Neon Bible, Another Great Record for the Arcade Fire

A self-produced second album is a feat few bands like to attempt. But with the record’s release this week, the Arcade Fire seeks once again to defy convention. Neon Bible is the highly anticipated follow up to their 2004 critically acclaimed release, Funeral.


The Montreal band skyrocketed to fame with Funeral through the melodic beats of successful singles like “Rebellion (Lies)” and “Wake Up”. Funeral showed the Arcade Fire were capable of writing meaningful and emotional lyrics combined with haunting melodies.

One thing that I admire about the Arcade Fire in both Funeral and Neon Bible is the use of unconventional instruments like the xylophone, accordion and cello. These instruments, often overlooked by bands, allow the Arcade Fire to present a unique tone and style that listeners easily attribute to the band.

The first track on this album, which is also the first single, “Black Mirror” has a sullen beat with ominous vocals that bleed into a chant of the song’s title. The track then picks up pace from a whisper vocal to almost a yell, a growth and versatility both in lyrics and melody which remind me why Arcade Fire is so talented.

The more I listen to Neon Bible, the more I appreciate the quality of this album. The fast-paced track, “Keep the Car Running”, is reminiscent of the Jam’s “A Town Called Malice”, with an upbeat melody that makes you want to dance along. Other songs, like “Intervention”, deal with deeper lyrical meanings, such as spiritual struggles.

Unfortunately, the title track leaves something to be desired. “Neon Bible” comes across as a glorified chant rather than a song. I was disappointed to find the title track does not live up to the standard of quality that the album itself had set.


Make no mistake: Arcade Fire is a tremendously talented band. They deserve the acclaim they have received since the release of Funeral and will surely gain even more with the release of this album. Time Magazine deemed the Arcade Fire Canada’s Most Intriguing Band, and they continue to live up to this title.

Click Here for More

The Arcade Fire Website

Arcade Fire Performing Intervention


Arcade Fire Performing Keep the Car Running on Saturday Night Live

The Unfortunate Selection of Female "Role Models" Today

Try as I might I cannot seem to comprehend what has become of the world of ‘celebrity’ at the present time. I realize this is a
loaded subject, which can face ridicule from many sides, these are merely my thoughts on the matter. I’ve never been a big fan of the tactics of celebrities, their many marriages and affairs, but now it just seems to be getting literally crazy to a ridiculous degree. While celebrities have always been prone to problems by blame of the media, it just seems to be grand scale out of control. Take for instance some of the recent mind boggling choices of those facing the ‘burden of success.’

1. Paula Abdul: Now I can give respect where respect is due in saying that after her mediocre career burnt out as well as her marriage to fellow washed up celeb, Emilio Estevez, Paula was able to make a (at least financially) come back with the success of American Idol. This woman should count her blessings and stop making television appearances, while severely inebriated. Now one little interview where they claim she was ‘tired’ (I’ve never been so tired, I slurred my words but I digress) is one thing. But even as I watched it tonight (which I’m ashamed to say I did), the look in her eyes and the incoherent nature of her sentences (or broken sentences at that) begs the question. How she can still be allowed to keep her job where she is literally on the most watched show in the world?

2. Anna Nicole Smith: A woman who rode her minimal success as a model to becoming basically a rich whore, who had a son die of a methodone overdose, and a daughter only months old with about 8 prospective fathers. She is now dead as well,
presumably from drugs. Seeing her on television interviews always freaked me out, she looked literally made of plastic and with the most vacant expression, like her mind wasn’t even there. How can someone like that be allowed to care for two children and what kind of crazy life will her daughter have while men vie for spots in her life to use and mistreat her for the monetary value they see her as being worth? It makes me sick that because of her mother’s bad choices she will have to live like that.

3. Britney Spears: An expectant target on the list I’m sure. Another example of a once on top celebrity with a floundering career whose recent list of outlandish tactics include: having the press photograph a full on shot of her vagina, partying with other rehab bound celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton (don’t even get me started on those two, but at least they don’t have kids) and most recently the shaving of her head as an apparent way to prevent people from ‘touching her,’ one day of rehab and getting two more tattoos. I never thought that Kevin Federline could appear as a competent or fit parent, to anyone.

What happened to the days of grace and poise? Sure Marilyn Monroe was a bit of a whore in her own day, but at least she kept her undergarments on when her skirt flew up.

