Today was an uber-epic day in the world of music. Despite Radiohead announcing a new album out this Saturday, Green Day, The Flaming Lips and Foo Fighters releasing new songs, Quesadilla spaulding attacked by pre-pubescent tweens in need of pubes...there was one thing on the tip of everyone's tongue: Who the fuck are the Arcade Fire?
I'm not a fan of award shows, you should know that by reading this blog. I do watch them for the performances. I don't really care who wins...but Arcade Fire swiping the album of the year was something worth smiling about. What is even more perplexing is how many so-called music experts took to the Twitter-verse to voice their complete and utter ignorance of the band. Because these self-proclaimed musical geniuses hadn't heard of the band, they felt that they should not have won. How is bragging that you've never head of Arcade Fire make you a musical expert? Would that be like publicly admitting your musical ignorance? Arcade Fire isn't an unknown band. They were probably the biggest rock band of last year.
Here's a crib list of Arcade Fire's musical accomplishments from the last year:
- August 8th, 2010, The Suburbs moved 160,000 units to have the #1 album on Billboard's Top 200...ousting Eminem from the #1 spot and beating Lady Gaga's remix album debut
- Had the highest critical ranking of any album in any category nominated for a Grammy
- Ranked in the Top 5 as one of the best albums of 2010 by Q magazine, MTV, Stereogum, Rolling Stone, Spin, NME, and Time Magazine
- It sold 500,000 copies in 2010 (and was only out for 5 months)
- The band will headline Coachella 2011
Oh yeah...and there's a new Bright Eyes out today...can't wait to see what happens when Conor finally wins something.
Here are the 11 Best Songs By Bright Eyes:
1. Let's Not Shit Ourselves (Lifted or the Story is in the Soil)
2. Lua (I'm Wide Awake)
3. You Will. You?Will. You? Will. You?Will. (Lifted or the Story is in the Soil)
4. Middleman (Cassadega)
5. Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh (Fevers & Mirrors)
6. Something Vague (Fevers & Mirrors)
7. First Day Of My Life (I'm Wide Awake)
8. Ship In A Bottle (Digital Ash In a Digital Urn)
9. Four Winds (Cassadega)
10. Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come (Lifted or the Story is in the Soil)
11. Light Pollution (Digital Ash In a Digital Urn)
Buy Bright Eyes new album The People's Key ($3.99 for a limited time!)
2 comments:
You picked some really awful songs there guy.
1. Let's Not Shit Ourselves (Lifted or the Story is in the Soil)
---Not really sure why this one is on the list at all.
2. Lua (I'm Wide Awake)
---Extremely overplayed, one of the worst songs on an otherwise stellar album. Very little content in this song instrumentally, which you could praise as minimalism, but I would just call thin and unsatisfying.
3. You Will. You?Will. You? Will. You?Will. (Lifted or the Story is in the Soil)
-- This song is actually awesome.
4. Middleman (Cassadega)
-- One of the best songs on the album, its complexity translates well into a stunning live show unlike a number of its neighboring tracks. (It's not a coincidence that there are so few live videos available for Coat Check Dream Song)
5. Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh (Fevers & Mirrors)
-- I literally have no opinion of this song. That is the problem!
6. Something Vague (Fevers & Mirrors)
-- Nice take on some of the more conventional moves in alternative/indie. Lyrics are solid. I agree with this ranking because it reflects Conor's good, but not best work.
7. First Day Of My Life (I'm Wide Awake)
-- This song really has it all. Same vibe but more content than its close relative on the album Lua. Of the two live versions that are available for this song- whole band larger than life vs. Conor + guitar sound equally as good.
8. Ship In A Bottle (Digital Ash In a Digital Urn)
-- Really? You like to hear a baby screaming that much on your favorite tracks? Ship in A Bottle is one of the weaker songs on the album. Down a Rabbit Hole and Devil in the Details are more accurate reflections of why the album is good, as is I Believe in Symmetry for all its overplay on the radio and in teenage girls' bedrooms.
9. Four Winds (Cassadega)
-- What can I say? This is one of the best songs ever written. As a live performer, I have covered this song around 6 or 7 times. Great harmonies, solid chord progression, consistently thought provoking lyrics. This song should take up a minimum of 2 spots on the list.
10. Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come (Lifted or the Story is in the Soil)
-- This song sucks. You are not giving this album a fair shake. What about Balance Beam? One of his most innovative songs. You couldn't put Make War on here, even though it sums up the entire Bright Eyes catalogue in one neat package? Don't Know When is 6:32 of the same obtuse-ass riff that follows a lackluster melody. Lacking any instrumental quality, the lyrics should be providing some redeeming value, but can't and ultimately don't.
11. Light Pollution (Digital Ash In a Digital Urn)
-- Good choice. An intriguingly rocky song that foreshadows the back-to-basics approach of The People's Key. One of the few Bright Eyes songs whose lyrics also tell a gripping story. Well done on this count sir, but for the rest of the list I have my doubts.
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