Author Topic: The Arcade Fire (Read 70932 times)

Veinticinco de Mayo · « **on:** August 31, 2005, 09:24:23 am »

In an attempt to take my mind off the torture of the last day of the transfer deadline (can't wait till it is over and we can return to watching football and getting behind the players we have) I thought I'd ask if anyone else was at the Arcade Fire gig at the Academy last night?

What a gig! Best I've seen for some time and possibly a contender for my all time top 10. If you get chance to go and see them then take it, you will not be disappointed. For those who don't know they're a Canadian eight-piece with a nifty line in strangely uplifting tunes about funerals and loss. They kind of look like the cast of Little House on The Prairie... if it was directed by David Lynch but it's the sound that I'm finding hard to do justice too. The closest approximation I can make is that if you imagine a triangle formed by Grandaddy, King of the Slums and My Bloody Valentine then The Arcade Fire would be somewhere in the middle. I'd be interested to hear anyone elses impressions but they are delightfully difficult to pigeonhole - as only a band that simultaneously features both a string section AND stage diving could be.

Bluto-clause · « **Reply #1 on:** August 31, 2005, 09:33:31 am »

There playing at Karlo's pub tonight

Admiral Ackbar · « **Reply #2 on:** August 31, 2005, 10:34:51 am »

I saw them at the Bristol Academy in May, they were fantastic. Did they open with 'Wake Up'? What a way to show your intent!

Xabi · « **Reply #3 on:** August 31, 2005, 11:00:09 am »

I thought this was a thread about an arcade that had been burned down.

Veinticinco de Mayo · « **Reply #4 on:** August 31, 2005, 11:58:01 am »

They did indeed open with Wake Up. What an opening salvo. I can remember turning to my mate and commenting that if they can keep this up it's going to be one hell of a gig.

MichaelA · « **Reply #5 on:** August 31, 2005, 12:16:15 pm »

They're supporting Franz Ferdinand in Edinburgh tonight, and I'm looking forward to seeing them. Saw FF last night too, and the new stuff sounds great.

ewok-red · « **Reply #6 on:** August 31, 2005, 12:19:04 pm »

got the album after seeing them on jools and hearing an earlier single / track. good stuff quite different. would love to see em live, they look a very strange outfit

MichaelA · « **Reply #7 on:** September 1, 2005, 08:06:56 pm »

Quote from: ewokred on August 31, 2005, 12:19:04 pm

got the album after seeing them on jools and hearing an earlier single / track. good stuff quite different. would love to see em live, they look a very strange outfit

Have now seen them live, and thought they were really good, although having dipped into iTunes, I'm holding off buying the album for now, unless you can persuade me of the error of my ways!

FF were ace again, all the new stuff was really impressive - the new single will be bigger than Take Me Out.

Red Squiggle · « **Reply #8 on:** September 1, 2005, 08:16:07 pm »

The album is absolutely superb. I bought it a few months back and was NOT disappointed. Still waiting to see them though, haven't been to any gigs/festivals over the summer due to lack of funds but I'm assured by mates who saw em in Paris last week that they are incredible live too. My favourite song is "Rebellion (Lies)" purely for the way it chugs along and has dead clever chord progressions (music nerd in me coming out).

So yeh, MichaelA, snap it up!

chipbuttie · « **Reply #9 on:** September 1, 2005, 08:16:28 pm »

I went, after seeing them in Manc in the spring. My band of the year. The CD 'Funeral' doesn't quite live up to them live, but then again it never could. Their energy is relentless. After the opening two tracks I couldn't believe they'd keep up the energy. They played 3-4 tracks off the EP, which is good too.

I think there's something of Talking Heads about them (only much heavier and wierder) with some Bowie influences here and there. Top band

Paul Tomkins · « **Reply #10 on:** September 1, 2005, 08:31:38 pm »

Quote from: MichaelA on September 1, 2005, 08:06:56 pm

FF were ace again, all the new stuff was really impressive - the new single will be bigger than Take Me Out.

Do You Want To is a monster, and the video is superb - self-referencially arty. Top stuff.

Arcade Fire's album is very good, too.

