Arcade Fire - Mega Superthread. All gig/new album discussion.

sink

The Grammys have always been about commercial success, popularity and mass media consumption. Arcade Fire aren't anywhere the level of eminem or lady gaga in those regards which is why it's surprising that they won.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

sink wrote: »

The Grammys have always been about commercial success, popularity and mass media consumption. Arcade Fire aren't anywhere the level of eminem or lady gaga in those regards which is why it's surprising that they won.

I can understand the surprise that they won over more commercially successful artists like Gaga, but it's the fact that so many of them are completely oblivious to their existence at all that baffles me.

I suppose America is a much bigger place than Ireland, so it's probably easier to avoid hearing things you don't want to. I mean I know plenty of people who listen to Gaga, Katy Perry etc. but they'd still have heard of Arcade Fire.

Minstrel27

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Look at this.... http://whoisarcadefire.tumblr.com/

That is quite funny. This one in particular got a good laugh

calex71

This band is seems to be immune to criticism, given the others in the running ok , but to win the award for their worst album is hysterical

Maybe I need to get over it but my hate of this album knows no bounds I guess. Loved Funeral and Neon Bible but to this day....... and I only just listened to Suburbs again there, can't like or even appreciate this album at all

jill_valentine

It is a bit lame that their weakest album thus far is going to be the one that cements their place for once and for all, but that's just how it goes I guess. And to be fair, I think the subject matter probably has a certain resonance in the US that it doesn't have here.

I didn't really pick anything I liked out of it until I heard the songs live.

homerun_homer

Funeral is still my favourite but I don't think Suburbs is the weakest. Neon Bible has a better run through as an album but song wise I prefer the Suburbs.

It fits in more with the great American sensibilities initially based on the title - it's an American term and not so much used this side of the world. Given the album is all themed around Suburbs of that side of the world it will have a lot of resonance over there, not that it can't anywhere else.

Basq

homerun_homer

What are the odds of them getting a Marlay park gig or something of the like now that they are winning big awards all over the shop?

Basq

homerun_homer wrote: »

What are the odds of them getting a Marlay park gig or something of the like now that they are winning big awards all over the shop?

God, I hope so..

.. no offence to "Oxegen-goers" but I'm not going to see them at that glorified pig-sty!

H8GHOTI

I'm delighted for them. It's a great album and fully deserved. I don't think it's their weakest album at all. There's more songs on it that I like than on Neon Bible. Granted there are more songs to choose from. Funeral probably is their best alright but there isn't much in it imo. I think if The Suburbs was released back in 2005 it wouldn't have won & if Funeral was released last year it would have won. So, to a certain extent it is down to commercial success and how popular they are becoming.

It is strange how they didn't win Best Alternative album. I've seen that before on other award shows as well. And the Black Keys weren't even nominated for Best Album.

They won 2 Brits as well. Best International Group & Best International Album beating out some big names.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I can understand the surprise that they won over more commercially successful artists like Gaga, but it's the fact that so many of them are completely oblivious to their existence at all that baffles me.

I suppose America is a much bigger place than Ireland, so it's probably easier to avoid hearing things you don't want to. I mean I know plenty of people who listen to Gaga, Katy Perry etc. but they'd still have heard of Arcade Fire.

I posted something similar some time last year but I was on about how unknown they were in Ireland. Don't think it's just Americans that are oblivious to them. When I was telling people I was going to the O2 to see them, they were like "Who?".
Me: "#1 album in the country. They headlined Oxegen."
Them: "Jay-Z, Eminem & Muse headlined, didn't they."

Since I posted I have started to see their videos (for The Suburbs & Ready To Start) on TV a lot. Mainly on MTV2 & NME. So they are starting to get more popular. I guess most of the people complaining about them winning are watching the likes of Smash Hits & Kiss.

homerun_homer wrote: »

What are the odds of them getting a Marlay park gig or something of the like now that they are winning big awards all over the shop?

Basq wrote: »

God, I hope so..

.. no offence to "Oxegen-goers" but I'm not going to see them at that glorified pig-sty!

They'll hardly play Oxegen again after last year. They could play some big outdoor gig alright I suppose. Like they're doing in Hyde Park in London. Personally I'm hoping they'll play Electric Picnic. Might be unlikely but they are playing in Manchester on 31st August & Edinburgh on 1st September, so the timing would be perfect. Hopefully they're not too big for it now.

