Everything Is Average Nowadays
Encyclopedia
"Everything Is Average Nowadays" is a song by English
rock
band
Kaiser Chiefs
and is the ninth track on their second album
, Yours Truly, Angry Mob. The song was released as the second single
from that album in the United Kingdom
on 21 May 2007 (see 2007 in British music
). At the band's gig at Shepherds Bush Empire on 3 March that year, singer Ricky Wilson had introduced the song as "the second single from the album", leading to the initial speculation. The single was confirmed on March 25 on the band's website.
The title of the song is often seen as an allusion to the Buzzcocks
song "Everybody's Happy Nowadays". It also seems to be heavily influenced by Blur
to whom the band is often unfavourably compared. Cult Wirral band Half Man Half Biscuit
covered much of the same lyrical ground some 15 years previously with "Everything's AOR".
A live version of the song recorded in Berlin
during the band's tour there in November 2006 was released in the United States
on 13 March 2007 as part of a promotional disc offered at Best Buy
stores. It has been noted by some fans that the version included on the promo CD is actually the studio version, rather than the live version as stated on the card sleeve.
Both the CD and 7" formats of the single were issued at a limited run, and was deleted one week after its release.
The song has been covered by The Little Ones
, which will be available on a forthcoming 7" single with the Kaiser Chiefs' "Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)
".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
and is the ninth track on their second album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Yours Truly, Angry Mob. The song was released as the second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from that album in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 21 May 2007 (see 2007 in British music
2007 in British music
This is a summary of the year 2007 in British music. It was the first year of digital downloads being fully integrated into the charts, leading to many songs not given physical releases to enter the chart on download sales alone. Leona Lewis had the most successful single of the year, with Bleeding...
). At the band's gig at Shepherds Bush Empire on 3 March that year, singer Ricky Wilson had introduced the song as "the second single from the album", leading to the initial speculation. The single was confirmed on March 25 on the band's website.
The title of the song is often seen as an allusion to the Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
song "Everybody's Happy Nowadays". It also seems to be heavily influenced by Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
to whom the band is often unfavourably compared. Cult Wirral band Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
covered much of the same lyrical ground some 15 years previously with "Everything's AOR".
A live version of the song recorded in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
during the band's tour there in November 2006 was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 13 March 2007 as part of a promotional disc offered at Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
stores. It has been noted by some fans that the version included on the promo CD is actually the studio version, rather than the live version as stated on the card sleeve.
Both the CD and 7" formats of the single were issued at a limited run, and was deleted one week after its release.
The song has been covered by The Little Ones
The Little Ones (band)
The Little Ones is an indie pop band based in Los Angeles, California. They were previously signed to Astralwerks Records and released one EP on that label, titled Sing Song. In 2006, Matt Costa invited them to open for him at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, which has brought them in a rise...
, which will be available on a forthcoming 7" single with the Kaiser Chiefs' "Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)
Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)
"Love's Not a Competition " is a song by English band Kaiser Chiefs, featured on the band's second studio album, Yours Truly, Angry Mob...
".
Track listing
- 7" BUN125-7
- "Everything Is Average Nowadays"
- "I Like to Fight"
- This song can also be found as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of "Yours Truly, Angry Mob" and the edition offered at American Best Buy stores.
- CD BUN125CD
- This song can also be found as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of "Yours Truly, Angry Mob" and the edition offered at American Best Buy stores.
- "Everything Is Average Nowadays"
- "Out of My Depth"
Charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
91 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
56 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
99 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
19 |