1. How did you get into 29?
Youth Group: My friend had bought their first album on a whim and showed them to me and I got hooked

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22?
The Weakerthans: Left and leaving

3. What’s your favorite lyric by 33?
The Cranberries: Salvation To all the kids with heroin eyes
don't do it, don't do it
Because it's not, not what it seems

4. What is your favorite album by 49?
The Honorary Title: Anything Else but the Truth But their new one is very close for sure.

5. How many albums by 13 do you own?
Radiohead: 5
The Bends, OK Computer, HTTT, In Rainbows, Kid A

6. What is your favorite song by 50?
Cold War Kids: Probably We Used To Vacation or Tell Me In The Morning

7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad?
Pearl Jam: Footsteps Very sad song

8. What is your favorite album by 15?
Stars: Probably Heart

9. What is your favorite song by 5?
mewithoutYou: Silencer or January 1979 So many great ones though

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?
The Smiths: Not known for being particularly happy.. quite the opposite actually, but Bigmouth Strikes Again and Shoplifters of the World Unite

11. What is your favorite album by 40?
65daysofstatic: I'd have to say One Time for All Time

12. What is your favorite song by 10?
Interpol: Definitely Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down It's such an amazing song and the chorus just makes it

13. What is a good memory you have involving 30?
Dear and the Headlights: Well I don't really have a great memory of them but they're one of the few happy bands I listen to on a regular basis so that's always nice

14. What is your favorite song by 38?
The Format: Let's Make This Moment a Crime EP stuff but I'm a sucker for great choruses and this wins out

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?
Sinéad O'Connor: Of course this question was asked about probably the two saddest artists on my charts.. I honestly can't think of a happy song by her. They all make me happy to listen to though!

16. How many times have you seen 25 live?
The Shins: Well I would have seen them twice if my friends didn't make me sell my Lollapalooza tickets for the last two years because they couldn't go. I'm going alone this year, I'd love to finally see them

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23?
Wilco: I think it'd have to be Wishful Thinking

18. What is your favorite album by 11?
The Mountain Goats: God, they have like 12 to choose from but probably Tallahassee

19. Who is a favorite member of 1?
Pink Floyd: Roger Waters definitely. David Gilmour is one of the best guitarists ever and sang and wrote well but Waters Songwriting and vocals are just perfect for the concept of insanity that the band revolved around

20. Have you ever seen 14 live?
Butch Walker: Yes, twice actually. I didn't really know him too much for the first show but he absolutely blew me away so I went home and learned everything by him and went to the same show the next night at a different venue. Good times definitely

21. What is a good memory involving 27?
My Chemical Romance: Everything about The Black Parade, from the album, to going to the show supporting it with my friend and just how incredible the music was and its influences.

22. What is your favorite song by 16?
The Beatles: If anybody is actually able to pick a favorite Beatles song, power to them. Some of mine are While My Guitar Gently Weeps, I Saw Her Standing There and Helter Skelter too many more

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47?
The Rolling Stones: It's hard to say considering I was pretty much raised on this band. We have videos of me at about 4 years old singing and dancing to them. Start Me Up or maybe Wild Horses considering it's my parents wedding song

24. What is your favorite album by 18?
Neutral Milk Hotel: To go with the general consensus, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

25. What is your favorite song by 21?
Silversun Pickups: Probably Melatonin

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26?
The Killers: Somebody Told Me

27. What is your favorite album by 3?
Bright Eyes: Maybe I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning but every other one is a close second

28. What is your favorite song by 2?
The Arcade Fire: Definitely Crown of Love or either versions of No Cars Go Both versions have their high points

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?
Jeff Buckley: Last Goodbye

30. What is your favorite song by 8?
The Wrens: This Boy Is Exhausted or She Sends Kisses

31. How many times have you seen 17 live?
Built to Spill: None, I'm really bummed I decided against going last time before I got really into them

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?
The Envy Corps: You'd Look Good In Wings, Part II Such a good show, this song made it complete

33. What is your favorite album by 12?
Sufjan Stevens: Against what most people agree as his best, I think Greetings From Michigan, The Great Lake State

34. What is the worst song by 45?
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Not bad, just iffy, much of the new album is. Love Song No. 7

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34?
Muse: Feeling Good

36. What is your favorite album by 48?
Damien Rice: O Cheers Darlin' just makes that whole album victorious

37. How many times have you seen 42 live?
Shout Out Louds: Never =(
Indie Bands don't come to Michigan, like.. ever.

38. What is your favorite song by 36?
The Kinks: Celluloid Heroes British Invasion produced some of the best music ever written and this is no exception for sure

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28?
Led Zeppelin: Again, I was raised on Zeppelin so I couldn't know but Communication Breakdown was something I certainly heard early in my life.

