The Arcade Fire is ready to go big. For months, they have been riding a wave of indie hype (not to be confused with Grammy or radio hype) since their show at the CMJ this summer. And with the release of their debut full length, Funeral, it looks like this quintet may be headed for big things. With the recent success of Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand, the stage is set for slightly-to-the-left indie bands to become breakout stars. It's hard to say whether this is a bona fide phenomena or a short-lived anomaly at this point. After all, Modest Mouse made it big with "Float On," an atypically positive song for them considering their last album ended with the line "[Humans] ain't made from nothing but water and shit." But let's thank the file sharing revolu-tion for overturning the tyranny of corporate radio and distributing the power back to the con-sumer. Now all artists must be held accountable for their terrible albums and record companies are going to have to earn their keep.

Of course, it would be an elitist attitude to believe that any indie band making it to the big is inherently better than all the big budget pop acts littering the radio waves. If you don't think there is enough garbage in the underground scene to fill a small country than someone needs to check your credentials at the door. But what The Arcade Fire have that so many mediocre bands lack is emotional intensity. No phony emo scream-fests, ironic posturing, or pretentious delu-sions of grandeur, just passionate pop songs with flamboyant orchestral arrangements and the gut wrenching vocals of Win Butler and his wife Regine Chassagne.

It hits you right from the beginning. "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" is easily the standout on this album. The song starts simply: a piano played gently and a cello scraping a single note. One by one, new instruments are blended seamlessly into the mix. Electric guitars, drums, bass, synthesizers, and Win Butler's plaintive vocals melt into a sweltering mass continuously build-ing in energy that doesn't culminate until the last minute of the song. Unlike so many post rock compositions, every second of this crescendo is earned; no energy is added superficially to this emotional climax. It bears a strong resemblance to Neutral Milk Hotel's "Ghost" in its humbled approach to such a bombastic arrangement. But more than just than just the instrumental, the story of two lovers escaping from emotional turmoil and searching for purity in love and solitude are the most poignant lyrics on the entire album. Add to this an amazing hook, and you have The Arcade Fire putting their best song forward.

When you're putting together an album, the organization of the tracks is as important as the songs themselves. And though I don't think they intended it that way, The Arcade Fire did themselves a disservice by putting the emotional climax at the beginning of the record. But that's not to imply that there are no other great songs on this album. "Rebellion (Lies)" works off the aesthetic laid down by "Neighborhood #1" and to great success. But it lacks the same emotional impact. The biggest draw back is the hook, which consists of the phrase "Every time you close your eyes (Lies!)" repeated incessantly. This is the same problem I had with the last Modest Mouse album. To all artists: only an artist like Van Morrison can get away with a single line chorus. You are not Van Morrison.

Other intense standouts include the powerful "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)." This song wastes no time, immediately hitting you like a pot of steaming coffee in the face with immense synth chords and distorted electric guitars. Yet it somehow gets bigger as it piles on layers of guitar deceptively simple guitar melodies and escalating strings undercut by a gentle xylophone tones. Butler melodious wailing is complimented by more impressive lyrics about the emotional apathy of adulthood and the chilling effect it has on children brought to the surface by a power outage. "Crown of Love" is a stirring mid tempo song with a well-implemented 50s style piano progression and sweeping string arrangement guaranteed to win you over. But it is Win Butler's amazing vocal performance that makes this song a success. The melody remains fairly static and the lyrics border on teenage schlock but there is a genuine vulnerability to his voice that dripped from every pathetic word.

Amid all of this emotionally wrenching catharsis, some of the most touching moments are when the band shows some restraint on songs like "Une anee sans lumiere" (I may not know French, but I'm willing to bet that it translates to "A year without light"). In fact, one of my favorite songs is "Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)." The instrumental is sparsest on the album, the drums are less insistent, and the strings struggle to the surface, blooming like fragile flowers between the cracks of a gently plucked acoustic guitar. The song is somewhat cryptic with lines like "I am waitin' 'til I don't know when, 'cause I'm sure it's gonna happen then" and "they say a watched pot won't ever boil" repeated several times. There is a reluctance to confront the inevitable but an acceptance of humanity's transience. "You gotta give it time."

