... but it's a great album, been listening to it all week.

Perhaps I'll actually buy this one when it physically comes out.

They also have their own youtube channel. This, as far as I can tell, is designed to encourage people to listen to their music for free on the internet. With added video, which is more than I get when I buy a CD.

I'm confused with these mixed messages.

It's just that we have slightly weird passions...

Don't think that just because you're an "artist" you're the only one that puts any feeling into your work boyo!

diddums!

I'm so sorry kings of leon. If I'd known the suffering of waking up after a dream and writing it down and having to play guitar and sing all day before going out to party with like minded people I'd... still not have bought your album. But now I'll make doubly sure.

Paris - cos she looks like she's crying a little. just like me :'(

Never heard of them, are they available on TPB ?

Ahoy me hearties !

doesn't he know moaning about pirates induces 'metalica syndrome', where all the freetards download all your stuff for free.

paris, cos she's been downloaded for free a few times too.

Who are they?

Anyway - as we should say to all emokids - do yourself a favour and become an hero!

I heard KOL being interviewed by Zane Lowe a while back on Radio 1 by and they pretty much admitted the majority of songs on the entire album did not have a particular deep meaning, they just came up with them out of the blue when jamming about before gigs on their tours.

So yeah, I don't buy all that tortured musical genius bollocks.

.... sounds like the smallest violin in the world playing just for them.

Shame really, I actually liked thier music, they can get stuffed now, don't want to hear the muffled noise of someone trying to sing whilst thier head and shoulders up thier own arse.

so anyone who downloads an album has no idea what goes into a song, na of course I don't, I played guitar for about 15 years, keyboards for about 10 and drums (only for a month, but still, I own some drums)

but since I downloaded a few albums I effectively volunteered to have all information relating to these activities wiped from my brain,

boo hoo, you get up at 3 in the morning to write ideas down, yeah, THATS YOUR JOB,

If I was making a living from playing the drums, I would be absolutely delighted that i could survive off doing something I love doing, regardless of how much I made, or how many people managed to nick a cheeky copy, I'd be more pissed about the record company who sit back making £££ more than I was when they did f**k all to produce it and I spent months on tour but then again, I'd be the one who signed a contract with them, and I'd be the one going around the world playing to thousands of people rather than sitting in an office full of retards like I am now, I know which I'd choose in a heartbeat

-_-

Face that cares.

Paris, because she looks like she cares too.

Mmmmm. Poor dear.

He's right though it's not the same as slogging away at a bloody boring job in an office. I'll swap with him if he's finding it a struggle. Shouldn't be too much of a stretch, the last album wasn't up to much anyway.

Yeah, really. I can't count the number of times I jump out of bed at 3am with the solution to a programming issue fizzling through my head. I'm not going to get all precious about it, though :/

"Don't think that just because you're an "artist" you're the only one that puts any feeling into your work boyo!"

They probably don't and even if they do I don't really care, however you shouldnt' think that just because you work in an office, everyone else gets the hours they work recorded and paid accordingly.

After a self-pious quote like that, I am tempted to pirate their new album just to spite them; but frankly, I wouldn't consider buying it in the first place, so it's not like they're losing out.

It is, indeed, not an office job. Perhaps he'd like to come and do an office job for a while, and I'll write songs.

..especially the one doing the rounds. Though the music's great, it really does butcher sections of some songs.

Great album btw, return to form after the awfully mixed mess that was Because Of The Times (I'm looking at you, On Call).

never heard of you before - but hey perhaps you might want to think about not using record companies - just an idea - kinda cheap to sell your tunes using the net as the delivery mechanism.

Studio setup is kinda cheap as well.

Give the punters the ability to buy at a reasonable price and they will. Just make sure they can actually buy the damn thing, and don't offer it for nothing put a price on it, an amount you think it is worth.