H8GHOTI

2 clips of Win being funny

Backstage at The Grammys after winning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD12A2X5KFU

Brits acceptance speech - Lack of a cheer from the crowd as the nominations are announced is interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7_0HAFtvnI

S.M.B.

H8GHOTI wrote: »

They'll hardly play Oxegen again after last year. They could play some big outdoor gig alright I suppose. Like they're doing in Hyde Park in London. Personally I'm hoping they'll play Electric Picnic. Might be unlikely but they are playing in Manchester on 31st August & Edinburgh on 1st September, so the timing would be perfect. Hopefully they're not too big for it now.

Pretty sure they are. A Marley Park gig would be a lot more likely.

homerun_homer

DVD of the Spike Jonze collaboration will be coming out May/June.

Pierce_1991

Must say I really like the Suburbs, it'd be my second favorite behind Funeral. For me, it has some of their most enjoyable songs and the thing I really loved about it was the lyrics right through the album. They manage to touch on some important topics while never losing that unique Arcade Fireness. Really good album, deserved the grammy imo

jill_valentine

H8GHOTI wrote: »

Brits acceptance speech - Lack of a cheer from the crowd as the nominations are announced is interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7_0HAFtvnI

Yeah. Notably different vibe from the US and UK awards shows - the applause after they played first, and then when they got the Grammy itself, was big and real, even though they were such a surprise, and even though it was such a showbizzy LA audience. The Brit crowd seemed a bit more grudging about it. I dunno, maybe just because it was practically a foregone conclusion or something, but odd all the same.

Was a bit irked that RTE only showed Ready To Start in their Grammy coverage, I'd been looking forward to seeing that phenomenal version of Month of May on an actual telly.

homerun_homer

jill_valentine wrote: »

Was a bit irked that RTE only showed Ready To Start in their Grammy coverage, I'd been looking forward to seeing that phenomenal version of Month of May on an actual telly.

It was only an hour coverage of a very long event with loads more performances. I was surprised Cee Lo with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jim Henson's puppets was cut. If Arcade Fire weren't the last performance I wouldn't be surprised if they were cut out altogether.

Battleflag

New tour announced:

04-09 Broomfield, CO - 1st Bank Center ^
04-11 Orem, UT - The UCCU Center ^
04-13 Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre ^
04-14 Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel ^
04-16 Indio, CA - Coachella
04-18 Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe Convention Center
04-20 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Amphitheatre *
04-22 Chicago, IL - UIC Pavilion *
04-24 Chicago, IL - UIC Pavilion *
04-25 Chicago, IL - UIC Pavilion *
04-27 Indianapolis, IN - The Lawn at White River State Park *
04-28 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
04-30 Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion #
05-03 Austin, TX - The Backyard %
05-04 The Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion %
05-06 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
06-09-12 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Festival
06-17 Scheesel, Germany - Hurricane Festival
06-18 Neuhausen, Germany - Southside Festival
06-21 Zagreb, Croatia - T Mobile InMusic Festival
06-22 Burgenland, Austria - Festivalgelände Wiesen
06-26 Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Rock-A-Field Festival
06-30 London, England - Hyde Park
07-02 Arras, France - Main Square Festival
07-03 Belfort, France - Les Eurockeenes
07-05 Milan, Italy - Milano Jazzin' Festival
07-07 Novi Sad, Serbia - Exit Festival
07-09 Lucca, Italy - Lucca Summer Festival
07-15 Lisbon, Portugal - Super Bock Super Rock Festival
07-17 Bennicassim, Spain - Benicassim Festival

08-31 Manchester, England - MEN Arena
09-01 Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Castle

No Ireland though

SimpleLogic

:D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeHV3tyNQ60

jill_valentine

Somebody's dug up footage of a show in Milwaukee in 2004, including Burning Bridges/ Breaking Hearts. Also has a few other rareish ones like Old Flame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U07m6VErRMM

InTheTrees

exioot wrote: »

No Ireland though

Or Seattle. Or even Vancouver.

:mad:

homerun_homer

Why haven't they made a proper recorded version of Burning Bridges? It's a great song, the only recorded version I heard was just instrumental:(

H8GHOTI

It looks like they will play Ireland this year. Someone posted on the Electric Picnic thread that they contacted Scott Rodger on Twitter. He replied, pretty much saying they'd be back this year. He didn't say when or where but it's not Oxegen. There's plenty of space in their schedule during July/August/September.

