We’ve reached that point in time where we now have to say goodbye to the year of 2011. While we are about to ring in a new year and pull up new resolutions (or revive old ones), it is also the time to reflect upon a year’s worth of deeds, decisions, and dilemmas. Were we true to ourselves? Did we do right by others? Did we accomplish everything we wanted? Well, we can tell you that here at Enter the Shell, we enjoy reflection, checking our progress, and seeing how many of you are moved by our fine articles and shows. So, here to help you with your considerations of things past is a band that is incredibly adept at writing albums that make you look back on life and contemplate the whys of what has occurred. This week we welcome Arcade Fire as our artist of the week.
Whether or not you’re a fan of their music, you have to admit that Arcade Fire have something to them that certainly attracts audiences. Whether it be their lyrical content, their large numbers, or the fact that the music sans lyrics is emotional and oddly empowering in and of itself, they’ve got something that seems to take hold of listeners and keeps them coming back. Yet for having been such a success in both the indie and mainstream charts, getting substantial amounts of air play, touring all over the world, and playing shows with David Bowie and U2, Arcade Fire still seem to slip under the radar of many people. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at videos of reactions to the band winning the Grammy for Album of the Year; there’s a lot of “who the hell is Arcade Fire?” going on out there. This phenomenon seems to keep the band in an acceptable state of cool for both those who enjoy commercial radio and the hipsters who think they’re the bee’s knees because they know of a band that you don’t.
Officially formed in 2003, but with roots back to 2001, Arcade Fire was Win and William Butler, Regine Chassagne, Richard Parry and Tim Kingsbury (they’ve since growngreatly in numbers). The band released a self-titled EP in 2003, and set to record their first full-length that was to be released in 2004. The bands recording origins seem to stem from reflection in their lives as their first album, Funeral, was written as a tribute to the loved ones that the members of the band had lost while they were recording their debut album. When Funeral was finally released in September of 2004 it was laced with the vivid imagery and emotion of people that were truly mourning and seeking comfort and strength for the future. The result was a well-received and powerful album that helped shoot Arcade Fire to the spotlight, giving them tons of major play on commercial radio stations.
Their second album, Neon Bible, released in 2007 showed Win Butler’s reflection of the U.S. of A. from an outsider’s perspective. Buying and recording in an old church in Canada, Neon Bible featured various themes and influences from Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Elvis, the album did remarkably well and earned much praise from different indie and commercial sources. Just last year they released The Suburbs, which highlighted and observed youth in suburbia and their maturation and loss of innocence. With the release of The Suburbs, Arcade Fire once again gained critical and commercial acclaim, managing to prove their musical prowess and their dedication to the reality and relation to the struggles of life for people all over the world. The album won the Grammy for Album of the Year as well as various other awards at the BRIT and Juno awards.
Arcade Fire have done well for themselves and with their success they manage to give back to various charities. Whether giving aid and raising awareness to problems in Haiti with Partners in Health, or campaigning for Barack Obama, Arcade Fire keeps in mind that being famous doesn’t mean you have to be a snob about it. Their success has also given them artistic and creative liberty to advertise and promote their music through many different programs and music videos. We here at Enter the Shell are happy to show you a few of them. So while you’re reflecting on your past year, follow the links below and let Arcade Fire be right there next to you while you’re looking back on all your (mis)adventures of 2011. Enjoy!
Useful Links
The Wilderness Downtown (pseudo-interactive video that’s pretty neat-o)