/Passenger is a good exmaple here, they offer a free MP3, quite a catchy little tune, and after a few plays I think I will get the album, they chose bloody amazon, cannot download the album, so they missed a sale.

Instead they should have offered the download of the album from their site, and used a simple payment gateway system.

I actually do know what it's like to be involved in the process of producing music, but personally I think it's an absolute pleasure. Hard work, sure, but very satisfying in itself.

I wish I could get up in the morning and pick up my guitar. That would be awesome. I'd be happy to do it unpaid, if I only had the time.

Unfortunately I'm busy doing something whose value isn't dependant on copyright law.

Your stuff isn't even worth freetarding

that guy can't even maintain a coherent thought for 2 whole sentences.

KOL, you don't deserve a dime. get a real job.

>It's not a day at the office – you're putting your heart and soul into something and for people to not >respect that, that's crazy

as opposed to working with your nose against the grindstone all day while your heart and soul get destroyed by the sheer hatred you have for your work.

You rockstars have it easy - wait until you don't like music or touring and then you'll discover what it's really like!

God damn hippies, get a real job. Now are you sure its about the Art and not about ROYALTIES. Whats the matter cant afford to run all 27 off your high performance cars?

Ho yeah and your "ART" Sux.

brittney cos she sux too!!!

Never heard of you. But who ever you are... Here's a quarter call someone who gives a fuck.

Oh and just for the sniveling commentary here's hoping you're music gets pirated, shared trough every illegal download site available then tossed in the recycle bin. Have a nice day.

The line of coke before, during or after the interview...

Something tells me it might have been before...

I use bit-torrent to try before I buy, but this sort of "lets ignore reality" ranting has got that album scratched from the list.

KoL - look at the numbers - pirating increases the volume of sales. Attempts to limit pirating reduces them. It's your own wallet you're hitting with comments like that.

p.s. thanks for putting the Paris Icon back, although I preferred the new Apples. I do like this Pirate though - it reminds me of Max (as in "I'm not a malefactor, I'm a lagomorph")

KOL: If you want a better reward, bitch to the studios rather than freetards. They're the ones really ripping you off.

The whole piracy rant by studios is crap anyway. They just make up a load of bull about how much money they've lost on the basis of songs they haven't yet sold and cannot prove at all that the freetards would have even bought them in the first place, and then multiply the figure by 100 to spread all over the press about the mythical billions they are losing. Meanwhile CD sales continue to do well, if not improve (once accounting for the current economic decline that is).

They're yet another of those Fratellis/Stokes/Velvet Revolver types, their only real unique selling point being that they at least pretend to be related. They've had at least one number one album over here, but can't seem to sell a record in their native America.

There's definitely no point putting any special effort into remembering who they are, they'll be gone again soon enough. The music isn't bad, but it also isn't that interesting.

... is being made out above.

I've noticed that plenty of established artists (many of whom have cash galore) are moaning about piracy and the suchlike.

For all the vacuous "rebel" posturing of rockstars, they're a pretty conformist, conservative bunch. This group, like loads of others, see their job as... well.. a job, and the thought of using their website to circumvent the industry they've slogged their way through is pretty unappealing.

Why is this?

Well, firstly, they've got to understand how the business works- which (let's face it) if they could, they'd be doing a regular job, one that requires use of the brain, and stuff.

Secondly, they've got a big company taking care of all that stuff now, and everyone who works at that company keeps telling them how fab and ace and stuff they are. Why would they want to step out on their own?

Thirdly, you can bet that the staff of the record company are constantly telling the silly addled sods who bang instruments together for cash, that nasty pirates are stealing their money, and unless they do "x" then they'll get dropped.

On top of that: fuck man, they're successful- they got a deal! They got a tour bus! They got records in shops! Impresssionable girls know who they are and will do *stuff* with them... you know.. *that* stuff!)

What if the new internets take all this away?

In short, they've got a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

After all, if you were they: wouldn't you?

