You should really think about hitting their show with us on Saturday night Bob--I think it might give you a greater appreciation for the band.

Don't misunderstand me, guys. I'm not saying they're bad, or even meh. I think they're good. And there's nothing wrong with good.

Oh, I know. I'm just trying to get you out to that show with me.

I expect better of you than this Bobbo; Irregardless of what you or I personally think of the album I think that your critique here is unfair: I mean overplayed/overhyped? By who, outsideof the "indie" community? I mean what has this thing sold, like 20,000 copies?

This hatin on folks because they like a certain album and want to talk about it (Meadowlands/Funeral, whatever) is reee-diculous; see, people that like a record tend to want to talk about it---hatin on them or the record isnt going to change that---it just makes the haters come off as pretentious pricks when the truth is (in your case, im guessing) that you just dont like the record as much as your neighbor or fellow obnish. That's OK, its all about personal taste.

I would expect better of you brother FT (a critic of sorts) than to dismiss something based on hype as opposed to your heartfelt feelings about the music.

P.S. this aint no personal attack FT; its more of a general rant

i don't own it anymore either. i got bored of it after about 5 listens and swapped it with my sister for an ice cream

You drive a hard bargain.

It got positive reviews across the board from both indie and mainstream pubs, but you still have a point. I'm really eager for everyone to get over the whole hype/backlash thing. It's like people are much more self conscious about avoiding hype and trends than about following them. Anti-hip has been the new hip with music nerd communities (moreso others than with this particular board) for a while now, and it's pretty tiresome and transparent. You don't have to be so deliberate about being an individual.

Funeral is a good album that's "easy to like" as Ish said just prior to the PF review and the whole hype explosion. I for one am glad that I own it even if it might not have topped my year end list, and I don't think it's anything really innovative or revolutionary. Some songs from it are going to stick with me for a very long time which is something I can't really say about Meadowlands (also a good album, btw).

I see Funeral as being more analogous to the movie Sideways. It got almost unanimously good reviews leading many people to go out and see it due to the critical "hype". After having raised expectations (or a "What could be so great about this?" attitude) lots of those people have lukewarm reactions to the film which become exaggerated into backlash, etc. Now everybody's all about debunking Sideways and more maverick movie critics are getting attention and praise from disgruntled moviegoers for doing so. And yet one has to wonder how many of those people whould have reacted differently without the hype and without feeling like they had to form a strong opinion of the film. Personally, I enjoyed it although it was nothing groundbreaking or life-changing.

Nice. My #1 album and #1 film of the year. I guess I'm a sucker for the hype.

"Rebellion (Lies)" is perfection. If I heard that song earlier, I would have bought the album the day it came out.

Also, Funeral will end up being recognized as a classic as time goes on, just like like You Forgot It In People. Strangely enough, Funeral wasn't even my #1 of 2004! I guess this year was better than I thought.

EDIT: I was just regurgitating the whole 2nd page, which I somehow forgot to read. Gomen.

And yeah, it was a pain in the ass for me to find as well.

np: Marianne Faithfull - My Friends Have

Just because an album is hyped doesn't make it bad. To me, it's the best album I've heard since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Puts it in very good company in my book but I've been pretty bored with the indie music scene over the past couple of years and this is one of the bright spots.

My opinion of it isn't affected by the hype. My point is that I think it is a good album, just not brilliant to the point that it is worthy of widespread "album of the year" selections. But I would feel the same way about it if it was a completely obscure release of which only a handful of people were aware. On a 1-10 PFM-style scale, I'd place it somewhere between 6.5-7.0. Thumbs up? Yes. Album of the year? Not to me.

I'm not dismissing it based on the hype. I'm only saying I don't think it's quite as brilliant as the hype would indicate.

I think Funeral, which they say has sold 60,000, is going to be bigger than You Forgot it in People. It has much more mainstream pop appeal than that record. I think it will get a big boost when the "Rebellion (Lies)" comes out.

As much hype as we've heard, most mainstream listeners haven't yet heard of Funeral. And I am still introducing people to Broken Social Scene (typical responses: "Who? I've never heard of this band.")

These are people who are just finding out about Wilco and they are a better representation of the average music listener.

you guys are really putting the FUN in Funeral.

Is this true? If they have sold that many I think that kicks ass. Good for them.

But, it also tells me that the music biz has got to be the most unpredictable venture one could possibly get into. It also shows how much luck is involved in a band breaking.

it has. it's been out for 2+ weeks now. we'll see if this presents any boost...

This is such a weird album for me. I've never heard an album where I would love certain tracks (I think Neighborhood #1, #2, #3, Wake Up, and Rebellion (lies) are all among my favorite tracks of 2004) and absolutely hate other tracks (une annee sans lumiere and crown of love). Normally, on what I would consider to be a "good" CD, there are a few tracks I really like, and the rest is good/ok. But this one is different- it leaves me unable to really say it's a great album, even though it has some great songs. I guess I would call it good, but inconsistent.

I will say, speaking from my own personal tastes, if they "trim the fat" a little better on their next CD, it will be outstanding.

Wednesday January 12th 2005

Funeral, after 4 months of release, has debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #169 with 6,546 albums sold, bringing it’s total to 53,119 copies. It jumped from 29-13 last week on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and 34-21 on the Top Independent Albums tally.

Rough Trade will release Funeral in the UK on February 28th, 2005.

I dunno if I'd say it's easy to like. His voice can be kind of annoying.

can be? if i have a chief complaint..

KPH

I guess I'm more used to it after putting up with the likes of Jamie Stewart and John Vanderslice.

Goodness, you guys are a tough crowd. I don't get this "hate on the album because of the hype" b.s. Just you wait.... just you wait.

It's my #2. I love it. The live show is fuckin amazing- it makes you appreciate the album more. Although, I couldn't help but crack up during the show because imho, they all look like they were in the drama club in high school... those kids we used to beat up and make fun in h.s. But whatever! They make good music.

I don't see any evidence of anybody here hating Arcade Fire, let alone hating them because of the hype.