As much as I like it, I'm not going to jump out of a window and call this album a classic. I keep that word on reserve for special occasions. The album does have its weak points like the overindulgent "Wake Up." Once the "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" reprise comes in at the end, I feel like vomiting. Don't try to tell me it's ironic. What's more, at this point in the band's career, they lean too much on their influences. Songs like "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" and the album closer "In the Backseat" had me checking the album credits for David Byrne and Bjork. There is also too many beats that could have been lifted from any generic 80s synth pop band. In the end, the weaknesses don't take much from the power of this album, but they are signs of a band who hasn't quite found its voice. It may seem like a trite critique considering some of the greatest artists in pop music including Dylan and Nirvana have done the same, but I think it leaves room for improvement in subsequent albums. I'm being optimistic and saying that their best work is yet to come. Everyone can find something to like about their music and I think their going to have a great career if they can keep it together.

But the real winner in all of this is Merge Records. Even more important than the artists, we need independent record labels to mine through the scores of undiscovered bands waiting to get break. Merge's track record includes Neutral Milk Hotel and The Magnetic Fields, so I'd say that this is the type of label that deserves some long overdue success. Reading the LA Times this Sunday, The Arcade Fire said they don't plan to jump ship to a major label. So, by all means, buy the record, go see their show (I hear they're amazing and even make a song like "Wake Up" great), and maybe you won't have to wait three years before another good band crawls their way to the surface. Hell, I just saw a commercial for Rhino Records with the clerk in his mid twenties whose never cut his hair. The future's looking bright.

--Kenneth Zubiate

(Recently, my hard drive crashed and I lost all of my writing files. But miraculously, all of my music files remained intact. I saw it as a sign from God to create a mix CD. These are the results of one drunken night.)

1) The Dead Texan - "Glen's Goo" from s/t - Floating in from the aether. I always like to start off a mix inauspicously, raze any expectations from the start. Also, I have to put one ambient track on every CD, despite past complaints. And I hate putting them in at the end. Then no one listens to them or else they'll fall asleep halfway through.

2) Yo La Tengo - "Little Eyes" from Summer Sun - A great song, even better coming out of the somnambulistic sounds of The Dead Texan. A little cute, but that's okay. A nice guitar line, steady beat, and calming drone are all I need to make it through the day.
- Favorite Line: "You can only hurt the ones you love."

3) The Notwist - "Pilot" from Neon Golden - Keeping with the beat-oriented sound. For people who listen to Postal Service but have never heard of the Notwist, download this album right now, you cheap bastard. This ruled my life two years ago and it still puts so many electronic pop groups to shame. Is it just me or has this been a pretty shitty year for music so far. Listening to all these great songs continually reminds me of this fact.
- Favorite Line: "Could be enough."

4) Olivia Tremor Control - "Hideaway" from Black Foliage - The most accessible track from one trip of an album, which also happens to be my favorite OTC album and maybe my favorite Elephant Six album. Even when these guys are on the edge of a complete meltdown, those melodies never lag too far behind. They're the only group to rip off a Beach Boys line without anyone thinking twice about it. You were great at one time, fellas, now get back together. Your new groups suck.
- Favorite line: "What is to fear when surrounded in apathy, when putting down words is like pulling teeth."

5) The Notwist - "One With The Freaks" from Neon Golden - I used to think this was the worst song on the album. It's pretty straightforard guitar pop on a record full of electronic experimentation. But I've warmed up to it. I feel it makes for a good transition to the less electronic part of the mix.
- Favorite Line: "Things look much bigger on your knees."

6) Wilco - "Kamera" from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Yes, I think the album is very overratted. One of those cases where journalists wrapped the backstory into the results so the album sounds much more triumphant than it should have. Hype hype hype. But time has told me that there are great songs to be heard here, but nothing good enough to change the world. This happens to be the perfect example.
- Favorite Line: "Tell 'em I'm lost on the sidewalk"

7) Nobody - "Images of April" from Pacific Drift: Western Water Music vol. 1 - This is a nice cover of a Pearls Before Swine song from one of the clerks who works at Fingerprints down in Long Beach. I love the guy because he introduced me to The Millennium [sic]. I also love this cover a lot more than the original for one reason. It is also the reason that Pearls Before Swine are so unknown these days. Their singer/songwriter Tomm Rapp has a terrible lisp. He's such a great producer, why he wouldn't just hire a new lead is beyond me.
- Favorite Line: "The sun has left the land as helpless as my empty hand. All is gone."

8) The Shins - "New Slang" from Oh, Inverted World - Another overrated album. Well, that's not fair. I used to like this album a lot more before I heard Chutes Too Narrow. Now it seems kind of boring. And talk about bad production. This song, however, is great. Too bad people can't hear it without thinking of bad movies and bad food. And if you like this song, don't ever tell me that you don't like Simon and Garfunkel.
- Favorite Line: "I was happier then with no mindset."