Jase · « **Reply #11 on:** September 1, 2005, 08:33:42 pm »

Love 'Funeral', but couldn't get to the Liverpool gig. Gutted. I know for a fact they'd be quality live though, which makes it the more painful

MichaelA · « **Reply #12 on:** September 1, 2005, 08:44:07 pm »

Quote from: chipbuttie on September 1, 2005, 08:16:28 pm

I think there's something of Talking Heads about them (only much heavier and wierder) with some Bowie influences here and there. Top band

Yep, very David Byrne at times. Might splash some cash then.

Off at a tangent, has anyone got the Malcolm Middleton album that is getting mega reviews at the minute?

Drobs · « **Reply #13 on:** September 2, 2005, 12:30:39 am »

Malcolm likes to swear.

Bambino · « **Reply #14 on:** September 2, 2005, 05:20:05 am »

I haven't heard them yet, but dying to.

David Bowie's a huge fan I've read.

ewok-red · « **Reply #15 on:** September 2, 2005, 10:39:01 am »

Quote from: Bambino on September 2, 2005, 05:20:05 am

David Bowie's a huge fan I've read.

shit that has put me right off, but the album is greeat

hooded claw · « **Reply #16 on:** September 2, 2005, 10:41:33 am »

Just downloading the album now. Looking forward to this!

gibbo1968 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 2, 2005, 12:13:38 pm »

I think its the most diverse out there album for a long time doesnt pander to the musical 'in' crowd
it reminds me a bit of waterboys/talking heads

chipbuttie · « **Reply #18 on:** September 2, 2005, 07:19:42 pm »

Quote from: hooded claw on September 2, 2005, 10:41:33 am

Just downloading the album now. Looking forward to this!

You might need to be patient to get into it. Give it two spins minimum before you make up your mind.

hooded claw · « **Reply #19 on:** September 2, 2005, 07:29:10 pm »

Quote from: chipbuttie on September 2, 2005, 07:19:42 pm

You might need to be patient to get into it. Give it two spins minimum before you make up your mind.

Admit I cheated and went straight to 'Power Out'- superb stuff, that. Otherwise, tip noted

Rob Jones Maybe? · « **Reply #20 on:** September 2, 2005, 07:35:34 pm »

Quote from: hooded claw on September 2, 2005, 10:41:33 am

Just downloading the album now. Looking forward to this!

cough cough.. what site? I've had a look round and can't find a working download. Getting on my tits because I'd go out and buy it but I wont be able to until mid next week.

hooded claw · « **Reply #21 on:** September 2, 2005, 07:40:41 pm »

Quote from: RobJones on September 2, 2005, 07:35:34 pm

cough cough.. what site? I've had a look round and can't find a working download. Getting on my tits because I'd go out and buy it but I wont be able to until mid next week.

emusic- monthly subscription jobby for your more hard-to-find stuff (Antony & Johnsons, Sufjan Stevens etc)

Rob Jones Maybe? · « **Reply #22 on:** September 2, 2005, 07:41:40 pm »

Quote from: hooded claw on September 2, 2005, 07:40:41 pm

emusic- monthly subscription jobby for your more hard-to-find stuff (Antony & Johnsons, Sufjan Stevens etc)

aah.

that should come in useful for my obscure prog rock fascination.

Driver 8 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 2, 2005, 07:52:34 pm »

I first got their album around March and have to echo the comments of others on here, it's excellent, one of the best I've heard in recent years. The sort of 'reference points' people are mentioning - Talking Heads, David Bowie - are fairly accurate, but that doesn't quite sum them up, they still possess an original sound, and the lyrics are really great too. Haven't seen them live yet, but almost every report I've heard about their shows has been overwhelmingly positive. (They're playing the Electric Picnic festival tomorrow, which isn't a million miles away from here but I can't go - its fucking annoying, its got a really good line up, also playing are Nick Cave, the Flaming Lips and Kraftwerk, all of whom I'd love to see.)

hooded claw · « **Reply #24 on:** September 2, 2005, 07:59:07 pm »

Quote from: Paul Tomkins on September 1, 2005, 08:31:38 pm

Do You Want To is a monster, and the video is superb - self-referencially arty. Top stuff.

Interested to read they were inspired by/obsessed with CYE during the making of the album- thought their misquoting of their 'favourite' line- yes, that one- leads me to believe they may be bullshitting.

gregor · « **Reply #25 on:** September 2, 2005, 08:00:37 pm »

Saw them at Leeds last week, and they were superb. If you get the chance to see them live, make sure you do.

elrojoyoda · « **Reply #26 on:** September 2, 2005, 10:22:45 pm »

Best album of the year - I think.

