NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

Fucking miracles man.

Down Rodeo
Cap'n Moth of the Firehouse


2007 Oct 19 • 5486
57,583 ₧

You don't agree?

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

I probably shouldn't submit an opinion because I haven't listened to The Suburbs, but Funeral was the album that finally taught me to disregard hype when purchasing music. It was the four-minute ditty distillation of everything that had gone down in the Montreal music scene for the previous ten years and I found the lyrics cloying in a way that glorified an impossible naivety, and that doesn't really gibe with my sensibilities. On top of that, there was a long span where I couldn't get into my car and turn on the radio without hearing something from Funeral.

So it's a combination of educated distaste and overexposure and that's probably how I'll respond to the band for the rest of their life, for better or worse.

Down Rodeo
Cap'n Moth of the Firehouse


2007 Oct 19 • 5486
57,583 ₧

I see... well, I first saw them on the Jools Holland show and they were completely mental. As for what's good on Funeral - I'll listen to most of it, stand out tracks are Neighbourhood #1, Rebellion (Lies), Wake Up, Haiti, maybe a couple of others. My dad didn't like The Suburbs much, I'm going to demand he listens to it again though.

Also Neon Bible is very good. I was going to say that disliking a band based on one album is silly, but I've disliked ICP on some lyrics and 10 seconds, so call me a hypocrite. Or a lesbian.

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

I've listened to more of The Arcade Fire than you have listened to ICP, so that puts me on the high ground, which puts you on the low ground, munching rugs.

Down Rodeo
Cap'n Moth of the Firehouse


2007 Oct 19 • 5486
57,583 ₧

Always do ;)

SuperJer
Websiteman

2005 Mar 20 • 6629

molkman
Owner of George Washington's Prototype Mittens





2005 May 2 • 2066
404 ₧

Thing with Arcade Fire is, one day I like them and the other day I say they're kind of meh. But I always end up buying their albums and enjoying them. They have some annoying songs too though, like Rococo.


So what's cool shizzle from Montreal in your opinion?

Down Rodeo
Cap'n Moth of the Firehouse


2007 Oct 19 • 5486
57,583 ₧

Yeah, I was going to ask that, because moar music is always good :)

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

I used to know more bands back in the day but they had Godspeed You! Black Emperor in there before they went on indefinite hiatus. Longer works (we're talking 10-25 minutes in most cases), few lyrics with occasional clips of dialogue, but you can see an instrumental foundation for what The Arcade Fire ended up doing, it's just that The Arcade Fire took it from "post-rock" back to "rock" again if not pop. Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven is regarded as their seminal work. There were also various side bands that sprung from that like Set Fire to Flames (more electronic) and A Silver Mt. Zion (sometimes known as Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-la-la Band), and the latter has a few amazing early albums like He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms and Born Into Trouble As the Sparks Fly Upward, both of which I think are quality. They kind of lost it after that because the chief lyricist can't really sing and his lyrics tread fairly similar political themes and it becomes a little trite after a while. Overall, they're pretty similar to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, so if one appeals, the other will probably as well so long as you don't look at anything after 2003 or so.

The more rock oriented outfits also had their merits. Broken Social Scene was kind of an indie darling for a while and I think that for more poppy music they do a damned fine job, though they're technically out of Toronto. They're sort of a megagroup in a weird underground way, so you had Feist and like ten thousand other indie rockers who were heavily involved in that scene who make appearances. You Forgot in People is probably their best album, followed by the self-titled one. They're not necessarily my cup of tea because they're a touch too pop for my sensibilities, but they're not bad. The Dears is another more rock-oriented band that came out of that environment, but I sort of stopped following them for whatever reason several years back (may look them again up soon). No Cities Left was the only album of there I remember listening to at any length, but they were also one of those weird groups that was around in the local scene forever before they got around to recording a wide-release album. I heard Gang of Losers was also good. Subdued, morose orchestral rock (Smiths/Morrisey influenced) for lack of a better term.

molkman
Owner of George Washington's Prototype Mittens





2005 May 2 • 2066
404 ₧

Oh yea, Godspeed You! is pretty amazing.

I don't have that much knowledge about the scene, but I can't really see any post rock influences in Arcade Fire.

Down Rodeo
Cap'n Moth of the Firehouse


2007 Oct 19 • 5486
57,583 ₧

One of my ex-flatmates was into music, more properly than I was, I guess. But he likes Godspeed You! I could listen to them, but maybe not for a whole track. I am become mainstream! Ohnoes!