40. What is your favorite album by 7?
Brand New: The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me Matured Musically and lyrically by this time

41. Is there a song by 31 that makes you happy?
Thursday: Again, another very unhappy band but to pick one might be Jet Black New Year still not happy but it makes me happy to dance to.

42. What is your favorite album by 41?
Modest Mouse: I'll be very unoriginal and say Good News for People Who Love Bad News although The Moon And Antarctica is great

43. What is your favorite song by 24?
Sigur Rós: Sæglópur or Staralfur

44. What is a good memory you have involving 46?
Ryan Adams: Learning of his existence?

45. What is your favorite song by 35?
Secret Machines: Lightning Blue Eyes

46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy?
The Veils: Calliope! only a few happy options

47. What is your favorite album by 4?
The Decemberists: Picaresque

48. Who is a favorite member of 37?
Frog Eyes: Carey Mercer, the guitar and Vocals are what make this band unique

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43?
Some By Sea: The Winter Rush

50. How many albums do you own by 20?
Wolf Parade: Technically, none in their physical state. But otherwise one

luv is the drug i'm thinking of


Us


Crown of Love


Unintended


Possibly Maybe


Underneath It All


All Is Full of Love

1. mewithoutYou - Silencer She put on happiness like a loose dress / Over pain I'll never know

2. And if my fingers should start to crack or blister, I guess that’s just what happens. / Don’t forget the things you’re leaving.

3. The Secret Machines - Nowhere Again You'd be surprised how we race / While our lives erased

4. You're not obliged to swallow anything you despise / See, those unrepenting buzzards want your life / And they got no right

5. Sorry to disturb you, but / I feel that I should be heard loud and clear. / We all need a big reduction in the amount of tears

6. Maybe you wonder where you are / I don't care / Here is where time is on our side / Take you there...take you there

7. I wonder where the junkies go to die / Are you a friend or just some passer by / Cause lately it feels like I might need some time

8. Radiohead - Exit Music (for a Film) You can laugh a spineless laugh / We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace

9. The Who - The Kids Are Alright Sometimes, I feel I gotta get away / Bells chime, I know I gotta get away / And I know if I don't, I'll go out of my mind

10. Souls that rots in soldiers with their eyes / Everybody gonna freeze up from their eyes

11. I could not escape / You're down on the floor / You know what it means to me / I couldn't wait for a chance / To walk out the door

12. Say you love us like I know you will / And that our deaths won't be in vain / Or in the name of gasoline

13. Jeff Buckley - Lilac Wine I drink much more that I ought to drink / Because it brings me back you

14. Oasis - Stop Crying Your Heart Out 'Cause all of the stars / Are fading away / Just try not to worry / You'll see them some day

15. And distance will increase the danger / With certainties never enjoyed. / The garden is equal yet stranger / Ignored, then embraced, then destroyed.

16. The Beatles - The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill The children asked him if to kill was not a sin / But when he looked so fierce, his mummy butted in / If looks could kill it would have been us instead of him

17. I came down like water for the age of solar / Hail to the father / Kiss your sons and your daughters / Goodbye, goodbye

18. Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon We came in spastic / Like tameless horses / We left in plastic / As numbered corpses

19. The Polyphonic Spree - Soldier Girl I found my soldier girl / She's so far away / She makes my head spin around

20. I didn't know, that time could move so slow / When you've got nowhere to go, the silence is so deafening.

21. Interpol - Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down She was all right cause the sea was so airtight / She broke away

22. The Cranberries - Ode to My Family Unhappiness was when I was young / And we didn't give a damn / 'Cause we were raised / To see life as fun, and take it if we can

