Arcade Fire make The Suburbs sound appealing

Have you listened to the latest Arcade Fire cd yet? If you haven't, you are depriving yourself from ear joy. Funeral... followed by Neon Bible, were eclectic diversions into an exploratory young mind rebelling from parental constraints and social normalities. They were thoughtful and intuitive, an underground movement into new and undiscovered terrain in music. Clearly I like them. And it was pure ear candy.

How much pressure they must've had to follow up such greatness, such critical acclaim and such attention. So they put out The Suburbs, and in my opinion... sweet success. A band I wish I could've seen in a small Koolhaus venue, but now am stuck in line for arena-rock style sold out venues and fighting scalpers outside Toronto island. This band is scaling new heights and shedding "indie" faster than my long weekend sunburn.

"... the musicians have clearly been digging out their parents' vintage vinyl German art-rock records, especially locked-groove rhythm meisters like Can and Neu! The faster tunes, like "Ready to Start" and "Month of May," are leaner and meaner than you'd expect. Ballads like "Deep Blue" go for the swishy piano pomp of David Bowie's Hunky Dory – which was his own album about the dance between parents and kids. In "Month of May," the band sings about the rock audience turning into a scene where "the kids are all standing with their arms folded tight." It could have been a tiresome get-off-my-lawn screed. But it ends up sounding tender and empathetic instead, because Arcade Fire aren't so far from any of the kids – or parents – on The Suburbs."

- Rollingstone, http://www.rollingstone.com/music/reviews/album/17385/182695

Maybe a percentage of their unwavering success is due to good karma? Régine Chassagne, original co-founder and wife to Win Butler (who looks like he should be in an episode of True Blood... preferably opposite Eric and minimally clothed), has long been a strong supporter of Haiti by previously donating upwards of $22 000 after a series of benefit concerts in 2005. The band has since established a “one dollar, one euro, one pound” touring policy, donating one unit of currency for every ticket sold to Partners in Health, which has raised $800 000.

For tour dates and song previews, check out their myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/arcadefireofficial

But really, who uses myspace anymore...

Let me know what you think of the Suburbs!! I think it is genius, every song takes me on an emotional journey and when my mother sits next to me reminiscing about the music of the '60s and '70s, proclaiming that music has since died... I put on their album and reassure her: music never died, it just took a siesta.