The Killers are the most successful band to ever come out of Las Vegas. Usually, the talent is imported here. But despite the massive success the Killers have enjoyed, their relationship with Las Vegas locals has been touchy.

The feeling is mutual. In fact, the Killers played very few local gigs before the "Hot Fuss" disc came out in 2004. And, post-release the band did not bother playing Vegas for months until a tour stop brought them to the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

So let's say the Killers are locals who formed a band rather than a group who came out of any local scene in Las Vegas. As a result, they definitely have a testy relationship with the local press and have never responded to any requests from me for interviews. Just so you know, this was the case even before they had a hit record or any record. The Killers were just a buzz band with an upcoming release when the group first began ignoring my requests to profile them.

Anyway, the industry is putting a lot of hope into the Killers' sophmore release, which apparently finds the band explicitly moving from the Duran Duran territory of their debut to something closer to Bruce Springsteen's sound. This may be a shock to some people, but remember there was more to the Boss than the epics of the '70s: there were the stadium hits of the '80s (that could be thick with keyboards). And, even here, the Killers are following a tradition, remember "On the Dark Side" by John Cafferty?

One thing that Vegas and the Killers will always share is a total lack of originality and a desperate need to please the masses. Actually, you can go listen to "When You Were Young," the Killer's new single now streaming on their label's website and form your own opinon. As with the band's past work it is a catchy tune. Being original is not the only way to be good, of course. But if there are any other music geeks out there, doesn't "When You Were Young" sound a lot like "Twisted Steel" by Ian Hunter?

(Photo: Jim Cooper / AP)