The Kills is an alternative rock duo formed by American vocalist Alison "VV… Read Full Bio ↴The Kills is an alternative rock duo formed by American vocalist Alison "VV" Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie "Hotel" Hince that rose to public recognition at the dawn of the hype surrounding the genre's explosion of the early 2000s. Mosshart had been in the Florida punk band Discount and Hince in British rock band Scarfo. When these groups disbanded, the duo, who first met when Mosshart heard Hince practicing in the hotel room above hers, struck up a songwriting partnership. For months, the pair air mailed work tapes across the Atlantic; after this proved to test the patience of both artists, as it took days or weeks to get each others tapes, Mosshart upped sticks from her Florida home to fly to London.

Wanting to cut themselves off from their pasts, Mosshart and Hince considered their new project to be Year Zero in their careers, so they renamed themselves "VV" and "Hotel" respectively and began writing sparse, minimalist songs together with the aid of a drum machine. In 2001 they showcased their new songs on a well received demo tape. In true punk rock fashion, however, the pair shunned approaches from major record labels. Recording as VV and Hotel, they contributed the song "Restaurant Blouse" to the compilation If the Twenty-First Century Did Not Exist, It Would Be Necessary to Invent It. Shortly after this they recorded their debut release, the Black Rooster EP, which saw release on British indie label Domino Records and was picked up for distribution by Dim Mak Records in the United States.

Following international touring, they entered Toe Rag studios to record their debut album Keep on Your Mean Side, mostly on 8-track, in just 2 weeks.
Popular indie band, the xx, name The Kills as the major influence for having a male/female lead singer combo: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/05/xx.interview/index.html?iref=allsearch
Their second album, No Wow, was released by Domino records on February 21, 2005. Featuring an artier, less guitar rock sound, the record embraced New Wave and post punk influences and sounded even more stripped down than Keep on Your Mean Side. The first single, The Good Ones, was released on February 7, 2005 and reached number 23 in the UK singles charts.

VV sang the song Meds on Placebo's 2006 eponymous album.

Their third album Midnight Boom was released March 10, 2008. It was followed by 5 different singles since its release.

MAGAZINE
The Kills Lyrics

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I took __________ from a magazine
Wrote it out on a blank sheet
Signed my name and made the crease
It may be my greatest piece
I think I think it's gonna sell
Promise me you'll never tell
Trust me it will be a breeze
It's so easy to please

Okay stop okay stop okay okay stop okay stop okay stop.

Now everything's goin' really good
Since I left the neighbourhood
Broken window, no big deal
Most people think that I'm for real.
I'm cooler now I've got the look
I think it's time to do a book
I read one that I really like
But it'll take some time to retype

Okay stop okay stop okay okay stop okay stop okay stop,
Okay stop okay stop okay okay stop okay stop okay stop.

So many parties to attend
I look but I can see no end
I think I think I got it sealed
Everybody thinks that I'm for real.

Okay stop okay stop okay okay stop okay stop okay stop,
Okay stop okay stop okay okay stop okay stop okay stop

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Kills’ song “Magazine” are a testament to the power of pop culture and the lengths some people will go to fulfill their dreams. The song’s opening lines describe someone who has taken inspiration from a magazine and turned it into their own creation. They are confident that their work will sell and promise their accomplice never to tell anyone. It is clear that the singer views fame and success as the ultimate goal, no matter the cost.

The second part of the song reveals that the singer has left their past behind and now lives a life of glamour and parties. They feel that they have the “look” and are ready to publish a book. However, they still have to retype the book they want to publish, indicating that their success has come from copying and emulating others. Despite this lack of originality, everyone around them thinks they are “for real,” highlighting the power of perception and image in the pursuit of fame.

Overall, “Magazine” is a commentary on our society’s obsession with fame and the ways in which people will do whatever it takes to achieve it—whether that means plagiarizing or manipulating others’ perceptions of oneself.

Line by Line Meaning

I took __________ from a magazine
I plagiarized something from a magazine

Wrote it out on a blank sheet
I transcribed it onto a blank piece of paper

Signed my name and made the crease
I forged my signature on it and folded the paper

It may be my greatest piece
I think this piece of writing is my best work

I think I think it's gonna sell
I am confident that it will sell well

Promise me you'll never tell
Please keep this a secret

Trust me it will be a breeze
It will be easy to do

It's so easy to please
People are easily impressed

Okay stop okay stop okay okay stop okay stop okay stop.
Repetition of a phrase to indicate a break or transition in thought

Now everything's goin' really good
Things are going well

Since I left the neighbourhood
Since I moved away