen to mainstream pop or is below the age of eight will find this album super-boring. But I love the first five songs. After that there is not much to get over excited about. I love that they are considered indie, but the lead singer has an ego the size of NYC, and the next album will probably be horrible. 3.5/5
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AGE
The first bit was good...
I was really turned on by the songs Somebody Told Me and Mr. Brightside but I found the last few songs hard to bear, especially the really long ones. Other than that, not a bad album.
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December 23, 2008
AGE
If you can relate and really get in to the songs, its an amazing album. I can't see a 12 year old fully understanding the meanings behind 'Mr.Brightside' or 'All these Things that I've done'
The Killers best album, everything since hasnt come close IMO.
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AGE
An outstanding sophomore album
The Killer's first album ever, "Hot Fuss" is an exceedingly good one. Obviously inspired by The Doors as said in the Common Sense Media review, the four-man troupe delivers. Incredibly infectious songs mixed in with some good messages, such as on the songs "Everything Will Be Alright" and "All These Things That I've Done". For the content, there is the reference to a murdered girlfriend on "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine" and a even more subtle message on "Midnight Show". Despite the band's title, they arn't really stuck on the subject of killing. For sexual content, on "Midnight Show" there is a lyric that goes, "You've got a real short skirt, I wanna look up, look up, look up" and another one on the same song, "I've got a blanket in the backseat on my mind". For social behavior, the song "Andy You're A Star" is about a stalker. Most of this stuff will not be noticed by younger kids. This is one sophomore album you don't want to miss.
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AGE
Wow a modern band that you can actually tell the songs apart... Sometimes this album is great other times not so much but over all enjoyable and creative on the musical front.
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AGE
Arrogance be darned!
I love love love LOVE LOVE this album. It is really great. The common sense review irritated the heck out of me, i didn't even notice that they seemed full of themselves and it DEFINATELY should NOT overshadow the whole disc! listen to it. enjoy it. buy it.
p.s the only issues i had with the album was a sexual referance in "mr. brightside" ('he takes off her dress')
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AGE
Very good.
This album is awesome and I can listen to it over and over again. I found nothing innappropriate whatsoever with it.
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| Artist: | The Killers |
| Release date: | June 15, 2004 |
| Label: | Island |
| Genre: | Indie Rock |
| Parental advisory: | No |
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