Arcade Who? A Playlist for the Uninitiated

For years now, Arcade Fire has been transitioning from indie obscurity to mainstream popularity. While their first two albums were well-known among music aficionados, it has been the Montreal-based group's third effort, The Suburbs, that has proven to be their major breakthrough, topping several "best of" lists in 2010, while also marking their first record to hit #1 on the Billboard 200. That notoriety just took another big leap forward with their Sunday victory for Best Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

If you weren't completely sold on the near-seizure-inducing strobe light performance (or if Barbara Streisand was blocking your view for the encore), here is a playlist for one of the most unique and compelling bands of the past decade (and a group you must see in person for full effect):

1. Ready to Start (The Suburbs)

2. Wake Up (Funeral)

3. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) (Funeral)

4. Ocean of Noise (Neon Bible)

5. Modern Man (The Suburbs)

6. Windowsill (Neon Bible)

7. Rococo (The Suburbs)

8. Half Light I (The Suburbs)

9. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) (Funeral)

10. No Cars Go (Neon Bible)

11. Rebellion (Funeral)

12. My Body Is a Cage (Neon Bible)

13. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) (The Suburbs)

 

 

 

Follow Joe Vogel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/joevogel1

Comments

[cogn8]

10:55 AM on 02/20/2011

Funeral is definitely the better of the 3 albums. It was musical poetry at its finest (although Neon Bible and The Suburbs are still excellent albums). They have changed to a more mainstream and produced sound over the past 3 albums. Funeral had more of an indie vibe to it. With bands like The Arcade Fire and Phoenix who are gaining popularity in mainstream music these days, it's hard to label them as "indie" anymore though (although the term has become more vague and all-encompassing recently). I saw these guys a few years ago, coming from humble beginnings when Funeral just came out in 2004, and then more recently at Lollapalooza as a closing headliner, and to still call them indie, I believe would be a mistake. It's alternative rock.

Can we not make an awards show in America that judges bands/performers based on artisitc merit, rather than sales? We have one in Canada (still relatively obscure, although Muchmusic, Canada's MTV, helped host it for the first time) called the Polaris Prize, which featured many amazing, talented artists such as Caribou, Broken Social Scene, The Besnard Lakes, and Karkwa this past year.

[Max Shaw]

04:24 PM on 02/15/2011

WARNING: If you suffer from epilepsy, do not attend their live show.

[cameron d]

09:59 AM on 02/15/2011

I'm not sure "The Suburbs" was the album of the year (LCD Soundsystem's "This is Happening" seemed better to me), but it was clearly the best of the nominated ones.

That being said, how anyone could have missed this band over the last decade is just perplexing to me. It's not like they've been hiding anywhere. All of their albums have charted. They've performed on every talk show imaginable, been the musical guest on SNL at least twice. Toured the world at least three times over and have headlined many huge music festivals.

If you haven't heard of this band before Sunday maybe you don't like music that much.

[Joe Vogel]

11:01 PM on 02/15/2011

It's a good question. It might be because they don't have hit singles and aren't heard on the radio, etc.

[cameron d]

11:20 PM on 02/15/2011

Aren't heard on the radio? Where do you live? You can't turn on a modern rock radio station without hearing them.

[cogn8]

10:59 AM on 02/20/2011

LCD Soundsystem, Deerhunter and Tame Impala definitely had the best albums of the year.

[Bill Graham]

12:25 AM on 02/15/2011

Very pleased Arcade Fire is getting thier deserved props. The Grammys went for substance over flash this year in a big way. But the claim that this award was a major upset ignores the fact the band has been up for a Grammy with each album from the beginning. And each album is as strong as the next. Hoping to see many more for many years to come from this talented modern rock band.

[guitarguy22]

11:46 PM on 02/14/2011

I am extremely pleased that Arcade Fire took home Best Album. They've worked hard, toured hard, and are one of the better musical acts out there today. Really they were the only ones who "stood out" in their category. Hopefully they'll win over some converts and prove that there's WAY more to true music than Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Black Eyed Peas.

[Patrick Perion]

06:13 PM on 02/14/2011

I could not believe the number of people who don't know this band. I've followed them since I saw an appearance on Austin City Limits several years ago. Saw them live at Lalapalooza in Chicago this last summer. Amazing live band.

[cungar]

08:53 PM on 02/14/2011

Most people in this country have a musical spectrum somewhere between American Idol and MTV.

[LameDuckHunting]

04:31 PM on 02/14/2011

Where is "City With No Children," "Month Of May" and "Keep The Car Running?".........................................................

[cungar]

05:31 PM on 02/14/2011

The first two are on the Suburbs. The last one is on Neon Bible.

[LameDuckHunting]

05:54 PM on 02/14/2011

Funny.......................

[Joe Vogel]

11:06 PM on 02/15/2011

All great songs.

[Hopster1]

02:59 PM on 02/14/2011

How could you leave out Keep the Car Running? Heathen!!!! :) JK.