So I'll start by saying this: yes, they're an "indie" band in that you won't hear them on the radio (NPR-type stations excluded), but they're about as popular and mainstream as indie bands get. They've been immensely successful over their relatively short career -- always a critical darling, but increasingly commercially successful, too. They've sold out Madison Square Garden (full-length concert video here). They've been on SNL multiple times. They've opened for U2 and played with Bowie and The Boss. The Suburbs debuted at number one on the Billboard charts this past summer. These are all characteristics of a band that would lead you to believe had Album of the Year type stuff. It's not like they're playing in an alley near some abandoned warehouse -- they make big songs that sound great in big venues, and there will always be a place in rock and roll for those types of bands (see: early U2 and Springsteen).
With that said, the following videos are meant to serve as an Arcade Fire primer of sorts for those who have asked me to for some sort of recommendation (but are all certainly worthy of everyone's time):
"Wake Up" from Funeral (2004)
Stop me if you've heard this one before:
"Rebellion (Lies)" from Funeral
"Keep the Car Running" from Neon Bible (2007)
"Intervention" from Neon Bible
"Ready to Start" from The Suburbs (2010)
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Arcade Fire - Ready to Start | ||||
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"City With No Children" from The Suburbs
"We Used to Wait" from The Suburbs
Check out The Wilderness Downtown for an interactive music video that I thought was one of the coolest things I saw last year, especially if your childhood homestead has been graced by Google Maps.
So there you have it: the world's biggest rock band of the moment. Hope you enjoyed it, and even if you didn't, say your piece in the comments section.
--J.J. Gittes
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