9) Yo La Tengo - "The Summer" from Fakebook - This song makes me want to drop out of school. Then again, what doesn't?
- Favorite Line: "I just waste my time alone 'til the summer comes undone."

10) Palace - "The Brute Choir" from Viva Last Blues - You may not like him, but I'll be damned if Will Oldham isn't a god among men to me. A bearded, balding, perverted god, mind you, but his voice breaks my heart every time. His music is not transcendent like Dylan and its not perfect like the Beatles, but it connects, honestly.
- Favorite Line: "I cannot rest with so many singing so many songs - and what a way of singing."

11) Built To Spill - "Fling" from There's Nothing Wrong With Love - Just listen to the cello.

12) Neutral Milk Hotel - "Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone" from On Avery Island - In an Aeroplane... has the fame, but this album is great as well. It's just a lot more distorted and chaotic. Jeff Mangum can write a hell of a song with no musical virtuosity whatsoever. I mean I know he can learn a couple more guitar chords. Still the best $4 bucks I ever spent.
- Favorite Line: "There's some lives you live and some you leave behind."

13) Jim O'Rourke - "All Downhill From Here" from Insignificance - My favorite producer, maybe ever, leaves behind the experimentation for a second and writes a great rock record. His lyrics crack me up. This guy sounds so much like me its scary. I feel a lot less unique after listening to this song.
- Favorite Line: "If I seem to you a bit remote, you'll feel better if you call me a misanthrope."

14) Built to Spill - "Twin Falls" from There's Nothing Wrong With Love - Nostalgia's a bitch. Both these Built to Spill songs are atypically short for a band known for their ponderous jams. And I may be going out on a limb when I say that their short work holds up a lot better.

15) Guided By Voices - "Tractor Rape Chain" from Bee Thousand - As lo-fi as the mix gets, but it's a diamond in the mud as Captain Beefheart would say. Contains some of the more intelligible lines that Robert Pollard ever wrote. Except for the chorus. I have no idea what is going on there.
- Favorite Line: "Something you've said or implied makes me doubt you. Then I look into your cynical eyes, and I know."

16) Palace - "New Partner" from Viva Last Blues - I think I've said my piece about Will. For now, at least.
- Favorite Line: "When you think like a hermit, you forget what you know."

17) Bonnie "Prince" Billy - "Bed Is For Sleeping" from Superwolf - Mostly for the falsetto.

18) Wilco - "Jesus Etc." from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Another great cello line. Yeah this song sounds like 70s soft rock, but I am not ashamed to say that I used to like Fleetwood Mac. Maybe I still do. It's been awhile.
- Favorite Line: "Bitter melodies turning your orbit around."

19) The Notwist - "Consequence" from Neon Golden - Terrible lyrics. But what a great arrangement. It closes a great album in such grand fashion. But it would be too easy for me to end this mix with the song. Apparently the record label thought so as well. They added three bonus tracks to the end of the American reissue that completely ruin the effect. Good thing stereos come with stop buttons.
- Favorite Line: "...and smile."

20) Neutral Milk Hotel - "Naomi" from On Avery Island - I was a wreck after my initial listening of this song. I still get the chills when the drums come in. Then you hear the lyrics. Yes, people, it is about a stalker. I had to leave you on a disturbing note.
- Favorite Line: "If she only really knew."

(Thanks to Mr. Tillotson for use of his equipment and a blank CD. If you want a copy of the mix, bug him. It's time to study for my Spanish midterm.)

My Tenth Week Selection

Well it's finally tenth week. I don't say that because this quarter went by dreadfully slow, but because I am sick to death of my classes. I guess four years of the quarter system has limited my ability to become emotionally attached to teachers and subjects no matter how much I may enjoy them. More likely it's the fact that every class seems to end with a barrage of papers and exams, leaving an acrid aftertaste that takes more than a drunken spring break to cure. Regardless of the cause, we all need a little peace in our lives right now, and nobody has time for a spa day. So I have decided to put together a little list of albums that I like to play as I read novels, textbooks, criticism, or write papers. As my sister likes to say, "Sometimes silence can be more distracting than noise." A little pearl of wisdom from someone who has a phobia of wet wood. There may be no absolute silence but all of those small sounds that we manage to ignore on a daily basis can drive us insane in times of frustration. Use the albums on this list as an aural pillow that you may not appreciate but would definitely notice if pulled out from under you. Play them at low, just-audible levels and they will not disturb your thoughts as you work, but subconsciously massage your brain. And if frustration seeps in, take a few deep breaths and let the music cool you out.