I'm with the guys up there. The least they could have done is wait until their album is actually for sale to start bitching about piracy.

they still earn far more than I do doing a normal job, so do those losses really stop them living a good life?

Also, "and then we party". Great message, don't pirate music kids, and if you ever think about doing drugs make sure you do some jamming first, it makes it ok. Nice one guys.

I for one, perhaps the only one here looking at all the comments have the album on preorder and am looking forward to hearing it in full. I've never quite understood the whole lets steal it because they have lots of money and don't need any more and all they do is party, by that reasoning is it okay to go and steal one of Branson's cars or Alan Sugars with someone standing there handing you the keys of course, just to try and even up the similarities a little. Or even one of your beloved Linux, Mac Os, Windows boxes, because well, you've got 2 or 3 really good fast ones and I'm still running a machine thats god forbid 5 years old ( and yes I know some of you have Acorn Electrons plugged into an old Matsushita TV and are still playing Repton and Cybertron before you say anything!)

These guys work (hard or not, I have no idea, but they work for it, any musicians on here who'll let me come and steal all their music or sneak into a gig and not pay the door fee? no, didn't think so) so they work, they produce something and if a billion people buy it and they make a million billion pounds, well good for them, if they release another album a year later are we to expect its going to be free because they now have "enough"money? we're not in some kind of Star Trek Utopian society where every one works for the common good and everything is all so wonderful in the federation, so I for one say well done, nice one, keep up the good work and any chance of a UK tour near York?

Thanks you/rant over

If I were who, again? ;)

bogo-hillbilly, hipster-sensitive, indie-rock ............

AKA... Farmers rap?

Gonna worsh my pigs in the mornin....

Gonna worsh my chicks in the night...

Really really sad to see this kind of farmers rap....

Saw them on telly yesterday. Didn't like their music. Even a much below standard Metallica blew them away.

Considering the (lack of) diversity of output produced by the Kings Of Leon, one wonders how often they are awoken at 3am with original ideas. Once a year? Or is that being optimistic?

They've spent at least two albums rewriting the same song over and over again. I put more original thinking into a single week of work than they put into a whole album, yet they complain about lack of income.

Cheeky f*ck*rs.

Jerkoffs. I don't give a shit about what you brainstorm at any day or hour EVER. Keep your crap music to your self. If you can't let it go we will rip your heart out & nibble on it in front of you. Some may even gag. Geta LIFE & A real job.

If they think they have it bad they should have been a musician a few hundred years ago, say about the year 1200. It's only because of technology that they have been able to reach millions of people and make mega bucks.In most of medieval Europe, the minstrels were classed as almost as low as the village idiot. They were either too lazy to do real work or had no talent that could be apprenticed into something useful. They might have to play for a full evening before getting a couple of pennies and some scraps of food, assuming the people thought they were even worth that. Occasionally they might hit the big-time when a local Lord or warrior wanted a song writing to commemorate his mighty deeds and get a couple of gold coins, but mostly they were little more than beggars. Even when music advanced, became more popular and the composers could make money (the likes of Handel, Bach, Beethoven), they only made enough for a comfortable lifestyle not extravagant - although they could partake occasionaly when invited to play for a king or the clergy.

So keep up the good but fruitless fight!

But to be honest as for the KOL? Well I gave up on them after their first album. Didnt see what was so great about listening to an album which many of the tracks sounded like they were being sung by Eric Cartman from South Park!

No Thanks!

Freetard. Sounds like retard. I laugh every single time you use that word. Who came up with that for you, Ben Stiller? And freetard is so dangerously close to politically incorrect, it must give you guys a shiver of delight to use it. You certainly use it a lot.

You and The Economist seem to have hired the same team to select terms of disparagement. They always use "boffin" or "nerd" when talking about technology experts, too.

Why not start referring to the legions of bad typists as "spastics" every time they misspell a word?

are a watered down pishy "indie" band, why does anyone take notice of anything they say? can't we just burn the bandwagon and all the sheep who ride her?