Here are the tweets:
http://bettween.com/scottsmethod/scottrodger/Jan-27-2011/Feb-27-2011/desc

btw Scott Rodger is Arcade Fire's manager, just in case some people don't know.

Aldebaran

Looks like Arcade Fire are headlining Electric Picnic this year!

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2011/03/03/arcade-fire-for-electric-picnic/

TheEscapist

Aldebaran wrote: »

Looks like Arcade Fire are headlining Electric Picnic this year!

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2011/03/03/arcade-fire-for-electric-picnic/

If it happens I'm sold.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Aldebaran wrote: »

Looks like Arcade Fire are headlining Electric Picnic this year!

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2011/03/03/arcade-fire-for-electric-picnic/

Should've been Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga headlining. They've sold more records than The Suburbs have!!!

qwertplaywert

Day tickets ,yes!

jill_valentine

http://www.factmag.com/2011/03/14/arcade-fire-head-to-haiti-with-leah-gordon-unveil-spike-jonze-suburbs-trailer/

Sounds kind of like the project they were working on with Johnathan Demme before the earthquake.

Also worth a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X65PcHj6EaU

jill_valentine

Apparently, there's no Haiti DVD in the works, but they are indeed performing around the country with local artists right now. Last night they were in Port Au Prince, tonight they're in a more remote spot further out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sop-ztb4S-E

ElaElaElano

I got really excited when you threw up that Burning Bridges/Breaking Hearts clip Jill, but it's been removed by the user

Although I did come across them doing a lovely cover of Guns of Brixton, at the stairwell of Brixton Academy, which compensated a little.

Can't wait for EP!

jill_valentine

Blah, damn. Here, try this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpYht4ffkAo

And Kettles, from the same show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGA19Nqpz3U

H8GHOTI

Interview with Will on Pitchfork. DVD of 'Scenes From The Suburbs' out in the summer will contain some bonus songs.

http://pitchfork.com/news/42108-arcade-fire-talk-iscenes-from-the-suburbsi/

jill_valentine

Will Butler has started a blog about their couple of days in Haiti. He's an excellent writer and it's well worth reading.

http://marcademire.tumblr.com/post/4518020665/parc-jean-marie-vincent

This in particular caught my eye:

We did see the PIH clinic. It’s a collection of 8 or 9 large army green tents set up on a piece of graveled land just inside the border of the park. Dr. Louise Ivers was guiding us. It was pretty “M*A*S*H style,” she said. Except, we assumed, for the hilarious antics of Hawkeye and the gang.

Dr. Ivers is an Irish doctor who’s been working in Haiti for PIH since 2003. She’s been working in Port-au-Prince since the earthquake. Things that would make a person laugh, she laughs at. Things that would make a person furious, she gets furious about. She is amazing and lovely. But then again, as a band, we are racist for Irish people.

Dr. Ivers' younger bro is one of our own boardsies, and RTE featured her in a documentary a few years back.

take everything

Listening a lot to The Suburbs.
One thing i wonder is why Regine doesn't sing more.
Half Light I and Sprawl II are two of my favourite songs on the album.
Her voice works really well with the myriad instruments they use.

splashthecash

take everything wrote: »

Listening a lot to The Suburbs.
One thing i wonder is why Regine doesn't sing more.
Half Light I and Sprawl II are two of my favourite songs on the album.
Her voice works really well with the myriad instruments they use.

I agree about her voice, its not the best but it suits what and how they play - I love Sprawl II, such an uplifting song...

She is really cute too - though I know a lot don't see this...I don't know what it is about her...

jill_valentine

splashthecash wrote: »

She is really cute too - though I know a lot don't see this...I don't know what it is about her...

She tends to look weird in photos, but I think once you see her in action, her charm becomes apparent.

Their Coachella set was webstreamed, and it was pretty amazing. There are videos and torrents on the go, and they're cracking, so they're well worth looking up. I won't spoil it if you haven't seen or heard about it already, but for Wake Up and the rest of the encore, they had a very cool crowd gimmick that went down a treat and looked very cool.

Anyway - The Scenes From the Suburbs DVD is to be released on June 27th. It will come with an expanded version of The Suburbs, which has two extra songs, Culture War and Speaking In Tongues, as well as an extended version of Wasted Hours. Not sure if they're doing bundles with and without the album, but we'll see.

fergpie

Awsome cover of Arcade Fires My body is a cage. Heard it on House and was blown away by it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev67C7Gts6Y

Colm!

jill_valentine wrote: »

Anyway - The Scenes From the Suburbs DVD is to be released on June 27th. It will come with an expanded version of The Suburbs, which has two extra songs, Culture War and Speaking In Tongues, as well as an extended version of Wasted Hours. Not sure if they're doing bundles with and without the album, but we'll see.

