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] 

Yoohoo, music festival goers! If you went to Bonnaroo this year, or have ever gone, or ever plan on going, or ever plan on going to Burning Man, or Lollapalooza, or whatever….you get the point. If a music festival that spans days is up your alley, check this one out. I'm extremely green. I would love to go, but I can't. Crap! You should, and take pictures, and tell me all about it. 

The Line Up (Currently):

The Killers; The Flaming Lips; Phil Lesh and Friends; moe.; The Roots; Cypress Hill; Les Claypool; The Bravery; Polyphonic Spree; Michael Franti and Spearhead; Umphrey's McGee; Thievery Corporation with Full Live Band; Clap Your Hands Say Yeah; Secret Machines; Stephen Marley; Rodrigo Y Gabriela; The Disco Biscuits; Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues Band; Brazilian Girls; The Avett Brothers; Lyrics Born; MSTRKRFT; JJ Grey & Mofro; Son Volt; Perpetual Groove; RJD2; Toubab Krewe; Spam Allstars; ALO; Greenskeepers; The Egg; The Album Leaf; Man Man; Tea Leaf Green; The Benevento - Russo Duo; Lazaro Casanova; Telepath; and Afromotive.

Early Bird Tickets are still on sale.

Here's some sampler mp3's, case you need them.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Diablo Rojo MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/02%20-%20Diablo%20Rojo.mp3] 

Thievery Corporation - The Richest Man In Babylon MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/11%20-%20The%20Richest%20Man%20In%20Babylon.mp3]

The ECHO Project

October 12th-14th in Hotlanta, GA.  

What do we think about Random MP3 Friday? An mp3 you download to your computer, void of title or hints as to the contents. You open, half afraid that the strains of "Toxic" may push you to actually letting go of that urine you've kept conveniently bottled up in your bladder for this nervy moment.
I rather like the idea of it all, don't you?

Right then. There we go. From now on, we will have random mp3 Friday. It actually might happen on Saturday or Thursday, or perhaps the following Friday instead of the Friday we're supposed to have it. Basically, you get the full exclusive LTM disclaimer: we suck at being punctual and we know it.
But it'll be fun.

Sweet. It's Thursday, let's do it now.

The Cat Empire - The Night Never Ends 

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/11%20The%20Night%20That%20Never%20End.mp3]

I have no idea how I found out about Dikanda. Perhaps one of those serendipitous moments, where the internet throws something in your face, and you run away with it. I did find them on the internet, through their website. How I got there I don't know. But it was a beautiful thing. I've been listening to them for over a year now, and decided to share with you. 

You know how you can ask someone, "What kind of music do you listen to?" And they'll promptly answer "A little bit of everything". Well, I think this falls under 'everything'. A band like this reflects my varied musical taste, although I am not ignorant anymore to the idea that one who listens to 'everything' really only listens to what they like. I can tell you what I don't like, and what I do, and here is something I do like, tremendously.

I don't know much about Dikanda, other than what I learned on their Biography page from their website. They are Polish, experiment in music of the East, are named from an African term that means 'family', and consist of 5 members, and have released 3 albums. Biographies don't typically interest me anyway; music is the main deal for me. 

I've got some sample of their music up here, downloaded from their website. Check out their website and all about them, and if you are caught like I was after listening to their groovy stuff, buy an album.

For a short description: bellydancing, chanting, howling, mad percussion and Eastern, exciting stringed instruments. All in another language, and beautiful. Enjoy.

Dikanda Official Website 

MP3S:

Dikanda - Bieda

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/bieda%20-%20dikanda.mp3]

Dikanda - Jakhana Jakhana

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

Dikanda - Sokolmi

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/sokolmi%20-%20dikanda.mp3]

Dikanda - Ketrin Ketrin

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/ketrin%20ketrin%20-%20dikanda.mp3]

Dikanda - Lazito (short)

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/lazito%20-%20dikanda.mp3]

Well, I finally have all the pictures together. I took a crapload of pictures at Bonnaroo on my camera, and I also stole my mates’ cameras to take pictures for them when they were otherwise “occupied” and/or I felt like snatching their camera anyway. So, all these pictures are owned by myself, and my friends Sean and Eric. Please don’t snatch them.

Also, I have a Picasa Web Album up and running so everyone can access them at their leisure. Be nice, please.

Here a few to sample, and since there’s over 300 pictures, you’ll have to look at the rest over at the web album.

http://picasaweb.google.com/do.you.lovethemusic

The Decemberists

Regina Spektor

Ben Harper

The Police

BORAT!