In a few short years, Kaiser Chiefs, the cheeky indie-pop five-piece from Leeds in northern England, have seen their success on home turf swell from zero (as pre-Kaiser incarnation Parva) to their rebirth as stadium-ready, worldwide superstars. For this they can thank a string of chart-bothering singles and their massive No. 1 hit, the satanically irritating "Ruby."
With songs such as "Oh My God" and "I Predict a Riot" embedding them into the minds of anyone lucky/unfortunate enough to encounter them, the success of the band's 2004 debut "Employment" propelled them on an upward career trajectory that has thus far shown little sign of slowing.
Yet with the release of their third album, "Off With Their Heads," they find themselves in uncharted territory. Now that they are stars around the world, the eyes of all are upon them. Their latest offering entered the U.K. charts at an impressive No. 2 on Oct. 26 — only bettered by heavyweights AC/DC — but it's been met with mixed reviews. They've consciously avoided writing big, hook-laden singles (or so they claim, in the album's absence of having any) and have tried diversifying their approach by working with DJ and producer Mark Ronson.