23. And I shout that you're all fakes / And you should have seen the look on your face

24. Dire Straits - Private Investigations Treachery and treason / there's always an excuse for it / And when I find the reason / I still can't get used to it

25. Let's break the window panes / And separate the walls from all the nails

26. Echo & The Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever And I want more than I can get / Just trying to, trying to, trying to forget

27. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood We are men who stay alive / Who send your children away now / We are calling from a tower / Expressing what must be everyones opinion

28. Muse - Plug In Baby I've exposed your lies, baby / The underneath's no big surprise / And now it's time / For changing

29. The Arcade Fire - Crown of Love I carved your name across my eyelids / you pray for rain I pray for blindness.

30. All my lies are only wishes / I know I would die if I could come back new

31. The Rolling Stones - Mother's Little Helper Cooking fresh food for a husband's just a drag / So she buys an instant cake and she burns her frozen steak

32. Led Zeppelin - Going to California Throw me a line if I reach it in time / I'll meet you up there where the path / Runs straight and high.

33. Neutral Milk Hotel - Ghost And she was born in a bottle rocket, 1929 / With wings that ring right around a socket / Right between her spine

34. So we parked these cars in our parent’s garage / Listened to the lullaby, of Carbon Monoxide.

35. The Mountain Goats - No Children I am drowning / There is no sign of land / You are coming down with me / Hand in unlovable hand

36. Wolf Parade - I'll Believe in Anything If I could take the fire out from the wire / I'd take you where nobody knows you / And nobody gives a damn

37. Bright Eyes - The Calendar Hung Itself Well the clock’s heart it hangs inside its open chest / With its hands stretched towards the calendar hanging itself / But I will not weep for those dying days.

38. Sufjan Stevens - Romulus She didn't seem to care / She smoked in her room and colored her hair / And I was ashamed, I was ashamed of her

39. Dear And The Headlights - daysleeper And so I’ll keep my eyes on the billboard ads displayed / Kill my heart, no fix it up / Oh those sweet distractions, inviting discontent, I’m in love

40. I still look out for you no matter what you heard. / They can knock all of my doors down but I won't say a word.

41. You solitary man, sit in your territorial machine. / I need you to tell me this is wrong.

42. They were all left behind / Most of them dead / The rest of them dying.

43. 22-20s - 22 Days Goodbye babe well I'm up off my knees / You're so easy to love but you're so hard to please

44. Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead It's nothing but time and a face that you lose / I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose

45. My mind has changed my body's frame but god I like it / My heart's aflame my body's strained but god I like it

46. Velvet Underground - Venus in Furs I could sleep for a thousand years / A thousand dreams that would awake me / Different colors made of tears

47. Two years ago there just seemed so much more / And I don't know what happened to our love

48. Tracy Chapman - Fast Car You see, my old man's got a problem / Lives with the bottle, that's the way it is / He says his body's too old for workin' / I say his body's too young to look like his

49. Go thank yourself for nothing / It's really all you're good for / And every year you wasted / And every half-assed offer

50. The Smiths - I Know It's Over Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head / As I climb into an empty bed

51. In a promised lie you made us believe / For many men there is so much grief / And my mind is proud but it aches with rage



Wilco
Youth Group
The Wrens
Silversun Pickups
Butch Walker
The Veils
Sinéad O'Connor
Thursday
Pink Floyd
Built to Spill
Dear and the Headlights
The Kinks
Frog Eyes
Limbeck
Murder by Death
Nightmare of You
Shudder to Think
Talking Heads
Crowded House
TV on the Radio
XTC
The Shins
Modest Mouse

Intentando alimentar mi constante hambre musical, he dado con tres discos de tres grupos diferentes. Y, como el que me lee podrá imaginar después de leer el título de esta entrada, sólo uno me ha alimentado (es más, me ha sabido muuuy dulce ^^). Los otros dos han sido como... un par de hojas de lechuga xD.

