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Post by G.. on Mar 25, 2005 11:46:04 GMT 1
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Post by bob on Mar 26, 2005 10:11:56 GMT 1
Thanks!
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Post by 3 on May 12, 2005 0:42:10 GMT 1
Burn baby burn.“They were, like, powdered or something. Isn’t it easier to just get real eggs, anyway?” Having recently finished their first headline US tour and a breakfast of dubious provenance, Win Butler and Regine Chassagne – husband and wife, and songwriters in Arcade Fire - are travelling in Europe for two weeks, “telling people what our band’s name means”. Needless to say, they’re not here for the food. The album, Funeral, is an extraordinary debut. A remarkably fully-formed sprawling record that highlights either a devil-may-care eclecticism or a ragbag of barely disguised influences: from Pavement’s golden nostalgia to the self-conscious funk of Talking Heads. David Byrne is a fan. “He emailed to see if he could come to the show. I was like, ‘Yeah, if you sing with us.’ We played [the Talking Heads song] This Must Be The Place and he sung it. It was really special.” With five members originating from the US, Canada and Haiti, and the band including siblings and partners – home, memory and family are clearly important. The album loosely revolves around a mythic “every neighbourhood”, the memories of childhood friends, relationships you’re given and those you choose. This and the death of several family members prior to the recording has led to the album being read autobiographically. A suggestion that bristles with Win. “I definitely don’t feel comfortable with that kind of three-funerals-and-a-wedding crap. It’s like, ‘Oh it’s their schtick – people died when they made the record.’ You don’t realise the microscope you’ll be under. I know by calling the record Funeral it’s going to lead people to listen to it in a certain way, but it’s interesting to see the extent to which it leads people’s perceptions.” It’s a heartfelt candid record – yes, emotional even – but it avoids the maudlin affectations of so much indie rock, as on Wake Up when a skyscraping riff turns on its heel for a joyful, barrelhouse piano knees-up. “I don’t think the emotional quality is the defining quality of the music but it’s definitely something that people have picked up on a lot,” says Win, especially reluctant to play the tortured artist. “The stuff I listened to growing up, like Robert Smith or Bruce Springsteen, is so much more over-the-top than our stuff. Listen to Born To Run then listen to our album. Like, gimme a break.” James Cowderywww.bbc.co.uk
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