Any hope for the new version of Ready To Start that's started appearing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI8cF2khZfs

jill_valentine

Would be awesome - definitely think it completes the song, I thought the end was really weak before - but not according to the Scenes From The Suburbs preorder listing, m'afraid.

http://store.universal-music.co.uk/euro/cd/arcade-fire-scenes-from-the-suburbs/invt/0602527701349/

There'll be an interview with Will Butler on Phantom this weekend.

http://www.phantom.ie/entertainment/7166-aracade-fire-interview-on-the-kiosk.html

Battleflag

Came home drunk last saturday night and threw on their Coachella 2011 gig, was jumping around in the bed. Excellent performance!

Loving that extended version of Ready to Start too

jill_valentine

Rolling Stone's website will be streaming highlights of AF's set in New Orleans last night, notable because the very epically awesome Cyndi freaking Lauper joined them onstage for Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Sprawl II.

Aldebaran

Few more details on the deluxe edition of The Suburbs:

More details have been revealed about the deluxe edition of Arcade Fire's The Suburbs. The CD/DVD re-release comes out August 2 in the U.S. via Merge, and as previously reported, it'll include two new songs, "Culture War" and "Speaking in Tongues", the latter of which will feature vocal contributions from David Byrne(!).

Also included on the CD will be an extended version of The Suburbs cut "Wasted Hours (A Life That We Can Live)". The DVD will feature the Spike Jonze-directed short film Scenes From the Suburbs, as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary and the music video for the album's title track. In addition, a booklet featuring 80 pages of photos from the film shoot as well as lyrics will be included in the whole package.

http://pitchfork.com/news/42472-arcade-fire-unveil-ithe-suburbsi-deluxe-details/

Scuid Mhór

Interested for the two new songs. They sound new-ish so I reckon they'll be more nostalgia/uplifting themed than Funeral's depression or Neon Bible's ambition.

jill_valentine

Quick reminder, the two new tracks are due to be given a spin by Zane Lowe later today.

Please note, this is not an endorsement of Zane Lowe in any way.

Colm!

Screw Zane Lowe. http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/05/check-out-arcade-fire-culture-war-speaking-in-tongues/

jill_valentine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Eo6hy5DNMw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_hR9dYhS4s

jungleland86

Fantastic performances, would love to see them do an MTV Unplugged style show/album.

jill_valentine

Just so it's known, the extended edition of The Suburbs/ Scenes from the Suburbs is now available in Ireland - people forgetting we're a real country and all. There's some manner of bonus material that's not accessible yet, too.

Movie itself is good. Not amazing, but good. I think I'm inclined to like it because I'm such a sci fi nerd - rather than my AF nerdiness, like - but I can see it being a complete turn off for folks not predisposed to either short films, choppy edit storytelling or soft SF. A lot of people are gonna hate the **** out of this thing.

Arcade Fire themselves aren't great actors, but the kids are actually pretty good. Really good. Pleasingly awkward, and story suitable. Could have done with a few less Win heavy songs being so high in the mix though, that's the only thing that rings a little forced for me. Doesn't make a tremendous amount of linear sense neither, and will make a lot less if you've not seen the standard video - there's a lot of stuff in it that doesn't feature in the movie.

There is a sense that they got more out of the process of filming it than they did with the end result - the making of is really sweet - but it's likely not worth double dipping for most folks. though.

Oh, the booklet included is pretty neat.

H8GHOTI

The film is streaming here.
For a limited time.
Didn't think it was great myself.

eyeball kid

Going to see them tomorrow night in Hyde Park in London. Can't wait.
For anyone else going the run time is....

Owen Pallett - 16:00 - 16:30
The Vaccines - 16:40 - 17:10
Beirut - 17:30 - 18:30
Mumford & Sons - 19:00 - 20:10
Arcade Fire - 20:45 - 22:15
Curfew - 22:30

Its over pretty early I must say. Would really like to see Owen Pallett and Beirut but won't be able to get out of work in time. Just hope the
weather stays nice for it!

Battleflag

Annoyed that I bought The Suburbs on CD only last week and knew the deluxe edition was to appear anytime soon. Bummer