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06-17-11 Footnotes
Show 290: Arcade Fire, Review of Battles
Listen to the MP3 Stream of this show: (link)
Download the Podcast: (Download the MP3)
1 Sad news this week. Carl Gardner, the heart and soul of The Coasters died earlier this week at age 83. The Coasters were one of the great R&B bands of the ‘50s and ‘60s with songs like “Yakety Yak” and “Charlie Brown.” And songwriters Lieber and Stoller counted them as their favorite collaborators. To honor Gardner Jim and Greg play “Young Blood.”
2 Arcade Fire has had quite a trajectory. First they were a group of anthemic art rockers from Montreal. Then they released Funeral, a successful first effort on Merge Records, followed by Neon Bible, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Chart. They were invited to open for U2 and their latest release The Suburbs won the top prize at last year’s Grammy Awards. Jim and Greg spoke to Regine Chassagne and Will Butler a couple of years ago, and now we’ve managed to fit all seven musicians into our studio for a memorable live performance. They also talk to Will and bandmate Richard Parry about the “shock and awe” of winning a Grammy, performing during the Wrigley Field 7th inning stretch and why folks still wonder, “Who the F is Arcade Fire?”
Video of Arcade Fire on Sound Opinions
3 Battles really wowed indie rock audiences with their 2007 release Mirrored. Now the experimental rock group is back with Gloss Drop. They are down a lead singer, Tyondai Braxton, but up a few guest vocalists. Greg notes that a lot of the terms used to describe Battles don’t do the band any justice. “Math Rock,” “New Prog Rock,” and others don’t indicate the sense of joy and play infused in their sound. He thought that the loss of Braxton would be a heavy blow, but now they are using vocals as just another layer and texture and it really works. Greg says Buy It. Jim, however, does miss Braxton. Nothing on Gloss Drop is as good as “Atlas.” The instrumental tracks are quite strong, but the songs featuring vocal cameos by the likes of Gary Numan don’t work for Jim. He says Burn It.
Songs Featured in Show #290
The Coasters, “Down in Mexico,” The Coasters, Atco, 1958
The Coasters, “Young Blood,” The Coasters, Atco, 1958
Arcade Fire, “The Suburbs,” The Suburbs, Merge, 2010
Arcade Fire, “Rebellion (Lies),” Funeral, Merge, 2004
Arcade Fire, “Modern Man,” The Suburbs, Merge, 2010
Arcade Fire, “Neon Bible,” Neon Bible, Merge, 2007
Arcade Fire, “Sprawl II” The Suburbs, Merge, 2010 Live on Sound Opinions
Arcade Fire, “We Used to Wait,” The Suburbs, Merge, 2010 Live on Sound Opinions
Arcade Fire, “Wake Up,” Funeral, Merge, 2004
Arcade Fire, “Ready to Start,” The Suburbs, Merge, 2010
Battles. “Africastle,” Gloss Drop, Warp Records, 2011
|Battles, “Ice Cream,” Gloss Drop, Warp Records, 2011
Battles, “Atlas,” Mirrored, Warp Records, 2007
Zapp & Roger, “Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing),” All The Greatest Hits, Warner Brothers, 1993
The Pretenders, “The Phone Call” Pretenders, Sire, 1980
Jenny and Johnny, “Big Wave,” I’m Having Fun Now, Warner Brothers, 2010
Bob Dylan, “Lone Pilgrim,” World Gone Wrong, Columbia, 1993
Mike + the Mechanics, “The Living Years,” The Living Years, Atlantic, 1988
New Birth, “O-o-h Child,” Ain’t No Big Thing, But It’s Growing, RCA, 1971
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