B&C's Best of 2010 in Albums

[cobl04]

Arcade Fire for me are one of those bands that i obviously just don't get. i like a fair few songs, sure, but Funeral isn't an emotional and musical masterpiece, to me and The Suburbs is pretty underwhelming, to me, when you read all the comments that have been made about it in the forum this year. so it's a little annoying when people just read my differing opinions sometimes and reply simply with a "friggin cobbler " type comment. but i digress. i'm obviously just missing something with Arcade Fire. gotta agree with inte as well, his vocals don't sit well with me.

Power Out is a terrific song. easily my favourite of theirs.

 

[intedomine]

I don't get the mass adulation for Arcade Fire either.. I don't know what it is, as they represent a band I really should be into, and this is what makes it difficult. I wanna be into them.

Funeral was such a let down, Power Out sounded ok the first few spins, but I got bored with it very Quickly. Maybe I'd be more inclined towards Neon Bible, and I've only heard Ready To Start and 30 second clips of each song from Suburbs. This mere sampling makes Suburbs seem more appealing than Funeral. I'm willing to give them another try, but I just really would like Funeral to finally click with me.

 

[cobl04]

A lot of people point to the emotional power of their music as a reason why they live them so; I guess they just don't resonate with me like that.

 

[LemonMelon]

I can't claim I understand how it feels to lose a loved one, but if an album can make me feel as if I do and empathize with the artist accordingly, that's extremely impressive and a huge part of what makes Funeral such an emotional experience. What makes it even better than that is its emotional peaks, however. That is, moments like the chorus of Wake Up that, when put in context, give greater depth of feeling to valleys like 7 Kettles or what have you. Most albums of Funeral's kind are simply stark and miserable, but life is far more complex than that. I mean, sure, Wake Up is pretty miserable in and of itself, sort of a reflection on how your innocence gets slowly dried up and peeled away as you grow up, and the album as a whole is sort of an extended longing for a return to innocence, in spite of all the death and tragedy out there, but they manage to get you to sing along while making you ponder. That's damn good pop music IMO.

If it doesn't resonate with you, I suppose it's best that it doesn't. I've always been an introspective guy, so Funeral was a shoulder for me back in the day, and it still is.

 

[BoMac]

For inte and Cobbler (or anybody else, for that matter), if you don't "get" Arcade Fire, that's fine. Music is subjective, after all.

But even with that being the case, you absolutely have to see this band live. They are, in my revered opinion, one of the best live bands in the world, and their concerts have resonated with me on a level that only one other band ever has. Can you guess which band that is?

 

[Imperor]

Asia?

 

[iron yuppie]

Arcade Fire strikes me as akin to U2 in the sense that they are both extremely earnest. I feel as though Win and Regine - especially Regine - are wholeheartedly invested in every syllable that they pronounce. The music reflects that earnestness, which makes for some bombastic and occasionally embarrassing moments.

But the high points, like the full-band entry in "Wake Up," the organ swell and drum crash in "My Body Is a Cage," or the insistent coda of "We Used to Wait," completely expiate the missteps that may have occurred along the way. To me, they are always walking a tightrope between transcendence and grandiosity, but they never come across as self-aggrandizing or perfunctory.

 

[powerhour24]

They are an earnest band, but neither writer has the poetic lyricism of Bono at his best. Their sound is eclectic and for me doesn't always hit, I do really like quite a few of their songs, I'm just not on the bandwagon that thinks everything they do is perfect or that they're the greatest thing going right now.

 

[BoMac]

Asia?

Good guess. I'm shocked.

 

[Saracene]

But even with that being the case, you absolutely have to see this band live. They are, in my revered opinion, one of the best live bands in the world, and their concerts have resonated with me on a level that only one other band ever has.

I saw them live at the Big Day Out a few years ago and was rather underwhelmed. It probably didn't help that they looked totally out of place with their environment - they had this sombre stage set-up on a bright hot sunny day with garish festival canvas things hanging by the sides, it was just all too jarring. And despite the fact that the stage was full of performers I didn't get any sense of stage presence from the band either. "Resonate" is probably a good word to use here - their live set just didn't resonate with me at all.

Still, I can at least understand why other people go crazy over Arcade Fire, whereas with The National I don't get it at all. I see nothing to dislike about them, their singer has a good voice and the music is fairly pleasant, but nothing to get excited about either.

 

[cobl04]

If it doesn't resonate with you, I suppose it's best that it does.

what does this mean? i've wrankled (sp?) my brain. care to elaborate?

For inte and Cobbler (or anybody else, for that matter), if you don't "get" Arcade Fire, that's fine. Music is subjective, after all.

But even with that being the case, you absolutely have to see this band live. They are, in my revered opinion, one of the best live bands in the world, and their concerts have resonated with me on a level that only one other band ever has. Can you guess which band that is?

oh i would definitely see them live, given the chance. i mean i don't love The National on the same level others here do but i saw them live and loved them.

 

[LemonMelon]

what does this mean? i've wrankled (sp?) my brain. care to elaborate?

First off, it was a typo:

"If it doesn't resonate with you, it's probably for the best that it doesn't."

Meaning, I would assume you're better off not relating to death, sorrow, and loss. Feel free to disagree!

 

[cobl04]

Oh right. I've never looked closely at the lyrics and themes on Funeral so I had no idea what you were on about.

 

[iron yuppie]

Twenty-five great songs from 2010, in no particular order of strength:

Antony & The Johnsons: Swanlights
Arcade Fire: We Used to Wait
Arcade Fire: Sprawl II
Beach House: Silver Soul
The Black Keys: Everlasting Light
Cee Lo Green: Bright Lights, Bigger City
The Dead Weather: Hustle & Cuss
Deerhunter: Helicopter
Deerhunter: Desire Lines
Destroyer: Archer on the Beach
Four Tet: Angel Echoes
Interpol: Lights
LCD Soundsystem: Dance Yrself Clean
LCD Soundsystem: You Wanted a Hit
Los Campesinos!: A Burn Scar in the Shape of the Sooner State
The National: Terrible Love
The National: Afraid of Everyone
Neil Young: Walk with Me
Oneohtrix Never & Antony Hegarty: Returnal
Panda Bear: Slow Motion
Perfume Genius: Gay Angels
Sufjan Stevens: I Walked
Sufjan Stevens: Enchanting Ghost
Veil Veil Vanish: Anthem for a Doomed Youth
Wild Nothing: Live in Dreams

 

[cobl04]

Walk out onto your front lawn face into the rain
Shout into the wind this'll never be the same

 

[intedomine]

I want Arcade Fire to blow my mind, maybe I just need more patience, or maybe they're just bound to never resonate with me. We'll see

 

[cobl04]

I wish LCD got the credit they deserved here.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I thought they got enough credit.

 

[bono_212]

I wish LCD got the credit they deserved here.

You're kidding, right?

Are you referring to LCD TVs? Cause, yeah, they really don't get enough attention.

 

[cobl04]

By here I mean AUS

 

[bono_212]

Oooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh

 

[IWasBored]

ah, ok. i was going to say...shit, son...can't open a thread around here without them being praised in some way, shape, or form.