The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible

(Merge, 2007)

"I walked down to the ocean after waking from a nightmare"

Discovery:  See previous entry.

Result:  Neon Bible gets its name from the fantastic book by John Kennedy Toole, definitely a recommended read.  I would say most of my love for The Arcade Fire comes from watching them live.  That being said, I love listening to this album, especially when I'm in a mellow and contemplative mood.  Recorded in an old church the band bought and renovated, the strings, horns, haunting vocals layered with pretty backups and medley of instruments and sounds mean this album achieves the epic proportions it aspires to.

Stand-out Tracks: "Black Mirror", "(Antichrist Television Blues)", "My Body is a Cage"

The Arcade Fire: Funeral

(Merge, 2004)

"Sleeping is giving in, no matter what the time is"

Discovery:  The Arcade Fire probably marks one of my major forays away from punk and the guitar-driven alternative rock I almost exclusively listened to until recent years.  I had heard about them because they got a TON of hype in the music scene, Canadian and otherwise, but I must admit to remaining largely indifferent to them.  I liked them, but never really took the chance to study and get to know the music.  That all changed when I saw them play at Deer Lake Park in the summer of 2007.  Being in the middle of a forest, looking at a stage with the sun setting on the lake behind it, listening to this ethereal music surrounding me, I was moved.  I came away with a feeling of surrealism, and knowing I had to love this band.

Result:  This debut record from the Canadian indie heavyweights was not the first one I heard (as mentioned above, I first got into them during the Neon Bible era), but a case of me going backwards for more.  Personally I like Neon Bible more, it seems darker to me, but I also really love throwing this record on and lying on the couch and thinking.

Stand-out Tracks: "Crown of Love", "Wake Up", "Rebellion (Lies)"