Arcade Fire

[harmless]

Tbf, stip, I think malice has good reason to be personally disappointed (even hurt) by the direction Pearl Jam has chosen to take, if only because of what she had invested in them all those years ago. We could speculate on whether it was right to invest all those expectations and beliefs in a band like Pearl Jam, but... it's too late. Now we're here, and it's not as if Ed was quiet in wanting our investment back then, in some of the very same issues of integrity and ethics that he's rather quiet about now. For me, I'm able to hold all that at arm's length and admit the music is paramount; for others, though, the music's aesthetic was entirely inseparable from Ed and the band's "talk" (for want of a better word). So that I don't make this post any longer, I'll just end by saying that I don't think malice has been one of the worst offenders in terms of buzzkill trolling during the run-up to Lightning Bolt, and I think she's done well to articulate, thoroughly and articulately, why she just isn't going to dig it (as well as to stay friendly with people who are digging it, like myself). My issue with your posts about Arcade Fire lyrics (let's be specific) was that they attacke a straw man. I'm not sure the lyrics you quoted were doing what you flippantly said they were doing, and I actually think they were doing a lot more. I think there's a middle-ground between thinking Arcade Fire's achievement with this (or any) album is complete hipster trash, or the second coming.

[Mike]

I would rather throw up in the back of my mouth repeatedly than read discussions about discussions about discussions about people critizising people who critizise something else.

[Soma.]

I like this guy.

[harmless]

This whole discussion has kinda put me off listening to this again. I might wait until nobody gives a fuck whether Arcade Fire are 1) hipster-fakesters with shitty lyrics or 2) God's gift to the tradition of experimental rock.

they can be both!

Also, is anyone accusing them of being fake hipsters? Isn't being a hipster enough?

It's just a bit odd that you'll defend Backspacer's lyrics (particularly The Fixer) to the death, but you think Arcade Fire's lyrics are "bad". It's more than a bit odd. It's annoying.

[stip]

Tbf, stip, I think malice has good reason to be personally disappointed (even hurt) by the direction Pearl Jam has chosen to take, if only because of what she had invested in them all those years ago. We could speculate on whether it was right to invest all those expectations and beliefs in a band like Pearl Jam, but... it's too late. Now we're here, and it's not as if Ed was quiet in wanting our investment back then, in some of the very same issues of integrity and ethics that he's rather quiet about now. For me, I'm able to hold all that at arm's length and admit the music is paramount; for others, though, the music's aesthetic was entirely inseparable from Ed and the band's "talk" (for want of a better word). So that I don't make this post any longer, I'll just end by saying that I don't think malice has been one of the worst offenders in terms of buzzkill trolling during the run-up to Lightning Bolt, and I think she's done well to articulate, thoroughly and articulately, why she just isn't going to dig it (as well as to stay friendly with people who are digging it, like myself). My issue with your posts about Arcade Fire lyrics (let's be specific) was that they attacke a straw man. I'm not sure the lyrics you quoted were doing what you flippantly said they were doing, and I actually think they were doing a lot more. I think there's a middle-ground between thinking Arcade Fire's achievement with this (or any) album is complete hipster trash, or the second coming.

malice can post what she want. Her disappointment is perfectly legitimate. I never said it wasn't

The AF stuff with the lyrics wasn't a straw man. that was a serious argument I was making based on my genuine interpretation of the lyrics. There is probably something to what you were saying too. They are probably broad enough that you can find what you need to in them--something for any disaffected group. There were other lyrics that jumped out at me on some of the other songs on the way home that lead me to think there is something to my interpretation, though.

[stip]

This whole discussion has kinda put me off listening to this again. I might wait until nobody gives a fuck whether Arcade Fire are 1) hipster-fakesters with shitty lyrics or 2) God's gift to the tradition of experimental rock.

they can be both!

Also, is anyone accusing them of being fake hipsters? Isn't being a hipster enough?

It's just a bit odd that you'll defend Backspacer's lyrics (particularly The Fixer) to the death, but you think Arcade Fire's lyrics are "bad". It's more than a bit odd. It's annoying.

I think the Fixer lyrics are pretty clever in a somewhat simplistic way, and I think the sentiment is more sophisticated than people get it clever for. I think some of the lyrics on Reflektor are quite good. I think others are pretty bad, and the pretty badness of them is made more frustrating by the fact that I think they're trying to be good. And that kills several of the songs on this record for me.

[Soma.]

This must be what it feels like to read my PJ Chat posts, as few as they are.

[HardTI]

What is the general consensus on Awful Noise?

[Soma.]

Its a good song, but probably in the bottom 3.

[Soma.]

It does give me a boner knowing that "Orpheus" comes next, though.

[stip]

What is the general consensus on Awful Noise?

it's okay

[Bob Loblaw]

This whole discussion has kinda put me off listening to this again. I might wait until nobody gives a fuck whether Arcade Fire are 1) hipster-fakesters with shitty lyrics or 2) God's gift to the tradition of experimental rock.

they can be both!

Also, is anyone accusing them of being fake hipsters? Isn't being a hipster enough?

It's just a bit odd that you'll defend Backspacer's lyrics (particularly The Fixer) to the death, but you think Arcade Fire's lyrics are "bad". It's more than a bit odd. It's annoying.

It's pretty fucking stupid is what it is.

I like everything about stip's music-related posts except for the fact that he usually arrives at the completely 100% wrong conclusion.

[Bob Loblaw]

Anyway, malice ftw.

[spike]

I would rather throw up in the back of my mouth repeatedly than read Stip and Harmless analyze music.

[Birds in Hell]

I just read the last few pages of this thread and had a response all ready to go until Soma. went and put it more succintly than I ever could.

[LetMeSleep]

I just read the last few pages of this thread and had a response all ready to go until Soma. went and put it more succintly than I ever could.

And that there is as bizarre as the rest of it.

[stip]

Is there an official or reliable website for AF's lyrics? Their home page seems to only just consist of options to buy Refklektor, unless I'm missing a link

[Brett]

Is there an official or reliable website for AF's lyrics? Their home page seems to only just consist of options to buy Refklektor, unless I'm missing a link

http://www.arcadefire.net/lyrics/

I can't confirm offhand if they're entirely accurate, but that is the biggest Arcade Fire fan community, which I believe is recognized by the band themselves. Since Arcade Fire prints the lyrics to their songs in the liner notes, I'm going to guess that those on that page are copies of such.

[stip]

No refklektor yet. What kind of crap fan site is that?!

[Soma.]

Shhhhhhhhh