Pitchfork

A couple years back, I recall seeing a very out-of-place-looking Lou Reed at some MTV event or another talking to Gideon Yago, decrying the network's recent resistance to rock music. Yago asked Reed just who he'd like to see replacing endless repeats of "Engaged & Underage" or whatever, and, with nary a blink, Reed replied "Okkervil River."

In that moment-- and with his embraces of Antony and Conor-- Lou showed himself to be both a man who takes his heartwrenching theatrics with at least a spot of nuance and, ad infinitum, the original hipster. So what in the heck is Lou Reed doing on a track with the nuance-free, not-exactly-hip Killers?

Singing, it turns out. According to NME.com, Reed recently hit the studio with Flood and Alan Moulder to duet with Brandon Flowers on "Tranquilize", a track from the moustachioed band's forthcoming B-sides, rarities, and now totally incongruous collabos compilation.

Pardon our incredulity. It's not that the Killers aren't awesome in their way, but "their way" is sort of the same thing Lou Reed's spent much of his career standing outside of. Also, don't bands generally wait until they have more than a couple albums before they drop a rarities comp? And wouldn't you think Lou Reed would maybe choose a band a little more road-tested (or with a bit more gravitas) than the Killers for a rare guest appearance? Perhaps Lou, like the rest of us, wishes he wrote "Mr. Brightside", too.

The Killers are touring. Expect nightly guest spots from Laurie Anderson and Tom Verlaine.

Killers:

09-04 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09-05 Council Bluffs, IA - Mid America Center
09-07 Cleveland, OH - Wolstein Center
09-08 Columbus, OH - The LC Pavillion
09-09 Toronto, Ontario - V Festival
09-11 Louisville, KY - Palace Theater
09-13 Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre
09-14 Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Festival)
09-15 Houston, TX - Reliant Center
09-17 El Paso, TX - Abraham Chavez Theater
09-21 Lake Tahoe, NV - MontBleu Resort Casino and Spa
09-23 Del Mar, CA - Street Scene Festival
10-13 Fairburn, GA - Echo Project Festival
10-19 Mexico City, Mexico - Motorokr Fest
10-21 Japopan, Mexico - Auditorio Metropolitano
10-27 Rio de Janiero, Brazil - Marina de Gloria (TIM Festival)
10-28 Sao Paolo, Brazil - Anhembi (TIM Festival)
10-31 Curitiba, Brazil - TIM Festival
11-02 Buenos Aires, Argentina - Estadio de Velez
11-04 Santiago, Chile - Pista Atlética
11-09 Brisbane, Australia - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
11-11 Sydney, Australia - Sydney Entertainment Centre
11-13 Melbourne, Australia - Rod Laver Arena