The Arcade Fire

[Godelsensei]

While it is a well-known fact that bands from Montréal are consistently awesome (barring a couple that shall go unnamed), I have never been a real [i]fan[/i] of any of them until now. As in I would actually freak out at the chance of seeing them live.

I picked up Funeral, their first album, released last September, and have absolutely no complaints, whatsoever. The art is somehow charming, if a tad depressing, and the music itself...breathtaking. I had heard one of their songs, Wake Up, previously, via [i]someone[/i], and liked it enough to give their album a try, but I wasn't expecting what I got: a collection of songs so amazing, every one who walked into the house while I was playing them said, "What is that? It's great!"

The fact that they sing partially in French makes it all that much cooler, along with their having a song entitled "Laika". [i]Laika[/i]. That's just too awesome for words.

My favourite songs on the album would have to be Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) and Haiti.

[Semjaza]

I really like the band. I had this Best of 2004 thing on my site with eleven or so bands and they easily made it onto the list. Honestly, Funeral probably was my favorite album of 2004. I think my favorite song off of Funeral is Power Out, but I'm not entirely sure. It's all good.

I wish they had more material, though. I have the main album, as well as the Us Kids Know EP they put out before that... but aside from some b-sides on singles there's not much more to listen to. I want more lol.

I do have some bootlegs, however. It seems to be the general opinion that they're far better live than they are in the studio and I'd have to agree from what I've heard. I really love their albums, but live it just goes into a whole new level. It's amazing how much is going on at once and mixing so perfectly within their sound.

They seem to have gotten incredibly popular for a band of their type, which is nice. I know they've been selling out venues and their tickets in Europe and such have been scalping for pretty high prices. I didn't expect them to explode like they have.

[boombox bushido]

yeah...the arcade fire is a very good band. i've been hooked on them and bloc party lately. which, by the way, if you haven't heard bloc party, check them out.

[Semjaza]

More people have had to listen to this group than just three people here. :animesigh

[Mitch]

Tony sent over their album a while ago. . .I really loved what I had the chance to listen to. It was on my iPod which I've since lost again and thus I haven't got the album any longer. It was for sale at Target once but I didn't nab it then and last time I checked they didn't have it, so I have yet to actually own the album.

[Genkai]

Hmm... It's good stuff, but after a while the novelty wears off. Still, mindblowing songwriting from Butler.

I saw them last November for 8 bucks, it was an amazing show.

[Midboss]

[quote name='boombox bushido']yeah...the arcade fire is a very good band. i've been hooked on them and bloc party lately. which, by the way, if you haven't heard bloc party, check them out.[/quote]
I agree, Bloc Party kicks the proverbial ***.
I love the Arcade Fire, not only are they talented (much unlike most of the music you see hit the charts lately), but they are Canadian (like me), so I gotta love 'em. :p

[Wondershot]

Montreal's latest claim to fame certainly impressed me, and I'm slowly trying to get all of my friends into a little more of the indie rock scene. Being Quebecois, I was glad to see that our Montreal was getting better and better known among music fans further to the south and east, so to speak.

Also, it's fun being able to understand the occasional lyric "en Francais", even if Win Butler has an unusual accent (I can understand Regine without incident, though).

In terms of favourite tracks, I happen to think "Une Annee Sans Lumiere" (One Year Without Light) is one of the best, French lyrics notwithstanding. Also "In The Backseat" is sort of eerily calming and terrifying at the same time. Regine's voice at that pitch almost seems ethereal and disembodied, which, if you ask me, seems like an appropriate touch to the song and album in general, as it deals heavily with deaths in the band member's families.

I think that The Arcade Fire became popular because their combination of unusual vocals, instrumentation, and subject matter just seemed to piece together perfectly. It's hard to sing about death and family and love without sounding sappy or over-the-top, but the band seems to capture it by showing that they are all strange and magical things, hard to describe or picture, but nonetheless astounding. People like ourselves like these stories, of humanity and living and dying, and there is no denying that The Arcade Fire are master storytellers in this respect.

Oh, and in temrs of Bloc Party: I find them to be worlds apart from the Arcade Fire. Not excactly much better, but very different.