Arcade Fire

Grammy award winning indie band. Yes! This is my dream come true. Grammy recognition of real music. To be specific, Arcade Fire won Best Album for "The Suburbs"(sorry Beibs). So many stati were like "Great, Best Album went to someone I've never heard of before." And to them I say, well maybe you should invest!

So let's  talk about "The Suburbs." This is one of my favorite albums right up near "Songs for Silverman" by Ben Folds and "For Emma, Forever Ago" by Bon Iver and "In Rainbows" by Radiohead.

I believe it's centered around Nostalgia. Check out their album art work:

There were eight total photos, some of them giving a more tropical feel. But without even listening to the music, the mood is set. The typical suburban hut like homes, the tall fences for privacy needed in the flat, treeless mid-west, the car you probably inherited from your parents. The dulled yet saturated colors, similar to a black and white mood, transports you to a much simpler, less vivid memory of childhood. Almost too familiar to the point where it's no longer familiar.

Moving onto the music. Trance like, echo-y, streaming sounds. All real instruments, all real voices. You have to listen to it yourself. Allow yourself to be transported, carried away.

They even have this interactive music video that visually transports you to your first home, your first neighborhood. It utilizes google maps to mesh the original video footage with images of your hometown.

For me, nostalgia is a feeling that makes me want to weep. This album comes close to  when I use it for me sole listening pleasure (as opposed to background music to whatever my predominant task is). It's interesting music to meditate on and I suggest you do so.