Haven't seen them live yet but heard they were brilliant

Moley · « **Reply #27 on:** April 19, 2006, 06:04:21 pm »

Cant anyone please explain the Power Out video to me.

Im sure theres probably some sort of symbolism in there but I just cant figure it out!

BoyerstownFC · « **Reply #28 on:** April 21, 2006, 05:13:38 pm »

Went to see them in New York in September. They are up there with the best live acts I've seen. Infact they are probably the best live act I've seen. If the crowd wasn't so dead (not down to the bands efforts) it could have been the best gig I've been to. Album is superb, but as mentioned above,it all sounds a lot better live.

bellinter · « **Reply #29 on:** April 21, 2006, 05:16:07 pm »

Quote from: BoyerstownFC on April 21, 2006, 05:13:38 pm

Went to see them in New York in September. They are up there with the best live acts I've seen. Infact they are probably the best live act I've seen. If the crowd wasn't so dead (not down to the bands efforts) it could have been the best gig I've been to. Album is superb, but as mentioned above,it all sounds a lot better live.

think the album is average, at best

BoyerstownFC · « **Reply #30 on:** April 21, 2006, 05:27:38 pm »

This is a review of the Electric picnic gig in Ireland last year taken from www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland:

"There is no way they can live up to our soaring expectations. The biggest marquee gathering of the weekend (around 800 people don’t even get near) and everyone seems desperately excited. We adore that album and had this set highlighted as our one "must see" of the festival. It's bound to be an anticlimax. But incredibly, they're better than expected. From the moment every single punter raises their hands in the air to sing the haunting refrain from opener ‘Wake Up’ we're already preparing to smugly say "I was there" a few years down the line. By ‘Rebellion’ it's as if the entire crowd has been told this is the last band they'll ever see and they must behave accordingly. Every move they make, every string riff, the onstage antics, the singalongs - we lap it up like these people are our best friends and we have no option but to make this the best gig ever. Mind-blowing."

Sounds like a pretty good performance by a band whose only album is "average, at best"

bellinter · « **Reply #31 on:** April 21, 2006, 05:32:29 pm »

Quote from: BoyerstownFC on April 21, 2006, 05:27:38 pm

Sounds like a pretty good performance by a band whose only album is "average, at best"

well if you look in other threads you will see me raving about them, so clearly i was being sarcastic

Carra'sPoundCoin · « **Reply #32 on:** April 21, 2006, 11:10:41 pm »

Fantastic album (not my fave from last year though) and great live band!!!

Walken · « **Reply #33 on:** April 21, 2006, 11:58:10 pm »

Just got the Islands album Return to the Sea, good stuff. If you are a fan of Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade it's definitely worth a listen at least. Islands is another Montreal band, formed by former Unicorns members with some collaborations from Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade and Beck.

chipbuttie · « **Reply #34 on:** April 22, 2006, 01:05:20 am »

cheers Walken, goin to have to pick this up. Wolf Parade are excellent (best album of last year was Apologies to Queen Mary, best track -I Believe in Anything) and I enjoyed the Unicorns last year supporting Decemberists. Put this with Arcade Fire and now we're talking. What is it that they're taking in Canada?!

Victor · « **Reply #35 on:** April 22, 2006, 10:18:47 am »

I'm a fan of the Islands album aswell .... it's very complex and takes a few listens to really get it but in my book that's a good thing

Sub · « **Reply #36 on:** April 22, 2006, 01:09:07 pm »

Would love to see them live, they look quality from what i've seen. The album is pretty darn good aswell

Anyone seen this with david bowie? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JidKhcSuTr4&search=arcade%20fire

Rather good I thought

Stackman · « **Reply #37 on:** August 19, 2006, 09:13:33 pm »

Apologies Folks if this is here already.
Without doubt the best i heard in the last 12 months. If you have "Funeral" already, fair enough. There is also an EP out there. "Arcade Fire EP". Really top class stuff. If you have not heard of them, just buy now. Really top notch.

Scuba Steve · « **Reply #38 on:** August 19, 2006, 10:54:26 pm »

Such a great energy about this band, really cant wait to see them live when they tour. Funeral was one of my favourite albums of 2005 so i think ill check out the EP

ckkj · « **Reply #39 on:** August 19, 2006, 11:20:48 pm »

FB band, have there album and EP. Deffo want to see them live