There is no excuse — none whatsoever — to ever let an Arcade Fire show go by without attending.  Reschedule your wedding, it's worth it.  It's shamefully possible that you have never heard of the Arcade Fire, or maybe you've been caught in an awkward indie conversation where you've heard of them, but haven't heard them.  Let me tell you this: the word 'energy' scarcely describes what it is that the Arcade Fire deliver.  Imagine, if you will, ten crazy Quebecoise running around a stage playing instruments including, but not limited to, violin, French horn, xylophone, an aluminum standup bass, accordion, mandolin, and hurdy gurdy.  Also hitting pretty much anything available with a drumstick — errant cymbals, a marching tom, motorcycle helmets, the catch-all mics at the front of the stage, the lighting rig, each other.  The band loves what their doing so much that you cannot help but be dragged in.  Numerous instrument changes, sexy-but-not-slutty dancing, very tasteful multi-media and one of the best groups of concert-goers I've ever associated with.  The last two songs before the encore were "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" and "Rebellion (Lies)" and the end of "Power Out' built up to an insane pitch before the opening of "Rebellion" snuck in underneath it all.  Amazing.  I'll admit it, I only knew about four AF songs prior to the show, but it doesn't matter.  I'm including the three songs most necessary to get the most from the show.
So, I don't want to say too much about how awesome the show was because you'll stop believing me, but I would like to say that I don't know how Montreal could have contained all of this.  When David Bowie found them and brought them to major label attention, he just may have saved that town from exploding.
I'm sorry, Billy Corgan, but I don't think that even Mellon Collie-era Pumpkins could hold a candle to this show.  But I'm still excited to see what you've got.

Here's what my concert-going buddy Dave had to say about it…

Arcade Fire // Myspace // Buy Neon Golden

MP3eesies: 

Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies) MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/Arcade%20Fire%20-%20Rebellion%20(Lies).mp3] 

Arcade Fire - Neighbourhood #3 [Power Out] MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/Arcade%20Fire%20-%20Neighborhood%20Three%20Power%20Out.mp3]

Arcade Fire - Wake Up MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/The%20Arcade%20Fire%20-%20Wake%20Up.mp3] 

It is a very respectable thing to know more about the Violent Femmes than their über-hit "Blister In the Sun."  For a long time before I really got into the Femmes, I got by on my knowledge of "Gone Daddy Gone" but with that being recently covered by Gnarls Barkley, it won't quite do anymore.  On the radio today I heard the Femmes classic "Add It Up" and it hit me that I need to be doing double duty with this post: educating you fine people about the Violent Femmes and giving you songs that are horribly inappropriate for a mixtape directed at your significant other!  All at once!

Violent Femmes Official // MySpace // Buy One of Their CDs, for good measure.

Add It Up MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/Violent%20Femmes%20-%20add%20it%20up.mp3]

Gimme The Car MP3 

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/Violent%20Femmes%20-%20Gimme%20The%20Car%20%5BLive%5D.mp3]

Since taking on running a music website/mp3 blog/what-have-you, I've been sent lots of goodies. Always nice surprises, but the biggest one of recent was a Live CD by a bloke called Jefferson Thomas. 

Now, if you dig some regular alternative bluesy rock music, Jefferson Thomas is your man. His music is somewhat mainstream, but don't mistake that for being no-good, like most alternative rock on the radio nowadays. His music reminds me a lot of Bruce Springsteen, in some ways, and thats all I can put my finger on for now. A little hard to define. This may be the first time I've had to go with just good old rock music. 

I'm not a wild fan of his voice, as it edges towards a bit emo. Everything is quite impressive.

Evanworks is the indie label that supports him, so check out his website and his CD. Thomas is also playing several shows in the New York City area later this month, at Central Park and such, so if you're in the area, check him out; the dates are available on his MySpace page.

Mrs. Sherwood [Live] (MP3)

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/07%20Mrs.%20Sherwood%20(live).mp3] 

Dusty [Live] (MP3)

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/04%20Dusty%20(live).mp3] 

Grand Central Station (MP3)

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/11%20Grand%20Central%20Station.mp3]

Jefferson Thomas' Official Website // MySpace // Buy Jefferson Thomas - Live 

• "State of Love and Trust" from the Singles soundtrack
• "Crown of Thorns" originally by Mother Love Bone, also from the Singles soundtrack
• Covers of songs by the Who, the Ramones, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, and probably a few other I don't recognize by title
• Old material, new material, rare material.

All this for about $35 bucks, really isn't bad, but I'm so broke right now that this is kinda killing me.  So, I may as well say it, I've got a birthday coming up, if any of you love me enough.  In the mean time, enjoy "State of Love and Trush" and imagine this mess live and up in your grill.

Pearl Jam Official Website // MySpace // Buy Live at the Gorge 05/06 for THIRTY bucks @ Amazon 

Pearl Jam - State of Love and Trust

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/stateofloveandtrust.mp3]

So I've decided that I greatly misjudged the SSPU album and I'm here to let you all know of my second thoughts.  After hearing "Lazy Eye" on the radio a few times, and enjoying it quite a bit, I decided to give Carnavas another spin.  Funny thing is that it was amazing.  What once sounded flat and uninspired was now catchy and full of life.  "Well Thought Out Twinkles" and "Common Reactor" were catchy; "Future Foe Scenarios" had an intensity that I'd missed the first time.  The songs started to seem like actual songs instead of a sheer rock face of impenetrable noises.  I don't know what changed, but I really like the album now.  I hope I didn't ruin it for anybody.
Enjoy sounds!

Silversun Pickups Official // MySpazz // Buy Carnavas 

Well Thought Out Twinkies

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/02%20Well%20Thought%20Out%20Twinkles.mp3] 

Common Reactor

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/Silversun%20Pickups%20-%20Common%20Reactor.mp3]

Future Foe Scenarios

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/Silversun%20Pickups%20-%20Future%20Foe%20Scenarios.mp3]

Sometimes I don't really like a song until I hear it in the context of an album.  Other times I can't get into an album until I isolate a single track to give attention to.  The latter is the case with Silversun Pickups.  My girlfriend [who is fantastic] picked up their album having heard the single "Lazy Eye" on one of the five best rock radio stations in the country.  I was excited for new material to listen to but failed to really crack the album.  Almost at random I picked this track for the E-Box and it really started to grow on me.  It's nothing earth-shattering, but it's a good listen.  Give it one.

Note: They also played at Coachella this year. 

Related Audio:

Little Lover's So Polite - Silversun Pickups

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/02%20Little%20Lover%27s%20So%20Polite.mp3]