-Brian Eno - Ambient Vol. 1 Music For Airports

Had to start with the original ambient maestro, the man who delineated the term and philosophy. This album isn't the pinnacle of the genre, but it contains one of the greatest ambient works put to wax. Volume 1 contains four extended pieces utilizing randomly generated tape loops of pianos, sub-bass, and spare synth chords that breathe slowly into silence. While all the songs are good enough for consecutive play, I like to put "1/1" on a loop as I study Walt Whitman on sunny day. It's warm, calm, yet remains interesting enough to listen to when you happen to space out during one of Whitman's long catalogues. If "Blitzkrieg Bop" was the shot heard 'round the world, this is the song that put the whiny punks to bed. If you enjoy this, check out some of Eno's other work including the rest of the Ambient series minus vol. 3 as well as Discreet Music and Thursday Afternoon.


-Arvo Pärt- Alína

ECM should be commended for putting together this five-track 50-minute album of two Arvo Pärt compositions. The progenitor of Holy Minimalism is known for his more dynamic religious works composed from behind the Iron Curtain, but for these two works he has stripped down his style for piano and violin or violoncello. There couldn't be more than ten notes played for the duration, but these compositions are like impressionistic works of pure light. In the atmosphere they may be devoid of substance but when filtered through the prism of a sensitive ear, an entire spectrum of color can be drawn out. The highlight is "Spiegel im Spiegel" of which three versions are included on the disc. Find your favorite performance and loop it as you read Song of Solomon long past midnight.


-Erik Satie - "Trois Gymnopèdies"

A century before Eno came along with his tape loop theories and bulky synthesizers, Satie created the primal form of ambient that he dubbed "furniture music." It was music composed for piano that was to be played in the background at social gatherings, quiet enough to allow for conversation but pleasant enough to eliminate the awkward silence. Unfortunately, college students don't listen to or play the piano at parties nor are we going primarily for conversation, so these days these compositions don't get much farther than the bedroom. This three-part piano suite remains the best example of his theory that was unfortunately left behind in his later career for more complex and humorous work. It can be found on a number of Satie piano collections, but be sure to shop around for a good performance as many play the piece much too fast or slow. These eloquent and spare meditations on simple chords and notes are best listened to while reading Melville's "Benito Cereno" or Typee in the morning with a cup of coffee before you head for class.


-Climax Golden Twins - Lovely

These Seattle-based experimental noiseniks have been haunting the underground tape scene with long-winded noise improvisations for nearly a decade, which would explain why it was limited to 500 pressings. The album is one 62-minute ambient piece that was originally composed for an art instillation revolving around neon sculptures, but was later re-recorded for CD, packaged with a pillow, and imprinted with the phrase "Go to sleep." It is a very murky mix concentrating on two bass drones, bowed guitars and stringed-instruments, and various sounds bubbling into earshot at random points. It is strictly background music, but in that regard, it is top quality. I hesitated to put this one on the list because it is out-of-print but most people who will read this are people I know. So, if you would like to borrow it, or most any of these albums, don't hesitate to ask. Best listened to when poring over sociology articles about why this country sucks. It'll help get you to sleep afterwards.


-Stars of the Lid - Avec Laudenum and The Tired Sounds of?

You didn't think I'd get through this list without at least a couple albums by the greatest working ambient band? People get sick of me talking about their greatness, but those are the people who really haven't given them a chance. The term ambient is often associated with halfhearted New Age compilations and if these two albums don't convince you otherwise, then you are just uncouth. I dig all of Star of the Lid's albums dating from their early four-track guitar work, but the Avec Laudenum E.P. was the point where their sound became more produced and much warmer with the modern classical influences coming to the forefront. The guitars are still in the mix, but the drones and feedback are much tighter and their synth work much cleaner. Avec is the more spaced out of the two, "The Atomium pt. 2" and "I Will Surround You" rank as some of the greatest ambient work of all time with dynamic, powerful, and elegant chords complimented by soft, almost percussive pulses. Tired Sounds is my ambient Bible. The album represents everything I've loved about their sound coupled with string arrangements that rival the best work of Gavin Bryars. These are two CDs worth of timeless nocturnes with relatively few duds. Disc Two is perfect from start to finish. Best listened to the night after your last final, when you've come home late at night after blowing off some steam, and you're ready to drift into vacation.


There are plenty more I could mention (Biosphere, Thomas Köner, Max Richter, William Basinski, etc.) but I think these would last you the week and a half that are left. Hell, I've got my own work to do. Good luck with the grades and stop staring out your damn window.

Kenneth Zubiate