My New Favorite Band: Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire is the greatest band of the new millenium. By a long shot.

Here's what I want you to do. Go out and buy their first album, Funeral. Listen to it over and over until you absolutely love it because it's unlike anything you've ever heard. Process in your brain how inventive this band is, and all the different sounds that are coming into your ears. Think about how this is one of the most groundbreaking albums you have ever heard.

Then, go out and get their second album, Neon Bible. Do not get this album until you already love the first one. I'm thinking of your best interest here. I want you to love that first album. I want you to understand how great that album is before you get the second one. That way when you're in love with the first album, when you are hoping that their sophomore effort doesn't disappoint, when you believe that the first album is the best album you've heard in the last 10 years, when you can't wait to listen to what else they have, then listen to the second album.




Yeah, we're mouth breathers, but our album will kick your album's ass.
You wish you had Napoleon Dynamite as your bassist.

That way you'll be blown away by the fact that the second album is even better than the first. Amazingly, it's much better. It's akin to knowing in your heart that hamburgers are the greatest food on Earth, and then trying a cheeseburger for the first time. It's similar, it's almost the same, yet somehow it's infinitely better.

I don't want to try and describe the greatness of this band. I was railing on a little while back about how there's no more important music. Well, now we have at least this one band that's still making important music. I at least have hope that someone out there still cares about good music. And at least that's something.

Although I'm a little bothered by the fact that I know (well, I'm assuming) that most of you have never heard of Arcade Fire. There is no radio station that plays good music any more unless it's over 10 years old. There is no TV station that is going to back this band up until they become the most important band out there. In 1991, MTV would have made this band the next U2. Instead, they're just going to be a band with a huge cult following, a ton of groundbreaking music, and not much more to show for it.

But you can at least do something about it. Go buy their albums. Follow my advice about listening to them, and start to love life again.