3. Weezer - Make Believe.
Hacía tiempo que no me sentía tan bien escuchando un disco en inglés. No, no os confundáis, este no es el disco que ha saciado mi hambre, este es uno de los trozos de lechuga, y además en proceso de descomposición. Digo que me sentí muy bien escuchándolo porque pude comprender prácticamente TODAS las letras del álbum. Y esto no significa que de pronto mi nivel de inglés (que tampoco es tan malo para la edad que tengo y el penoso inglés que nos dan en el instituto) haya ascendido a niveles interestelares... sino que simplemente es el disco con las letras más simples, convencionales y previsibles que he escuchado desde hace tiempo. Hasta mi abuelita podría hacerse una idea de la temática de las canciones. Empieza con un tema, Beverly Hills, cuyos coros femeninos provocan la grima de una servidora. Prosigue con un tema convencional, Perfect Situation, tras el cual nos encontramos con la única canción salvable del disco, This Is Such a Pity, momento en el que creí que, quizás, la primera canción del CD podía saltarse y que las demás podrían prometer algo. Pero no, después de ese pequeño soplo de originalidad, nos encontramos con canciones de las cuales no hace falta más que leer el título para saber de qué va la cosa: Peace, We Are All on Drugs... y sobre todo, My Best Friend. Ese tema sí que me dejó shockeada. Yo creía que ese tipo de canciones sólo se hacían para los dibujos animados de los más peques...
You are my best friend
and I love you,
and I love you,
yes I do
O algo así. Vale, tiene que haber música para todas las edades y gustos, pero que Last FM me ponga a este grupo entre mis recomendaciones... A favor de Weezer, tengo que decir que he leído por la Red que éste es el disco más penoso que tienen. Quizás les dé otra oportunidad. Quizás.
Ah, algo que se me olvidaba: no puedo creer que en las conexiones musicales de Weezer en Last FM aparezcan grupos como Radiohead, The Killers, The Smashing Pumpkins o Coldplay. ¿Alguien me puede explicar dónde está esa supuesta conexión? Pues sí que tienen que ser diferentes sus otros discos...

2. Arctic Monkeys -Favourite Worst Nightmare
Debo admitir que aún no he acabado de escucharlo, pero ya puedo decir: ¿estos son los famosos y grandiosos Arctic Monkeys? Pues no son para tanto... En cualquier caso, están bien, y seguramente conseguiré sacarles más jugo que a Weezer.

1. The Arcade Fire - Funeral.
Y, por fin, llegamos al pastel del asunto :D. Este es uno de esos discos que llegan justo cuando tienen que llegar. Cuando ya estás a punto de pisotear el mp3 en el suelo y tirarlo por la ventana. Justo en ese momento llegó este disco que, a mi humilde parecer, está genial. Lo primero que me sorprendió fueron los títulos de las canciones. Neighborhood por aquí, neighborhood por allá... ¿Acaso es el recopilatorio oficial de Last FM y no me he dado cuenta? Naah, nada de eso, jaja. Empezamos con un tema, Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels), que ya te va sacando la lagrimilla.
Then we tried to name our babies,
but we forgot all the names that,
the names we used to know.
Seguimos con Neighborhood #2 (Laïka), tema que nos trae unos encantadores acordeones. Después, viene Une Année Sans Lumière, una canción más paradita, quizás una de las que menos me gustan, junto con la siguiente, Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles). Del resto, destaco Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) (mi favorita ^^), Crown of Love (preciosa, preciosa), Wake Up y Rebellion (Lies), esta última una de las mejores. Y no destaco más porque el disco sólo tiene 10 temas, jajaja.
Disco emotivo (que no emo xD) donde los haya. A estos canadienses yo les pondría un 10 como una casa.

Si creéis que he metido la patita hasta el fondo, podéis mandarme al infierno en los comentarios. Y si estáis totalmente de acuerdo conmigo, agradecería que me lo comunicaseis por la misma vía.
Saludos!

In an effort to actually write about music rather than just listening to it for a change, I thought I'd fill this one in. At least it's an opportunity to be creative rather than one of those surveys where you find your 1st and last songs in your A to Z of tunes on iTunes...

Name your top 10 most played bands on Last.fm:

1 The Arcade Fire
2 LCD Soundsystem
3 Belle and Sebastian
4 The Wedding Present
5 Daft Punk
6 The Killers
7 Bloc Party
8 Depeche Mode
9 The Divine Comedy
10 Jarvis Cocker

Now answer the questions according to the numbers:

-- what was the first song you ever heard by 6?
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - from the excellent free NME compilation Songs to Save Your Life Compiled by Morrissey. That song among others on the album struck me instantly.

