A Symphony of Sounds: The Arcade Fire

When I first was shown the song "Wake Up" by The Arcade Fire, I was instantly blown away at the diverse instruments that composed their special sound. They have the usual guitar, bass and drums but also add piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, xylophone, keyboard, French horn, accordion, hurdy gurdy, harp and the mandolin. With a shocking seven members led by the husband/wife duo Win Butler and Regine Chassagne this Montreal based band has been around since 2003 showing off their unique and untouched sound. It is almost as if an orchestra and traditional rock band have combined to make up a band with such explosive sounding music.

Their first album Funeral came out in 2004 and shows off their sound better than their second album Neon Bible which came out in 2006. Their lyrics focus on topics such as death, family, and love telling of their emotional upbringings. Some songs such as "Crown of Love" are sad and speak of heartbreak while others such as my favorite which I mentioned earlier "Wake Up" are bursting with a choir of vocals and uplifting instrumentation. If you want to listen to an amazing band with diversity you have probably never seen in a band, check out The Arcade Fire!

An Old Favorite: The Pixies

The Pixies are not exactly considered indie music but still have continued to keep the same sound throughout their long and complicated history. The four piece rock band consists of members Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and David Lovering who were more successful in Britain and Europe than they ever were in the United States. Starting out in 1986 in Boston, the band is said to have been greatly influenced by punk rock which is shown in Francis’s screamish (in a good way) voice. It is interesting to note that the band often focuses their topics on things such as UFO’s, surrealism, violent Biblical imagery, mental and physical instability, and even incest.

Also, one should note that the band disbanded in 1993 and then regrouped in 2004 which has changed their music slightly. Songs like “Monkey Go to Heaven” and “Caribou” shows off their haunting and melancholic sound. The Pixies have been influenced by musicians such as David Bowie, The Beatles and Iggy Pop but what is really special is that they were an influence on one of the most important and talented musicians of our time (at least in my opinion) Kurt Cobain. If this band was good enough for Kurt Cobain, I am pretty sure they are good enough for me.