With all the music that is played on the radio daily, how many songs can you identify as Canadian? A regular to Canadian stations is Arcade Fire, an indie rock group from Montreal. Arcade fire has seen massive international success while still keeping their roots strong into Canadian soil.
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What are your thoughts on orchestral rock? I used to get in arguments with my dad on this topic, mostly in regards to the band Iron Maiden – he disliked them because they were too “orchestral”. Personally, I love orchestral rock and roll, it adds such a unique sound to the track. Arcade fire throws this spin onto the indie genre, and it works so well. 2004 was the year the group released their first album, Funeral. If the name doesn’t ring any bells, the track Wake Up might. It was their breakout single that pushed the Canadian band in to the international spotlight.
Out of all the Canadian groups I’ve featured so far, Arcade Fire is the only one to have won a grammy. It was for their 2010 album, The Suburbs. Arcade Fire won Album of the Year for that record in 2011 and it propelled their career to where it is today. If you aren’t familiar with the band at all, besides just being orchestral, Arcade Fire writes their music around themes of community, loss, family, and growing up.
On May 1st of this year the band released their newest record, Open Your Heart or Die Trying – 12 years after their debut album, Funeral. I want to give you another band or artist to compare Arcade Fire to so you can get a better feel for their sound but it is really impossible when Arcade Fire themselves seem to be the blueprint. This group has been so influential to Canadian music throughout their time that they became their very own style of music. The best comparison I can give is if U2 met David Bowie and combined with The Arkells then – very roughly – out came Arcade Fire.
Give Funeral a listen a compare it to their newest album, Open Your Heart or Die Trying, bring some of that Canadian spirit in to your fall season!