-- what is your favourite album of 2?
Sound of Silver. I know it's a controversial choice but it's the album I got into them on.

-- how many times have you seen 4 live?
Many, many times - I've seen The Wedding Present and Cinerama more than any other act. I'm pretty sure the first gig I saw them at was Loughborough University in 1990, promoting Bizarro the night before a GCSE exam. I've since seem them at various East Midlands venues, festivals (including one at Wembley) and Stoke of all places. Their best gig I've ever seen was in Derby last year. I'm seeing them again next month.

-- what is your favourite song by 7?
Banquet - incredible tune - shame their 2nd album isn't as good as the 1st.

-- what is a good memory you have considering the music of 10?
Oddly phrased question this. The Jarvis album is a bit too new to have any memories attached to it. The South Bank Show about him this year was good though.

-- is there a song of 3 that makes you sad?
Belle and Sebastian used to make plenty of sad songs, though that's not neccessarily the case anymore. I'm more of a fan of their witty upbeat stuff.

-- what is your favourite lyric that 2 has sung?
"So here we go, like a sales force into the night" from All My Friends. Somebody give James Murphy a medal for that one.

-- what is your favourite song by 9?
I have lots. I'm All You Need is probably my favourite as there's a really uplifting orchestral bit towards the end. As there is in the almost-as-good Generation Sex.

-- what was the first song you heard by 1?
Crown of Love on a free CD given away with a magazine. The tune took really odd turns here and there that I really liked the sound of.

-- what is your favourite song by 4?
I'm not sure I've got a favourite Weddoes song - they're all great. Maybe Flying Saucer as it goes all Krautrock-y at the end.

01 Keane
02 Rufus Wainwright
03 Björk
04 Feist
05 Imogen Heap
06 Ryan Adams
07 The Arcade Fire
08 The Boy Least Likely To
09 Kings of Convenience
10 Nouvelle Vague
11 The Killers
12 John Mayer
13 Eisley
14 Jason Mraz
15 Coldplay
16 Corinne Bailey Rae
17 Kings of Leon
18 Shania Twain
19 Jem
20 U2
21 The Concretes
22 Mariah Carey
23 India.Arie
24 M. Ward
25 Modest Mouse

What was the first song you ever heard by 6?

It was either "When the Stars Go Blue" or "New York, New York." It was around the patriotic stage after September 11 happened. I saw his album, Gold (with the upside down American flag on it), in Wal-Mart and had to check it out.

What is your favorite album by 2?

Oh that's hard. I think of his albums as a long continuous string; if you don't have one then you're missing a part of the puzzle. But I guess Poses is my favorite.

What is your favorite lyric that 1 has sung?

Wow, these are some tough questions. Hm... I guess it'd be the lyric at the end of "Something in Me Was Dying":

Waiting, searching
Turning over
Running round in circles
And I've worn myself out
Hoping that we'll always be together
Yeah, we'll always be together
Yeah, we'll always be together (repeat out)

How many times have you seen 11 live?

Yep, I did. Nosebleeds with likewoa. The Hot Fuss tour with Louis XIV.

What is your favorite song by 7?

Jeez. I love all of Funeral. One song that I've gotten tired of but I will always cherish is "Crown of Love" 'cause it has rocked me so many times.

What is a good memory you have involving 20?

When I entered that crazy, super-pubescent stage and had all these emotions, I could always count on most/all of U2's Best of 1990-2000, especially Miss Sarajevo with Luciano Pavarotti.

What is your favorite lyric that 14 has sung?

Jason Mraz says a lot of crazy things in his songs when he's not scatting it to death, and a lot of them I relate to and uplift me.

I guess my favorite would come from "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)":

I won't worry my life away.

What is your favorite song by 19?

Sigh. There's a reason these people are in my top 25: I like a lot of their songs. Wish I.

How did you first get into 22?

