This time last year the Arcade Fire were within a week of releasing the first single for The Suburbs, their highly anticipated follow-up to their not-so-favorably received sophomore release, Neon Bible. Who could have ever anticipated tha an indie-rock band from Canada was about to shatter the conceptions of contemporary ‘pop’ music and finally jettison the genre which has always characterized itself by the DIY ethic onto the biggest stage it had ever seen: The Grammys. Whether you label their Album of the Year designation a breakthrough for independent artists everywhere or simply dub it selling out, it is pretty hard to deny the power in the simplicity that is The Suburbs: straightforward songwriting with relatable themes dealing with that time in everyone’s youth when the cookie-cutter neighborhoods begin to feel emptier than those homes with a rectangular wooden sign planted in the front yard. To celebrate the deluxe re-release of their instant classic (out June 27th) the Arcade Fire have released to B-sides to the album: ‘Culture War‘ and ‘Speaking In Tongues‘ (featuring David Byrne of the Talking Heads). It is easy to see why these songs didn’t make the final cut as their simplicity seems to outweigh the cathartic effect of their lyrics, but they nonetheless deserve attention as they were originally in queue for (dare I say) one of the most influential albums of the new millenium.
Arcade Fire – Unreleased ‘Suburbs’ tracks feat. David Byrne
Arcade Fire – Unreleased ‘Suburbs’ tracks feat. David Byrne http://bit.ly/jbuFy8 via @Knuckle_Rumbler
Arcade Fire – Unreleased ‘Suburbs’ tracks feat. David Byrne http://bit.ly/jbuFy8 via @Knuckle_Rumbler
Arcade Fire – Unreleased ‘Suburbs’ tracks feat. David Byrne http://bit.ly/jbuFy8 via @Knuckle_Rumbler
Arcade Fire – Unreleased ‘Suburbs’ tracks feat. David Byrne http://bit.ly/jbuFy8 via @Knuckle_Rumbler