Idolator

When I think of these people it only serves to remind me that David Bowie likes them and that in turn makes me think about how DB has scarcely released a non-naff track since "Loving the Alien" and that makes me sad.

Thanks for ruining my LIFE, Arcade Fire.

What is it with every "indie" band making a Springsteen epic album these days? Don't they know that it's GOING to suck at least a little if you make the songs "epic" which is another way of saying overproduced.

I don't like Arcade Fire anyways, mainly on the principle that there are too many people in the band (more than 5 or more people on a stage = borderline too many) so it doesn't matter if the new album is good or bad, but seriously, someone needs to find some new inspiration to mine, and not the boss.

"I don't like Arcade Fire anyways, mainly on the principle that there are too many people in the band (more than 5 or more people on a stage = borderline too many) so it doesn't matter if the new album is good or bad,"

That is, without doubt, the douchiest thing I've read on this entire network (and I've got defamer bookmarked).

NickEddy -- you're COMPLETELY writing off "Reality"?

There HAVE been a few Bowie bright spots. "Hallo, Spaceboy." "Heathen" wasn't entirely terrible either. Just seems like David Bowie should have better things to do than checking out a band that looks like they are playing in some Margeret Bourke-White WPA dance photo (oh, those thin suspenders [excuse me, braces]). But really, I wish the AF all the best. Better them and the Shins having a week in the charts than more Nickelback Lite dreck.

I mean, Bowie should be home painting or telling his little kid all about William S. Burroughs and/or why he did the Nazi salute at Hammersmith Station.

Did we already talk about the Arcade Fire performance on SNL? 'Cuz they friggin pwned the Shins (not saying much), and I thought they generally were teh shit.

i am wondering if it is folks my age (early 30's) or younger kids who are apeshit for 80's nostalgia. were folks in the 70's this pumped up over sha na na?

Sarcasm will get you everywhere.

I refuse to listen to them until they start featuring banjos.

I really hate to jump on the bandwagon, but when listening to this for the first time, my roomate and I literally said "This sounds like Bruce Springsteen" to each other at the EXACT same time. Don't dig it as much as the first one, but I'd say as far as indie rock bands go, these guys are pretty rockin.

@Halfwit: "That is, without doubt, the douchiest thing I've read on this entire network (and I've got defamer bookmarked)."

Oh really? I find that difficult to believe...you must not be looking very hard.

I simply refuse to subscribe to the idea that the more people you have onstage the more talented and "indie" you are. But I forgot that it's scientifically proven that more microphones and guitars = more talent. I'm sure Pythagoras had something to say about that...

I'm not saying that "more artists = more gooder" (although to assume the opposite is just as asinine). It's the statement that the quality the actual music is irrelevant, since they've crossed some type of stage "population density" limit that I find douchey...

Crap, am I gonna have my account killed for back to back usage of "douche"?

If I'm not mistaken they've done the same exact thing that the Killers did...essentially trying to overreach and make themselves "the world's greatest band" by trying to make their hooks and sound as enormous as possible whilst shamelessly aping Springsteen and U2. Granted, Arcade Fire has a lot more talent than the Killers. However, this is just a dreary record lacking in any sense of fun or energy. It feels as though at every practical moment Win Butler looked at the rest of the band and said "yeah...but how can we sound more important."

Don't get me wrong, there are moments of greatness here. They are a talented band and this CD isn't bad at all. It's probably a B/7.5 sort of thing. But all-too-often it feels forced and contrived. There is none of the magic of that first album, which is not really their fault, but c'mon these lyrics are dreadful. "My Body's a Cage." How many times has that song been written? Besides, I liked it a lot better when it was Billy Corgan saying that shit and I was 12 years old.

A lot of people are saying Arcade Fire are this generation's Nirvana. They're wrong. They're this gen's Smashing Pumpkins. Which of course ain't bad, but all this hyperbole is a little irritating. I'll take that Wilco record anyday, which after having listened to it for practically 24 hrs straight, is pretty fucking awesome.

Or will you do something crazy, like giving the album a few listens before rendering an instant verdict, and maybe judging it on its own merits? (Have fun with that, killjoy.) Hey! I'll only do that once (if?) I get over my "How many people are in this band, again?" bias. Which, apparently, I'm not alone in having.

Of couse, I'm also too young to really understand the nostalgia for Springsteen.

I'm just happy for Merge.

(This is on Merge again, right?)

"However, this is just a dreary record lacking in any sense of fun or energy."

Yeah, because "Funeral" was soooo upbeat...

Give me a break. Peeps are just bitter that they have a good publicist.

I was just excited for Ghanian Independence Day...

rah rah rah, others peoples opinions on this band make me not like this band, rah rah rah, they sound like other music I've heard, rah rah rah, they wanted epic sounding songs and I'm going to assume it was because they wanted to sound like the greatest band ever, rah. rah. rah.

Sucks. Indie music blows.

Fine then. I like the album. Even the Springsteen-y sounding bits.

There, someone had to say it.

what is about every indie rock band wanting to sound like a bunch of new jerseyans?

we mustn't dwell on arcade fire today. we can't. not on rex manning day.

Beach House - "Master of None"Jeffrey Lewis - "Don't Let the Record Label Take You Out to Lunch"First, S. Trout's got it right.