My step-father had her first album, Mariah Carey and he would play it all the time when I was younger. We'd play it on family trips incessantly. She was a fantastic vocalist (lot of control), and I used to dream of being as powerful as she vocally.

What was the first song you heard by 21?

Of course, Say Something New from the Target advert.

What is your favorite song by 4?

It's always been Mushaboom. I love the twinkly whatever going on towards the end. I always turn up the radio at that part. I find it enchanting.

How many times have you seen 10 live?

None, I wouldn't mind if last.fm hooked me up.

What is a good memory you have involving 13?

My roommate, Jen, used to play them all the time whenever she decided to "clean," which she did very rarely.

Is there a song by 23 that makes you sad?

Ready for Love :/

What is your favorite album of 15?

A Rush of Blood to the Head

What is your favorite lyric that 9 has sung?

Almost every person I meet wants everything from me but friendship. It comes from Misread:

If you wanna be my friend
You want us to get along
Please do not expect me to
Wrap it up and keep it there

What is your favorite song by 8?

Be Gentle With Me and When I Grow Up I Want To Be A Boy Again

What is your favorite song by 16?

Trouble Sleeping

How many times have you seen 5 live?

Funny how Imogen Heap is the artist for this question. She's the only artist I've seen more than once (twice).

What is your favorite album by 12?

All of his albums are profound, but his recent album, Continuum is very congruent to who I am right now. About every song I can relate to.

What is a good memory you have involving 25?

Um, Float On used to come on the radio a lot when I was working at Rue21. So I'd be dancing and folding clothes at the same time. Good times.

What was the first song you heard by 18?

I have no idea. Man! I Feel Like a Woman, probably. I didn't really like her then.

What is your favorite song by 17?

Pretty much all of them. Pistol of Fire rocked me for a while. My favorite from their new album is Arizona/Knocked Up/Fans hehe.

What is your favorite album by 24?

Transfiguration of Vincent

How many of your top 25 have you seen live?

6 in August (Rufus Wainwright)

x-posted (w/ pics) on my blog !

If Arcade Fire expected a warm hometown welcome at their Montreal shows on Mother's Day weekend, they were disappointed. Though they packed the stands of Arena Maurice Richard (and even oversold the venue with special permission), only about 5% of the crowd showed any enthusiasm while they played. Being in that 5%, I've got to say the rest of you looked like idiots. How could you NOT DANCE during "Power Out"!??

Anyway, apathy from the audience didn't phase Arcade Fire in the slightest. They gave a solid performance, bringing their creative fun musical genius to the visual aspect of the show. Neon bars lined the front of the stage and a shiny pipe organ facade rested at the back, somehow not tacky. Meanwhile, fuzzy images familiar from the Neon Bible website were projected onto the back curtain and 5 round tv screens positioned across the stage. The screens also showed live shots of the band as they played, with periodic close-up views from sneaky cameras attached to some of the instruments. Really well done.

As for Arcade Fire themselves, they were wonderful to watch. It's clear that music is what they should be doing, all the time. They looked ecstatic with every movement. Régine danced her precious heart out; Will and Richard goofed off with the tambourines, etc (drumming on a stage pillar during Laika!); Tim rocked out sufficiently; and Win was, in a word, majestic. He was just so comfortable onstage, if a little detached. He looked simply cool. They were the perfect little indie rock package up on that stage, with the exception of the kids on violin. Talented musicians no doubt, but they were a little wooden-looking. Not rockstars yet.

So, this is what we got to hear (and yep, that's me!):


The whole show was pretty excellent, though I probably had an advantage being 20 feet from the stage. The sound was full and the visuals provided intimacy in a huge venue. The band was charged. They did a really great job of sustaining that charge, despite a crowd too cool to dance. Régine wasn't too cool to dance though. She was adorable and fun, pretend-swimming during "Black Wave/Bad Vibration." It needs to be said that Régine really sparkles onstage, though every member of Arcade Fire's got their own energy. The only point when I wasn't feeling that energy was during "My Body Is a Cage." It was even a little boring. The band was less animated for some reason. They didn't lose it during other ballads like "Ocean Of Noise" and "Crown Of Love," so I'm not sure what happened there. Going into "Intervention" though, things picked right back up. It started off the sequence into the high point of the show, with the upbeat, weird fable of "The Well And The Lighthouse" leading into a resonating version of "Ocean Of Noise." The real treat of the show though was "Tunnels." The whole band played beautifully, and Win's vocals stood out over an entire crowd singing along (Sometimes we remember our bedrooms, and our parents' bedrooms, and the bedrooms of our friends!) The end of the show was just a blast, ending on carefree versions of two faves from Funeral and giving us an encore that swapped "French Song" (Une année sans lumiere) for "Crown Of Love" at the request of a sign-holding fan. Though Win sort of went off on the guy with the drumstick sign ("Put away that fuckin' sign! Yo! That sign!"), the band showed fans once again that they really love playing for us, and could pull off a fun, cozy little show inside a big hockey rink.

