Who will rock me?

September 8, 2007 4:18 PM

There's a relatively recent(?) alt-rock song I've heard on the radio a couple of times in the last six months which sounds like I imagine Queen might sound if they were just starting out today. What/who is it?

It's not Mika (though he does have a Mercury thing going on). This was definitely alt-rock, but with a slightly poppy operatic tone which, combined with the singer's falsetto, made it sound something like a punked-up redux of the Queen song Killer Queen.

I've heard it on Canadian radio, if that makes a difference. The answer may be obvious, but the only time I hear those stations is on patios or in people's cars.

posted by poweredbybeard to media & arts (20 comments total)

Could you be thinking of Muse's Knights of Cydonia?
posted by scoria at 4:28 PM on September 8, 2007

Muse?
posted by Roman Graves at 4:29 PM on September 8, 2007

Heh. No, I don't think it was Muse. Sounded a bit too poppy and playful for them.
posted by poweredbybeard at 4:32 PM on September 8, 2007

Is it Silversun Pickups? Or something by The Darkness?
posted by iconomy at 4:32 PM on September 8, 2007

Nope, not Silversun Pickups... though I kind of dig the early Pumpkins meets Thrush Hermit thing going on in that song.

And thankfully, it's not the Darkness. ;)
posted by poweredbybeard at 4:41 PM on September 8, 2007

Wait, not Thrush Hermit. Who am I thinking of? Oh well...
posted by poweredbybeard at 4:43 PM on September 8, 2007

Hrmmm. Do you remember any lyrics at all or what the song was about? A couple of other artists or bands I've heard compared to Queen are Trux and Scissor Sisters, in addition to Mika.
posted by iconomy at 4:43 PM on September 8, 2007

Mika's Grace Kelly?
posted by hot soup girl at 4:48 PM on September 8, 2007 [1 favorite]

Sorry! In my haste I didn't read your question properly.
posted by hot soup girl at 4:49 PM on September 8, 2007

Actually, it's my turn to be sorry. In my haste I didn't bother listening to Grace Kelly one his site when none of the others sounded at all promising. Thanks, hot soup girl. I guess this is a lesson to never read things in their entirety...?

Yeesh. Is there an emoticon for expressing embarrassment over wasting everyone's time?

Thanks everyone, though - now I know it's Mika, plus now I know about Trux...
posted by poweredbybeard at 4:57 PM on September 8, 2007

Maybe it was Knights of Cydonia by Muse? Fast forward to 2:30.

PS. I *heart* Silversun Pickups something serious :)
posted by ReiToei at 5:03 PM on September 8, 2007

poweredbybeard, I know you have your answer, but if you like Mika's Queen-esque-in-places song, you might like Josh Fix. Check out "Don't Call Me in the Morning" and "Burn it Down."
posted by jocelmeow at 5:10 PM on September 8, 2007

to flip the question and risk comment deletion --

poweredbybeard, I like Mika a lot and never listened to Queen. Any albums/tracks you recommend I check out?
posted by roger ackroyd at 5:37 PM on September 8, 2007

I would have guessed My Chemical Romance - Black Parade - that's a very queen-ish song.
posted by chrisamiller at 6:22 PM on September 8, 2007

Scissor Sisters can have a Queen-y sound.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:32 PM on September 8, 2007

roger ackroyd, just pick up any of their Greatest Hits compilations - I believe II to be especially strong. You can probably get the boxed set of all three quite cheap.
posted by djgh at 9:32 PM on September 8, 2007

I assumed that Mika video was some Queen rock-opera cast when I first saw it, so much like Queen it sounds to me.
posted by loiseau at 10:30 PM on September 8, 2007

I saw Mika on an eposide of "So You Think You Can Davece" and never heard of him before. My son and I (huge Queen fans) looked at each other and said "He sounds like Freddie!" Which can only be a good thing.

Anything that causes a resurgence in Queen interest is OK by me. Roger Ackroyd- you must be young. How could you have never listened to Queen? The box set is a good start- I agree. But I also recommend getting a compilation of videos or the DVD of the Wembley concert. Freddie live is simply incomparable. We won't see the likes of him again, IMO.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 4:56 AM on September 9, 2007

That would be "Dance."
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 4:57 AM on September 9, 2007

Blame Wayne and Garth.
posted by roger ackroyd at 1:57 PM on September 9, 2007