It sounds like such a hard life doing what you (presumably) enjoy and being paid obscene amounts of money for it.

I wasn't going to buy their whiny album anyway, but now I definitely won't.

We also have a word for those idiots that insist everything should be politically correct

It's Twat

fratellis & strokes i'm with you on but at least velvet revolver had some actually talent involved.

So what do they do about people who don't even care enough about their music to download it? Cry? I mean, I don't want tOH MY GOD HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE

> many of the tracks sounded like they were being sung by Eric Cartman from South Park!

EY! I'd buy that! He does a great cover of "Sail Away"

unanimous.

Where are the paytards to create meaningful discussion?

downloaded. Listened. Deleted.

SUPER average.

At least you get paid repeatedly for the work you did once - most of us get paid just the once and whoever we work for gets the rest. And most of the money you get paid these days will be from live gigs - hey that's your job, you're a musician, at least you're one of the very, very, very few who is lucky enough to make a living from it. The rest of us have to hold down jobs and play in our spare time.

Yeah the industry has changed. Back in the day when home taping was killing music, the record company took most of your money but the public ended up paying for probably 50% of the music. Now we have downloads and the public pay for 5%. Rather than whinge about it, why not do something to encourage people to buy your music? Drop the price of low quality downloads significantly, make high quality downloads available at a premium, sell limited edition box sets in nice presentation boxes for those that want them, make other bits and pieces available for those that want them, encourage people to go to the gigs (where you make far more money anyway) and maybe give those that do a "free" copy of the album - in other words do stuff to draw fans in and keep them, look after them, cherish them. It is through their hard work and loyalty that you make a living, never forget that.

assuming theres 4 people in the band (pretty usual and they not worth looking this up) and put out a 9 track album every 2 years thats a whole 1.125 ideas per person per year.

the rest of the time you just have to travel about and repeat it at concerts. Boo Hoo.

The hardest working people in the industry are the (usually) fairly unknown writers penning songs for the parade of pretty marketing units (like paris here). 1.125 ideas a year isn't going to cut it.

...

What do you call a time travelling idiot?

...

A retardis!

Made me laugh anyway

i wouldn't waste my hard-drive space torrenting their beardy country pop slop. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah instead.

... so how could internet pirates have anything to do with it? You're not selling records because you suck, not because everyone's stealing them. Here's a joke for you:

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Kings of Leon.

Kings of Leon who?

Oh well, that's showbusiness!

Your all trash.

Well your music is anyway. I know I downloaded it last week and it is the same as the other 3 albums you produced. Rubbish. :)

And besides using the line "I get up at 3 and write something down" doesn't make me want to feel sorry, it makes me think, Geez... people are staying awake till 3 worrying because they can't pay the bills and have no job, so what makes you special. There is no violins playing as we sold it to pay the gas bill.

-> insert any chosen random swear and end it suitably with <- idiot

And what exactly would one be stealing? Last I checked you couldn't steal ideas... just copy them over to the next lot...

Funny, I was talking about them with another music-lover this morning. Neither of us would even d/l any of their stuff for free, it's shit.

Hearing a lot from / about shite bands whining about piracy recently, saying it's affecting their sales and stealing the champagne from their swimming pools. Sorry guys, but your sales are affected because you're shit and nobody wants to buy them, no matter what the record company's telling you.

well, I've never bought any KOL and don't ever intend to. But I will download it and give a copy to as many people as I can.

oh and the "freetard" culture in the record industry... dont get me started on that. pot, kettle, black

Pirates: cause we're all sailing the freetard seas

From playing guitar for 2-4 hours a day for years to none a day in recent weeks due to a broken hand i would gladly PAY someone else to be able to play it at any time of the day at the minute.

Retards complaining about freetards. Some of these hard done by "stars" wanna walk a mile in Joe Public's shoes before they start the comparisons.