auctioneer69

That song is pretty much terrible.

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 rock and acoustic folk albums.

I really like it, too. Although, when I mentioned this in the NP thread a few days ago, there wasn't a whole lot of love for it.

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

So glad you appreciated it! I really do think they are right in there with Wilco for the quality of their live shows. How about the smoking amp on the first song? Spinal Tap would've been impressed.

 

I had more fun at the Seattle show, because of being on my feet grooving right up front by Neil Finn, but the sound quality and the variety of the set list from Seattle also made Vancouver special. The Queen Elizabeth is a nice theatre, and it was a longer show.

 

 

Here's a pic of Neil Finn from the Vancouver show:

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

As a casual fan of CH I have to say I was blown away by their show last night in Vancouver. Solid 2-hour set. Particularly enjoyed "Distant Sun" "Private Universe" and "It's Only Natural" as well as beautiful versions of "Fall At Your Feet" and "Isolation" (featuring Sharon). I have to agree, these guys are incredible live.

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 current drummer Matt Sherod is really talented and Neil Finn plays killer lead guitar as well as singing. A good assortment of new and older stuff and we were spoiled by four Split Enz songs after fans continued a long Crowded House fan tradition of directing paper planes with requests onto the stage. "Message To My Girl" was exquisite and the trio of "I Walk Away", "History Never Repeats" and "I Got You" in the encore was pretty special. The band looked like they were having a ball by the end and seemed to enjoy the crowd who gathered by the stage. No Eddie Vedder. Neil Finn dedicated the last song to the "Memphis Three" after saying Eddie is working on their release in some capacity. I wonder if Chicago audiences might see the appearance of John, Jeff or Pat on stage after their recent involvement in "Seven Worlds Collide".

I have had the album a few days and didn't really hook into it all that much. I enjoyed parts of it no doubt and kind of knew it would eventually hook me in. Then, last night, watching a live broadcast from Reading the whole thing came together. A storming live show from the band and the new songs shone as brightly as anything. Really, really brilliant show even viewed on tv. Consequently, the album reveals itself even more after a show like that. Tremendous.

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.

North American Tour:

 

9-22 St. Paul, MN - Roy Wilkins Arena

9-23 Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre

9-25 Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre

9-26 Calgary, AB - Stampede Corral

9-28 Vancouver, BC - Pacific Coliseum

9-29 Seattle, WA - Key Arena

9-30 Portland, OR - Memorial Coliseum

10-2 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre

10-5 Big Sur, CA - Henry Miller Library

10-7 Los Angeles, CA - Shrine Auditorium

10-8 Los Angeles, CA - Shrine Auditorium

10-10 Mexico City, Mexico - Palacio de los Deportes

10-12 Monterrey, Mexico - Banamex Theater

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/

There is an article in today's New York Times discussing the #1 status and the role that Amazon's $3.99 sale price played in it.

 

Interesting quote: "Neither Merge nor SoundScan would say what proportion of the band’s sales last week came from Amazon, but the discount clearly helped: 62 percent of the album’s sales were as digital downloads, according to Billboard — more than twice as many as the band’s last album, “Neon Bible,” had in its first week in 2007."

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 copy of "The Suburbs" for $11.99 at Easy Street in Queen Anne there were about six people in there are seven in the evening in what's a pretty decent -sized store. Sad.

Video #2!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmQ1wNSxbtA&feature=player_embedded

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.

a wilco/arcade fire tour would be epic. feel as though the two would compliment one another pretty nicely. anyone at wilco hq listening?!?

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. They critical kudos get more baffling every time I hear the record. There are some good songs but a lot of it sounds more and more like indie-rock by numbers. A shame when anyone who has seen their live show can attest their talent would suggest they could pull off any number of styles.

WXRT may be one of the last commercial stations that plays this kind of indie buzz band. I have now heard two songs off this album just by listening to the radio. Rococo is a pretty good song, kind of proggy.

 

LouieB

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 worth of songs and if you are going to streamline your musical palette or sound the way Arcade Fire have with the "Suburbs" that a more compact album would have made better sense?

not a fan of Tindersticks or Leonard Cohen either?

Matt's vocals certainly aren't for everyone, but i love 'em and don't find the National or his vocals depressing whatsoever, esp. if you actually listen to what he's saying.

 

even a song like 'Sorrow' on the new album is super upbeat to me, as dark as it sounds.