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

I am become death, the shatterer of worlds.

Uh... Listen to a shorter track like "Moya"? It's one of their better tunes in my opinion. I think that's on Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada.

I listen to a lot of instrumental post rock stuff because I need music while I'm studying and lyrics become too distracting. This way I can focus on what I'm doing while still having another part of my brain doing something else.

I'm not really a music junkie or anything relative to some people I know, I just don't generally pay attention to the mainstream unless some band that I've been listening to for ages somehow makes it big. There are a few exceptions though, like Radiohead and David Bowie and such.

Down Rodeo
Cap'n Moth of the Firehouse


2007 Oct 19 • 5486
57,583 ₧

I went through a pretty big Radiohead phase. Still think they're great, but they have been somewhat supplanted by Wilco (who love you, baby).

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

I should probably give Wilco another shot one of these days. I listened to A Ghost is Born a few times but kind of got bored by it except towards then end when they were doing the Sonic Youth "and now we will play this guitar with a garden rake" thing.

I like Radiohead plenty, I'm just not of the opinion that some people are that they are the Jesus band.

Down Rodeo
Cap'n Moth of the Firehouse


2007 Oct 19 • 5486
57,583 ₧

I think pretty much all of their albums are great. A Ghost is Born is pretty good, it's true, but there is much awesomeness on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which is apparently their best-selling album. Their self titled album is great too.

SRAW
Rocket Man

2007 Nov 6 • 2525
601 ₧

I don't even know what band you guys are talking about, but for all intents and purposes, metallica are way better than them.

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

You would be a more successful troll if you were in any way interesting. Of course, since you're trying to troll and just being boring, that works in its own meta way too.

molkman
Owner of George Washington's Prototype Mittens





2005 May 2 • 2066
404 ₧

Post-Rock is a real awesome genre, I also love Explosions In The Sky and Red Sparrowes.

What are you studying, by the way?

NatureJay
SJA: Commander of Ruthless Abuse


2005 Mar 22 • 1871
574 ₧

Explosions in the Sky is definitely an awesome band. Their latest album (jeez, three years ago now) was their best work yet. Mogwai is also fantastic, particularly Happy Songs for Happy People and Mr. Beast. I've been trying to get into Mono too, but I don't know, there seems to be something missing from their work for me.

I'm a double major in Creative Writing and English/Comparative Literature and have no expectation of making any amount of money on it ever.

Down Rodeo
Cap'n Moth of the Firehouse


2007 Oct 19 • 5486
57,583 ₧

I have tickets, yay!

Nezumi
Asshole Admin


2005 Mar 26 • 786
175 ₧

Necro-ing an old dsicussion 'cause that's how I roll.

1: I don't listen to a lot of ICP (haven't at all in years), but I've never heard anything by them that I don't like. A lot of bands get shit because of their fans. But there's no correlation, positive OR negative, between popularity and quality. Which I guess cuts both ways in this case. MCR is another band that gets shit from their fans but is SO GOG DAMNED GOOD.

2: The joke in miracles is that they're singing about love and music and their kids being miracles, which is pretty run of the mill stuff, but juxtaposing this with literal physical processes like fuckin' magnets and things like that. This is funny. Their deadpan delivery is funny too.

3: I was utterly floored by The Suburbs. Various songs in it were stuck in my head continuously for 3 straight weeks. No joke. I hadn't really heard anything by them before, besides Ready to Start on the radio, which was pretty ok, but I listened to the rest of it and fell in love. I think it's better than Neon Bible, although I've only listened to that one time through. I haven't heard any of Funerals, but maybe I should. I really liked the way The Suburbs worked as a whole album, and not only as individual songs. Reminds me of the Gorillas albums Demon Days and Plastic Beach.

4: Also, I don't judge music I haven't listened to so I'm on the highest ground of all! Honk Honk! :o)

aaronjer
*****'n Admin


2005 Mar 21 • 4940
1,227 ₧

In typicalies I do judge music I haven't heard. In no definite way, but I assume if it's by a band and not a composer there is much less chance I will like it.

I'M SO SORRY.

Down Rodeo
Cap'n Moth of the Firehouse


2007 Oct 19 • 5486
57,583 ₧

I went to see them tonight, more later. They were awesome.

I mean, I'll post later.

the_cloud_system
polly pushy pants

2008 Aug 1 • 3080
-6 ₧