New Arcade Fire

Coco · Post by **Coco** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:34 am

inverseroom wrote:It's out; I got a copy today.

Personally, I like it about half as much as the first record. It does sound excellent, but the songs are inferior I think. I really like that first record though.

Agreed. Although I'm sick to bloody death of the first one so I seriously doubt I'll even spin this one much if at all.

The first listen I was very underwhelmed.

I might be the oddball here but since seeing them live I can't even stomach Funeral. The live show was a total mishmash. Too many useless utility players on stage. They seem to be suffering the same fate as Broken Social Scene by cramming as many people as humanly possible on stage. I think that totally detracts from the performance. Too may people doing nothing relevant.

Come on, a guy with a motorcycle helmet hitting the wall with drumsticks? I think it must have been one of the band member's brothers. They probably took him on tour so he wouldn't feel left out or something. Whatever.

I realize my post completely detracts from the point of this thread so I appologize if I have stirred up any ill feelings.

This is just this guy's useless opinion.

Sorry to pee on the parade.

chuckfurok · Post by **chuckfurok** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:12 am

Coco wrote:I might be the oddball here but since seeing them live I can't even stomach Funeral. The live show was a total mishmash. Too many useless utility players on stage. They seem to be suffering the same fate as Broken Social Scene by cramming as many people as humanly possible on stage.

Wow! It is amazing when two people see/hear something and come away with totally different impressions. The time I saw them, over two years ago now, they were amazing. One of the best shows I have seen, ever. I am not going to pass judgement on the album till I have let it sink in a bit.

SoulOfJonas · Post by **SoulOfJonas** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:26 pm

i've been listening to it on repeat for a while now and - i may be on my own here but - I like it better than Funeral, song-wise and production-wise. Not head and shoulders better but definitely better. I do love Funeral immensely but these songs are absolutely killing me. They got pretty much got to the core of me and what I really like and have stuck there.

-JV

kdarr · Post by **kdarr** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:23 am

I picked it up yesterday.

Anyone listen to this with headphones yet?

The mix is pretty wild... things swelling in and out across the stereo spectrum... it's almost disorienting. Intense stuff, and the bottom end is just massive.

[<|>]

numberrr · Post by **numberrr** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:36 pm

scott colburn rules. i was lucky enough to take a couple of his classes back at the ol art institute before both of us got a clue and ditched that place. the Cerberus Shoal 'Chaiming the Knoblessone' cd and that Animal Collective record he did are both fucking brilliant.

im totally going to download this, listen to it once on headphones, then delete it cause any band that needlessly (and dispassionately) smashes an acoustic guitar at the end of the first of two songs on SNL probably doesnt have anything to give me as far as song content

edit: did anyone else see that? what in god's name was that chick playing in the 2nd song? it looked like a huge wind-up cello/autoharp. i couldnt even hear it (please fire whoever mixes the bands on SNL), but i NEED it. NEED.

earth tones · Post by **earth tones** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:51 pm

Didn't get to see the performance, but I believe she plays a hurdy-gurdy, which has a cranked wheel apparatus that bows the strings...as far as I know.

earth tones · Post by **earth tones** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:52 pm

A hurdy in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLlIbMA6VFA

Good sounds!

numberrr · Post by **numberrr** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:20 pm

wow. i am so sold on that thing

i may have a new favorite instrument

...sorry accordian!

kdarr · Post by **kdarr** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:58 pm

yeah, hurdy-gurdy is pretty bad ass. kinda like the stringed equivalent of a bagpipe. or an organ. or a borgan(?)

i've always thought that hurdy-gurdy and mellotron strings occupied a similar timbral territory.

[<|>]

chris harris · Post by **chris harris** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:37 am

I like both albums. They're interesting to listen to. They sound a lot like Tripping Daisy/Polyphonic Spree.

But, lyrically, I guess I'm just getting a little bored with listening to twentysomethings come to terms with their religious upbringing.

metaphormixer · Post by **metaphormixer** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:44 pm

can't say i like this whole album. but does anyone want to guess what sort of delay they're using on his voice? especially on the title track. it sounds nice, i think.

DGoody · Post by **DGoody** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:48 pm

Sorry to diverge, but I think this record is pretty mediocre...... songs and sonics.... I thought the furst record was way overrated, so I'm not a fan.... but I think it sounds awful..... it's like gratuitous "lo-fi"...... just my .02

I just think the "left field " pop thing is overdone, and pretentious.

LVC_Jeff · Post by **LVC_Jeff** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:23 pm

Bought the album earlier, I like it. The weird delay thing on the singer's voice takes getting used to, but it's still a pretty good album. Antichrist Television Blues is great.

palinilap · Post by **palinilap** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:58 am

The songwriting and vocal phrasing almost remind me of Bruce Springstein at times (a good thing IMO). I think it's cool they didn't just set out to make another Funeral.

tonejunkee · Post by **tonejunkee** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:15 pm

good lord, they spent some time mixing this one fer sure. You really have to climb into the speakers and dig into the mix. The overall mood was kinda dark, but the black wave/bad vibrations song really gave me chills. cool arrangement - yes, very springsteen-esque vibe on alot of these. but springsteen has never tackled anything this morbidly dark, end of the world etc

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