After such a praise-singing review, it probably won't surprise anyone that this is already the #1 concert of 2007 for me. No contest. Next Arcade Fire show though, I want to see you fuckers dance!




Sun 13 May – The Arcade Fire, St. Vincent

*for pictures of the show follow this link, they trully are astonishing*

Another day, another Arcade Fire show.

This time I didn't bother for St. Vincent, so I can't tell if she did any better than the first show.

Like most of you already know from my last review, I wasn't blown away by saturday's show, mainly because of absurd sound problems and bad seating. Last night however, was different. While the sound was still far from perfect, it was very much better, no echoes, I could clearly hear Win's voice during the songs.

I was hoping for a better show and there they were, giving it all once again, with good sound this time, and so the magic was back. Awesome set once again, we were once again treated to a tour high 16 songs, including even Black Wave/Bad Vibrations and Crown of Love, which were cruelly not on saturday's show. Actually, Crown Of Love wasn't even planned, it took the spot of Une Année Sans Lumière (which was played the night before) thanks to a sign in the crowd, thank you sign holder :)

It's not the only sign that was noticed by the band as Win visibly got pissed at a fan branding an "I need a drumstick" sign. "Take that fucking sign away, it's fucking annoying. If I give a drumstick will you take it away?" and he got his drumstick!

One thing I noticed is that on both shows the crowd was... stale. No energy, not even close to what the band was giving, which felt really weird, and obviously got to Win who "thanked" us for "being so orderly, you're always orderly, this is an orderly city".

Thankfully the crowd responded to it's favorites, Intervention was as grandiose, the mix from Power Out to Rebellion was still the highlight from a crowd experience point of view, it was the most energetic moment, followed closely by Wake Up in the encore. I also feel special because Tunnels was played both nights even though it's not part of every Arcade Fire show, and I love that song, it's also a wonder when played live.

I can't stress how much I don't like Ocean Of Noise live, especially when great songs like Windowsill and Neon Bible aren't played. Once again it was the only boring part of the show, but thankfully it's the only song off Neon Bible that doesn't feel right on the setlist. The Well & The Lighthouse, along with Antichrist Television Blues are awesome.

After 2 shows, I'm a bit disappointed with My Body Is A Cage, while it feels oh so powerful on the record, it loses a bit of its grandeur when transposed live, can't figure out why.

I realize I didn't speak much of the musicians in my last review, and it's a flaw I shall immediately correct. The band as a whole looks like an orchestra reduced to it's most simple form and yet so powerful, I don't see how any of them could afford to miss a show as it would greatly affect the overall performance.

Will and Richard deserve some recognition too, I've never seen musicians put so much energy and life into their performance, even when just banging a single drum, they are a must-see. Their show highlight was when they started banging one of the stage's pillar with their drumsticks.

But the first prize goes to Régine, she puts on an entire show just by herself. Did you ever bother to follow her for a few minutes? She's always dancing, she's always singing and striking poses. She loves music and does everything to share it with us. She also thanked us once again for our donation to partners in health (don't ask me why I said friend of the earth yesterday).

Interesting fact : floor was still 20% empty and the lovely lady whom I spoke to about that didn't want to let me in, even though there was so much empty space!

Setlist:
1. Keep the Car Running
2. No Cars Go
3. Haïti
4. Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)
5. Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
6. My Body Is a Cage
7. Intervention
8. The Well And The Lighthouse
9. Ocean Of Noise
10. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
11.