auctioneer69

Don't think it's that bad actually. Definitely very U2 Like.

Great idea. In addition to others: Cocteau Twins "Heaven and Las Vegas" and "Blue Bell Knoll" - both fantastic albums if you have never heard them Wilco "Sky Blue Sky" - really mellow with a couple of exceptions Aphex Twin "Selected Ambient Works #1" - very chill but it does have a couple of very creepy songs on there too Spiritualized "Ladies and Gentlmen We Are Floating In Space" Kraftwerk "Trans-Europe Express" Miles Davis "In A Silent Way" and "Sketches of Spain" David Bowie "Hunky Dory" Air "Moon Safari" I feel like I am missing a whole bunch of California-based seventies country ro

Yes great album. Maybe the best mainstream indie album all year. Going to see them the end of October

Wish I had gone to Vancouver too. Next time . Missed not hearing the likes of "Private Universe" or "Nails in My Feet".

They were fantastic at the Chateau Ste Michelle winery nr. Seattle on Saturday night. Played for 2 hours and 10 minutes. Bought tickets in the reserved front section and ended up standing (with dodgy knee) up the front after we got sick of hearing the people behind us talking loudly. As a funny aside Eddie Vedder's wife/fiancee and friends ended up watching from the side of the stage after people got pissed off that they stood up in the 5 or 6th row to listen to the music. Great set. Musically they are super-talented and surprisingly jammy (not unlike Wilco) and rocking in places. Their curr

Thanks for the link. Really looking forward to seeing them for the 4th time in the best venue in the world: The Greek Theatre at Berkeley on the first Saturday of October. They really are amazing live. I am also planning to go to the Coachella next year and will be hugely surprised if they aren't one of the headliners.

Having just watched the clips of Arcade Fire on Jon Stewart next week I am going to try and see them at Berkeley on Saturday the 2nd. Having seen them three times the live stuff on Jon Stewart reminded me what an incredible live band they are. For anyone else thinking of a trip to the Bay Area for the same time the free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in taking place at Golden Gate featuring Elvis Costello, the Avett Brothers and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings amongst a bunch of other great artists. Anyone know when the Greek Show goes on sale? http://www.strictlybluegrass.com/

Obviously part of a carefully thought out plan to break the band into a bigger level and wider audience. It also emphasizes where the money is at in music these days: gigs. Likewise the webcast directed by Terry Gillam last week and sponsored by AmEx (the businessmen who suck their blood? LOL). I am sure Arcade Fire will make a boat load of money from their arena shows going forward. I feel sad for the remaining independent music stores. I am sure they feel that they really helped to build a band like Arcade Fire (and of course made some money into the bargain themselves.) When I bought my

Good to see Bono back in action and kinda amazing given the severity of his injury and the short time that has elapsed. And although I always look forward to a new U2 album I am hoping that these pretty mediocre efforts aren't the cream of the new crop.

Saw Wilco follow Arcade Fire at Sasquatch in 2005. Poor Wilco that day. Blown out of the water by the best performance at Sasquatch and not helped by some technical problems. (I think that the Wilco concert program had Sasquatch listed as the worst place to play by one of Wilco's road crew). Have seen Arcade Fire play twice since then and they were the act of the day easily at the 2nd day of Coachella in 2007. They might have reined them it in a little now but when I have seen they have a great sense of theatrics and spectacle. Listened to "The Suburbs" again on a long drive today. The

I am trying really hard to like this album. Repeated plays definitely reveal more pleasures but overall there are a lot of songs crying out for a decent hook or a decent melody. Favourite songs so far are "Modern Man", "We Used To Wait" and the "Suburbs" whose merits would have not made them standouts on the prior two albums. I'd echo comments that the first half is better than the second. I've scanned lots of gushing reviews the latest from British mag Q which gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Am I the only person who thinks that the theme of the suburbs is too banal to justify an entire album's

Fair point. I'd still say he's gone downhill a lot. Just watched "One" from the Rosebowl. Oh dear. I've read some stuff to suggest that his frenetic lifestyle even on the road means that he rarely rests his voice the way he should.

Seriously? When I hear him sing now I hear a lot of speaking and sometimes shouting of the lyrics and a big loss dynamics and range. "With or Without You" sounds plain bad now because of his voice and I think the reason that U2 play "Bad" so infrequently now is that Bono has lost the ability to sing it well. What's noticeable to me is how much his voice has gone downhill in the last ten years. Listen to something like the live version of "Stay" in 2000 and what he is capable of now. As a REM fan too, I was blown away by how much Michael Stipe's voice has improved when I saw them live in 2

Poor Bono. His voice is a pale imitation of what it was. I am right in thinking he falls into the category of dumbest people : somone who started smoking in their late twenties/early thirties? Still think I will try and see U2 in Seattle next year although I'll play the craigslist game as opposed to pay $100 to watch from the top row in Quest Field. Haven't seen them since the opening night of the War tour in 1983 when my big brother took me to the Dundee Caird Hall. Still kicking myself for missing the Achtung Baby show in Glasgow in 1992 when I was as skint as I have ever been.

Finally, someone has said what I've been thinking for a long-time: the National suck. I've seen them live once and enjoyed them but having owned a couple of CD's and given them time I just can't get past the very mannered, consistently depressed/depressing vocal style.

Wow. What a show!!!! Although I'd never have those professional angst-ridden bedwetters The National above Pavement on any bill (Although they aren't bad live.)

Gonna see them in Seattle or Oakland. Stoked. Fingers crossed Bobby Womack will be on stage. "Plastic Beach" is my favourite album of the year. The sweep of songs from about Rhinestone Eyes through Broken is peerless. Lots of variety on the album but at its core: electronic, psychedelic, soulful, melancholic pop. Not surprised it doesn't get more love here as it isn't all guitars and plaid shirt

Looking forward to buying it and listening to it on Tuesday. Despite some skepticism here based on my initial analysis based on the 30 seconds that it will be grower it would seem my Malcolm Gladwell-like first call was spot-on based on what other people who have heard it all are saying. As for the critics, Arcade Fire unless they release a complete dud they will always be a darling of the critics. Willing to tackle big themes - check, ambitious - check, willing to expand their sound - check, willing to take chances - check, amazing live - check etc, etc. Frankly, music and critics need ban

Some laugh-out-loud comments based on my relatively innocuous comments on the initial clips. I just meant it sounded more like it will be a a grower of an album. Wonder what Wayne Coyne thinks? In totally unrelated news, Gorillaz are getting ready to announce all 20 dates for a US tour in October. Any thoughts that I had that this band was a side-project for Damon Albarn were blown away by the breadth and quality of "Plastic Beach". An added bonus on stage will be the presence of Mick Jones and Paul Simonon of the Clash and hopefully the imperious Bobby Womack and maybe even Lou Reed for

Thanks. Aside from Christina Hendricks in a jump-suit this is a great video and a nice extended-version of a good song. The album has been given short change by critics and punters alike in my humble opinion.

Sounds like a pretty subtle set of songs based on the 30 second clips of each. Nothing that jumps out at you like a "No Cars Go" . Undoubtedly, it will need repeated listens to reveal its true quality.

Fantastic! Muchos gracias!

Fair points - I'll get the sense they are going for a Springsteen type sound which would be a shame in my opinion.