There is perhaps no band as celebrated as they are reviled these days than Tennessee rockers Kings Of Leon. Always the lightning rod of controversy, Kings Of Leon broke new ground with their commercially viable 2008 release Only By The Night. That album brought the band a Grammy for the song "Sex on Fire," the not-so-subtle epitome of a band selling out.
I mention my former appreciation for the band to highlight the fact that I once loved their music. Youth and Young Manhood was a revelation when it was released in 2003, and Aha Shake Heartbreak -- what many consider to be the band's best effort -- was an impressive follow-up in 2004. I am one of the few that thinks that 2007's Because of the Times to be their best work, even though it was critically panned.