 

Like bands that offer a wee bit more variety. And god they sound so completely joyless all the time. Maybe he has chronic hemmaroids (sic) but unless you are a complete misanthrope it starts sounding false or cabaret like, Gotta give Arcade Fire big kudos for releasing three albums that sound completely different. There was a time when bands liked to explore different musical and lyrical textures and areas. Now - the game seems to be find a niche and milk it as much as you can. A la the National or countless other bands. Which means unless you love that particular style it gets old and/or boring.

I've listened to a ton of U2 bootlegs for every tour and yeah there are some shows where Bono's voice is shot. On others though (even in the 360 tour, especially in the beginning) it is simply amazing. Although, I kind of now take back what I said about Bono's voice on the 360 Tour DVD. That was one of the last shows and his voice was a bit tired which is a shame to have that be the tour document. But I've listened to a lot of bootlegs on this past tour and I wish that some of those shows were chosen instead to show how amazing his voice still is.

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.

His voice is still pretty amazing. Just check out the 360 tour DVD.

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 2008. Likewise, Neil Finn on Crowded House's new album "Intriguer". Just an observation not a criticism.

Another update: It looks like U2 rehearsed another new song (later in the evening) titled For Your Love which was a rumored song title back during the No Line On The Horizon sessions. This song has a nice and slow groove to it and Bono takes the song into his falsetto range at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URETkbpOaqs&feature=player_embedded

 

Some other "new" older songs that made appearances today were Gloria & Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World which has not been done since the last Zooropa show in December 1993.

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.

I guess it's the new cool to hate this album or be "unimpressed" by it.

 

I think it's missing some of the majesty of Funeral in key places (especially the middle tracks), but it's still easily the best thing I've heard all year long. I'm actually enjoying it more than I thought I would. Especially after folks on this board beat the snot out of the title track, which I really love.

 

And what's with the turf war with the National fans? First of all, it's silly, and secondly, that band will never be more than a depressing lounge act as long as Matt Berninger is outfront. His vocals = funeral dirge. It's okay to be upbeat, and it doesn't take away from the gravity of the songs. They could learn a thing or two from AF...

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.

Intriguer is a great album. A real grower. Contains a bunch of songs including 'Falling Dove', 'Twice if Your Lucky', and 'Inside Out' that are up there with the best of Neil Finn's career. Nice Jim Scott production - recorded in the same studio where Wilco recorded most of WTA.

 

Just got "Intriguer" on Friday and wish I hadn't waited so long. Takes about 3 or 4 listens but after that I just didn't want to stop playing it. As always, Neil Finn spoils us with exquisite melodies: this time they just take a tad longer to surface. His voice only seems to get better and more expansive. At first I was slightly put off by the number of slower and mid-paced songs but that shouldn't be put you off if you give the album enough time. It's an interesting album: definitely Crowded House but without quite sounding like any of their other albums. The production is lovely: very subtle but clear and allowing different things to become apparent with each listen. Looking forward to seeing them in Seattle at the end of August. I wonder what chance that the Chicago audience might see Jeff Tweedy join them onstage when they play there.

Get to see them live for the second time in two weeks.. tomorrow evening is Osheiga fest in hometown Montreal. Lineup = Pavement/The National/Arcade Fire. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday evening.

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.)

I am really damn tempted...

Thanks for the feedback.

Anyone else?

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

What I have heard so far of it (via the XM) has not rocked my block.

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 band like Arcade Fire who help to define a period of time and music. Compare them with their touring mates - Spoon. Great band - but happy to be a big cult band and nothing more and also sonically they have tinkered with but never changed their core sound over 5/6 records.

you're really gonna make a pre-judgement based on 8 minutes out of a 64 minute album? and 30 sec clips of each track at that?

come on now... i wouldn't even think Funeral was that great based on random 30 sec clips.

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 those who the show in NYC. Can't wait. My friends who went to Coachella this year said they were the highlight for Saturday.

New video for Broken Bells "The Ghost inside". Cool Sci Fi vibe with Christina Hendricks from Mad Men.

 

Ghost inside video

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.

Or at least that's what the Germans would have you believe.

 

Anybody know of anywhere that's gonna have this album on sale (i.e., cheaper than Merge)? CD or LP?

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!

A topic as dreary as the suburbs? Wasn't Funeral a concept album about suburban life and death? And Neon Bible was heavily influenced by war. Just saying..

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