Click Here For More

Paula Abdul's Latest Strange Interview


Anna Nicole Smith's Mother issues


Britney Spears' Head Shaving/Tattoo Incident

Leave the Hitler's Alone

I have always considered George Stroumboulopoulos and by association, his program the Hour, to be a news program that acts under the Watchdog model of media. Stroumboulopoulos guides his hourly program in such a way that expresses his own opinions within the reporting of the current news. It is George’s clever criticisms and segments dedicated to exposing these ‘"truths" about the world that serve as an outlet for this media watchdog specifically in “Disinformation – 50 Things You’re Not Supposed to Know.”

The issue of Hitler is one that is timeless in both relevance and interest. The effect of Hitler’s reign was grand scale and consequently transcends to audiences on a mass scale. To hear any “news” on him, decades after the terror he imposed would perk the ears and eyes or almost any audience.

While it is rare to find a news show that strives to drag our highly censored minds into the proverbial light, this story was one better left in the dark. I never thought I would take the stance of defender against anyone with association to Hitler. But as the report dictated, the four remaining men (only three of which are alive now) made a pact not to subject any future offspring to the burdens of bearing relation to such a monster. I feel such a drastic life choice is indicative of their own struggles growing up in the shadow of what their predecessor had done. Despite their somewhat distant blood relationship to the fascist dictator, what business is it of us as audiences and readers, to know where they are living and working?

How could this information possibly benefit us when it would clearly only draw further criticism than already endured to the remaining members? It is my belief that by continuing to discuss and immortalize Hitler even now, we are continuing to pay homage to his will. We are giving him exactly what he wanted, to be immortalized long after his time and at the expense of four boys (three remaining) who had the misfortune of being born into the wrong bloodline. The Hour indirectly trivializes the lives of these men, accounting for only three of the four brothers, but identifying the state and occupation of the two they were able to discover.

While old footage of their distant relative’s evil reign fill the background and remind us of the darkness he caused, a sole reporter sits at a table and tells the story of the Hitler family bloodline. Their lives are being accredited to a few simple sentences, most of which identifying them and making them vulnerable, labeling them only as Hitler’s bloodline and a slight mention of a brotherly pact. I feel the impact and the sacrifice that went into the creation of the pact speaks volumes regarding their character and their sense of self-loathing of the family they were born into. They have collected decided to end the Hitler bloodline forever.

We all know for better or worse we cannot choose our families. If we found out in 20 years that Robert Pickton had blood relatives living somewhere in America would that be any more or less relevant? I realize the impact of these men situations is incomparable, but the point remains the same. Why are we so eager to seek out these people who are not accountable for what preceded their family’s history? While I am uncertain this report will hold a negative impact, the odds are in favour of that. The story has been viewed over 1,000 times from the website alone. These men know where they come from; do we need to remind them? If the victims have suffered enough, when is it enough for those victimized in a different way by the same animal?

Click Here For More

Link to the video on the Hour Website

The Hour Website

A Bias Movie Review: One of the Best Movies of All Time, Garden State

I often forget why I love certain movies as much as I do, until of course I watch them. Today’s example would be Garden State. Not only is this movie brilliantly written and directed by its star, Zach Braff, but the soundtrack is outstanding as well. Now normally I pay little to no attention to movie soundtracks, so the fact I am an advocate for this particular ones, I assure you, means something. I’ve recently discovered that Zach Braff won an award for compilation for the movie’s soundtrack, whether you take that as a reason to listen or a reason to chastise it, the choice is yours. This movie introduced me to the music of the Shins and Frou Frou’s song, Let Go, which plays at the end.

I’ve been thinking about why I love this movie so much, and I think it breaks down to this: the characters are messed up people struggling to understand and cope with their lives. Now I realize that is the premise for most movies, but this movie doesn’t seek to change them or correct their mistakes in some crazy epiphany, what’s great about that is, that’s real life. No one has a montage or musical epiphany or has some wise person who swoops in and tell us how to properly live our lives. Only we have control and are responsible for our mistakes, and that’s the truth of Garden State.
These characters are trying to find their direction and an idea of Home. They are grave diggers who live with their parents or millionaires with money but nothing to do, they are two people who meet and start to fall in love but realize how little they know about each other or life. It’s about screwed up families (and we all have one of those, I know I do) and the distance that fills those families. It’s about people who lie, reuniting with old friends, making new ones and the crappy misfortunes of life. It’s about the possibility of healing with help from your friends, and moving forward.

Click Here For More

The Shins, Caring is Creepy from the Garden State Soundtrack


Zero 7's, In the Waiting Line also from the Garden State Soundtrack


The Garden State Trailer