Arcade Fire, the greatest band on Earth? We think so. The Canadians have always offered that little extra more than any other band, merging depressing tales with powerful guitar music and a little carnival atmosphere to treat your ears to a sound of what we could only imagine to be like heaven.
Formed by frontman, Win Butler, and former member, Josh Deu, in the suburbs of Montreal in 2001, Arcade Fire began their World domination. Starting work on their debut EP, 'Arcade Fire', a seven track wonder that opened the eyes of the World to the "Group of geeks from Montreal" who "Messed around with instruments until it sounded right". The EP, otherwise known as 'Us Kids Know', of which featured 'No Cars Go', a track that later featured on Arcade Fire's second album, 'Neon Bible', was 31 minutes and 17 seconds long, around the length of which the majority of albums released by bands are today.
Win Butler and co were already beginning to show glimpses of what they had in store. A year down the line and their highly anticipated debut album, 'Funeral', was released to send reverbarations of the iconic "Woah Oh Woah" through the industry, a chorus of which you can be sure is being sung somewhere, by someone, at any given point. "Wake Up" being the track, otherwise known as 'That track'. It's a track that really epitified who Arcade Fire were and what they were all about and still to this day does . Following various departures and arrivals between 2003 and 2007, Arcade Fire had finally settled on their line-up, now a seven piece consisting of brothers Will and Win Butler, Regine Chassagne the wife of Win, Jeremy Gara, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufield and Richard Reed Parry. The band recorded and released their second studio album, 'Neon Bible', and the following. Following their debut Reading and Leeds performance in 2005, 'Neon Bible' was released in March of 2007, the album began to spread the name of Arcade Fire further, featuring the previously released, 'No Cars Go', it earned the Canadians their second Reading and Leeds appearance, as well as their debut Glastonbury appearance and even more Worldwide.
Arcade Fire were becoming a phenomenom, selling out gig venues all around the World and with news of their third studio album, 'The Suburbs', was to be released in August of 2010 and the announcment of their Reading and Leeds headline slot in the same month, the Arcade Fire hype had never been higher. It was the 2nd of August 2010 when 'The Suburbs' was released, featuring the title track, 'The Suburbs', 'Ready To Start' and 'Month of May', it became a sensation and when aired to the fields of Bramham Park and Richfield Avenue on the Bank Holiday Weekend of August 2010, it sparked a ruptious raw of applause. Following this and many more sold out gigs to crowds packed within gig venues all across the World, Arcade Fire re-branded themselves as 'The Reflektors', releasing the title track from their forthcoming album, 'Reflektor', a seven minute track that got the World jiving following the Canadians three year absence. 'Reflektor' has undoubtedly been Arcade Fire's most anticipated release to date, with the everyone patiently waiting for something they expected would blow their minds and blow their minds it did. When released in October of 2013, Arcade Fire's style of the indie kids of the Americas transformed into the powerful yet majestic style of 'The Reflektors', Win Butler and co realised they had made it big, and like every other band or artist who had done similar, they milked it a little, shall we say. Dressing in reflective attire, Arcade Fire played out a World tour consisting of a certain date on the Pyramid at Glastonbury in June of this year, performing tracks from their latest release and from times gone by to their biggest crowds yet.
Following this, the Arcade Fire journey has ended, for now. The Canadians are no longer signed after recently being dropped by their record label, Merge. Win and Regine have both confirmed this is not the end of Arcade Fire, there's material that's just waiting to be recorded, but, for the moment, Arcade Fire are to be dormant. We can only hope that the greatest band on Earth return to the scene as soon as possible, but, until then...
Posted by Charlie Ireland.
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