Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

[poly800rock]

or merge is putting out mediocrly good bands until they release the next superchunk album that will kill all. I won't say i loved the last album, but will give this one a listen.

[onemancult]

How can this be possible? How can a band's first record be "so indie" when it's their debut?

It's not surprising that on a forum known for its pretentiousness, you guys are managing to pick apart the band that was almost universally given the #1 album of 2004, certainly top 10. At the end of the decade, among people who appreciate good music, I can't imagine a more important band emerging from these ten years. "Neon Bible" is fucking fantastic, it's not as good as Funeral, but I think that's because it feels less epic. There's only 1 track I can 't get into on Neon Bible, but even then only one of them (Ocean of Noise) has that bravado that Arcade Fire achieved on "Tunnels" and "Rebellion" and "Wake Up."

If critics are praising Arcade Fire, it's because they are obscenely talented, producing unique music and doing it with ardor.

1. it wasnt their debut record. they'd released material prior to funeral.

2. i appreciate tons of music. good music, great music. immaculate stuff, really.

i know this for a fact. you're telling me that the arcade fire is the most important band of the past ten years? i am laughing.

3. all the critics are often wrong. very often. all too often, really. the indie ones, too.

4. Neon Bible doesn't suffer for being less epic, it suffers from poorly thought out song writing and resting on its laurels when it should have, at the very least, sounded fresh

and new, instead of tired and hollow.

my ears are bastions of truth, and after listening to Neon Bible, they are disappointed and sad. and the original version of No Cars Go is fifty fucking times better.

[Servo2000]

OMC.

His word is law.

[notesee]

I haven't given this record a listen yet, but I did download it. I was looking forward to listening, but after this thread .. the album will prolly be skimmed through and then deleted.

[mellowbonsai]

It's hard to take anyone seriously who thinks their ears are "bastions of truth". I love the new album, it just takes patience, like a good Fiery Furnaces record, or The Kife's Silent Shout. If anything, I think the record sounds a lot more dark and a lot more epic with the organ.

The new version of No Cars Go is great. Oh, and a few more things: oink or indietorrents won't host it because the leaked version has a paltry 160 kb/s bitrate. Black Mirror is the new single, Intervention was just a teaser played on the radio. They've released material before that, but Funeral was their first proper full length album. Their self-titled was an EP.

And as far as pitchfork, they have an ear for good new artists, but tend to follow hipster trends and ignore other good bands.

Example: TONS of reviews of freak folk, hip hop, post-rock and indie-dance records (like Hot Chip, Junior Boys, !!!, LCD Soundsystem...). There's little to NOTHING for punk, ambient, noise, country, metal, etc...

I also loathe the hyper-extended metaphors, concept reviews, and how almost every review opens with some candid or personal experience with the band/artist. Every review smacks of some english major who thinks he has the greatest taste in music. They never question themselves.

By contrast, cokemachineglow.com published two feature articles about the practice of writing reviews of music. Not only that, they were opposing viewpoints of reviewing music: objective and subjective.

[the wit of the staircase]

funeral was okay. neon bible is okay. pitchfork is not okay. don't make this more complicated than it needs to be.

[poly800rock]

stylusmagazine.com has the "playing god" column, which is basically a staff member resequencing an album. and they also have "on 2nd thought" which is another take of an album years later...i like those features

[wild style]

I hated on the new album pretty hard when I first listened to it, but I've had it playing in my car for the last week or so and it's beginning to grow on me. Still, there are a couple songs that completely honk, but I'm starting to get into it.

[onemancult]

It's hard to take anyone seriously who thinks their ears are "bastions of truth". I love the new album, it just takes patience, like a good Fiery Furnaces record, or The Kife's Silent Shout. If anything, I think the record sounds a lot more dark and a lot more epic with the organ.

it is hard to take me seriously when i say these things because you don't know me, and know that where other people employ hyperbole, i am being brutally honest.

or, in other words, we have different tastes. your choice.

for example, i think the Fiery Furnaces are hellaciously overrated, and their

ability to craft a satisfying song is mediocre at best. their records are spotty

affairs, and i'd much rather take bits and pieces from all their recorded work to

put together one solid disc.

The Knife's Silent Shout was instantly satisfying to me. That didn't take patience,

that took a hell of a whole lot of ass-shaking at first, and then, after the come down

from how intensely danceable of a record it was, I sat down,

threw on the earcans, and was enveloped in pure sonic goodness supported by a skeleton of carefully thought out structure.

People who think of Silent Shout as a record that requires patience or is difficult to get acclimated with are people that I can't understand, just like we have a fellow that doesn't understand how someone couldn't be anything but blown away by the Arcade Fire's live show. I'll agree, they're powerful live. The first record was powerful. Neon Bible, so far, lacks power. I don't hear any of the spark that made the first EP and album worthwhile. And, I don't think I'll uncover it after repeated listens... it just isn't there for me.

[Carl]

like a good Fiery Furnaces record

That actually exists?

my ears are bastions of truth

Ohhh lawdy! I will be havin none of that from someone who likes the Cure more then the Smiths.

And poly -

[andrewisalsorad]

There are many good sources for online music reviews, pitchfork although the biggest, is just one. Just because they ripped apart your favorite album, does not discredit what they do for music. Pick and choose, I like to use cokemachineglow, tinymixtapes, pitchforkmedia and metacritic to get the vibe of a new album I am thinking about buying. Ultimately there is always someone out there to hate what you like. I am a DJ at my college radio station KCPR 91.3 [kcpr.org], so I have the luxury of hearing a lot of music ahead of schuedule and I always find it fun to see which albums get reviewed and what sinks and what swims.

[onemancult]

That actually exists?

Ohhh lawdy! I will be havin none of that from someone who likes the Cure more then the Smiths.

And poly -

at least we agree on the fiery furnaces.

... and rich boy.

[mwrenchd]

Because its a pale, pale comparison of what it was 6-7 years ago. Once Brent left that shit went downhill quick.

Hahaha, you mean this guy??

>> RETRACTION

Last Tuesday, June 15th, Pitchfork published a review of the Beastie Boys' To the 5 Boroughs by Brent DiCrescenzo, a frequent and trusted contributor. In his review, Brent detailed experiences with the Beastie Boys' public relations firm Nasty Little Man, and its president Steve Martin, over the course of several years. Pitchfork has since determined that a number of DiCrescenzo's assertions were false, based on corroborated statements from the two parties he claimed were participating in the chain of events referred to in the review

While he was a decent if hyperbolic writer, he spent very little time writing about the music he was purportedly reviewing.

Oh yeah, and this Arcade Fire album is pretty sucky. QED.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i like fiery furnaces

but i like henry cow more

[swisloc]

I also loathe the hyper-extended metaphors, concept reviews, and how almost every review opens with some candid or personal experience with the band/artist. Every review smacks of some english major who thinks he has the greatest taste in music. They never question themselves.

By contrast, cokemachineglow.com published two feature articles about the practice of writing reviews of music. Not only that, they were opposing viewpoints of reviewing music: objective and subjective.

It's ridiculous to think a review, of any kind, should question itself. hating on critics is such an easy cop-out these days that its pathetic and hypocritical, especially on a style message board. obviously you can disagree with critics opinion, but it is THEIR JOB to state their opinion on a record/movie/book whatever. no one is telling you to agree with it. pitchfork and cokemachineglow are like two professors teaching the same course, they have different styles, and you may prefer one to the other, but they are promoting (for all intants and puposes) very similar things. look at their respective top 50's from last year, they are 75% the same records just shuffled around a bit. why hate on either source of information? it makes no sense, i mean, it's not the Post vs. the Times here, it's indie music.

saying "critics are wrong" is the same as saying any given person is "wrong" about their musical tastes. is that even possible? do critics make some bands careers? sure, but this isn't anything that doesn't happen in every subjective field every day.

EDIT: OMC is right in saying "his ears are the bastion of truth" [for him]. and so should everyone else's be for themselves. but this does not mean critics are useless or wrong, they serve a purpose in providing notification and opinion, the same thing we are doing here.

[dry the rain]

^well put.

[mwrenchd]

but i like henry cow more

yes!

10 9 8 7

[Carl]

While he was a decent if hyperbolic writer, he spent very little time writing about the music he was purportedly reviewing.

I enjoyed reading his reviews so much more then anyone else.

[Servo2000]

All I know is the Fiery Furnaces were better with synthesizers, or maybe just when back they wrote music that wasn't boring (or some music that wasn't boring). Live show is a huge bummer now.

Still debating about whether or not Neon Bible is worth a download. Figure I might as well.

[werdtoyourmoms]

every Canadian indie band since Broken Social Scene is just trying to replicate "You Forgot It In People"... I don't know why they even bother trying. This includes all successive Broken Social Scene efforts.

the newest (self titled) broken social scene album is good though. i gave it like, a 3 month break and came back... so good.

the new panda bear album, wow.

[mellowbonsai]

Now that you mention it, I think the new AF album is a lot like the BSS album: Neon Bible is not going to be Funeral (or the EP), just like BSS' self titled isn't going to be YFIIP.

It isn't as big of a jump as, say, the jump from Sung Tongs to Feels, but its definitely enough to turn some people off.

[poly800rock]

every Canadian indie band since Broken Social Scene is just trying to replicate "You Forgot It In People"... I don't know why they even bother trying. This includes all successive Broken Social Scene efforts.

i'm watching arcade fire on snl right now and i can't commend you enough for the best description of this band.....kudos to you

[braid]

I predict Pitchfork will rip this album apart.

looks as if pitchfork liked it....i'm eager to check it out myself tomorrow

[d]

Personally, I love this album. I like it better than the first one,

[upandcoming]

i second that it sucks, i was disapointed

[GoSurface]

First was great, and so was the second. But this one is a snore-fest. I do like the new version of 'No Cars Go' though.

[Fauxhemian]

Now that you mention it, I think the new AF album is a lot like the BSS album: Neon Bible is not going to be Funeral (or the EP), just like BSS' self titled isn't going to be YFIIP.

It isn't as big of a jump as, say, the jump from Sung Tongs to Feels, but its definitely enough to turn some people off.

That you think Arcade Fire is comparable to Animal Collective makes me