Adventure

Adventure!

Adventure...

The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire is a very interesting band. They have been around while and have been recording music for almost a decade. Their first record, a self-titled EP came out in 2003, followed by a string of 3 full length albums. Their latest album has surpassed all their previous efforts in popularity and creativity. It recently won a Grammy for the Best Album of 2011. So what makes it so amazing to garner such critical and commercial success and does it deserve these accolades?

Consisting of 16 songs, The Suburbs lasts just under one hour. After several listens, I answer my own questions with a resounding affirmative. This album is absolutely fascinating. Being an Arcade Fire newbie, I was unsure what to expect as I approached this music, but I have been won over by incredibly thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics, inventive melodies and arrangements, and a cohesiveness rarely found in the modern album. Arcade Fire is certainly an eclectic band, but one that moves comfortably between pop radio tunes and funky indie-style experimentalish tracks, while still managing to maintain accessible to the mainstream.

The best part of this album is its cohesive story. The Suburbs is named after the location central to its story. This album explores the lifestyle, tendencies, and behaviors of those who grow up in the suburbs. It paints a picture of kids who let its pace, expectations, and ruthless pull towards being average crush their dreams, ambitions, and passions. This is an amazingly common fear that many who grow up in middle class America face throughout their early lives and especially through their high-school and college careers. I find it interesting that many of the lyrics describe the narrator's efforts to go into the city as an escape, yet he only finds different versions of the same problem there as well. The album asks, is the world too small to avoid the sprawl? It hopes not, because to these artists the dead routine of the suburbs is killing creativity, freedom, and adventure.

The songs on this album flow into each other, creating an amazing story. One song begins right where the previous song ended, often with a new melody or pace but the same words. My main critique of the album, which is more a personal one, is that often the lyrics were not sung very clearly in some of the songs. It took a good read through of the lyrics to catch much of the subtlety. I recommend reading through the lyrics as your listen to many of the songs, especially throughout the middle of the record.

I am a huge fan of this album and I implore you to buy it, listen to it, and think about your life. Where do you live? Why are you there? What kind of work do you do? Are you settling for an average, safe existence? What can you do better to really wring the most life out of the one you have to live, in the place where you are?

God has called us higher than an average life.

Some songs I particularly enjoyed:

• The Suburbs
• Ready to Start
• Wasted Hours
• Sprawl II

Buy the album here: http://www.arcadefire.com/

It's super cheap now ($3.50)!

Michael

Music Reviews

Hey friends,

I am going to start to review some music albums on here, on occasion. I really want to write more often in long form... so I figured, why not talk about one of my favorite things: music. Also, it has been said that I need to work on my critical eyes and ears, when it comes to music and movies. I do seem to enjoy most music of most genres that come out, but I do also see the value in being able to critically evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. This also seems like a great way to work on that too :)

First up is "The Suburbs" by Arcade Fire. Hopefully, it should be up by tomorrow (3/8/2011)

Michael

Games in my Library I still need to play

So I cancelled my gamefly account. I am trying to save money in a big way now, but also I just realized that I have so many games in my current library that I want to beat, start, or get DLC.

Here is a list off the top of my head... I will update this as I go through my library and also as I make progress finishing out my library of games.

1. Fallout 3 (X360) Finished
2. Dead Space (X360)
3. Alan Wake (X360)
4. Mass Effect 2 : DLC (X360)
5. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
6. Harvey Birdman (Wii)
7. Banjo Kazooie (X360)
8. Lego Indiana Jones (X360)
9. Blast Corps (N64)

Life Is Complicated

I was thinking this morning about the things going on in my life. Right now, I am living a very busy, full life. So much of it I am loving: the experience, the people, the challenges, but it often gets so complicated. Whether it is balancing time across different relationships, scheduling time for my projects, or just carving out time to spend with the Lord, it is a huge complicated beast of an existence right now.

I just hope it all works out. I know God has a great plan as I pursue Him and walk through this life. I just wish it wasn't all so complicated all the time. Praise God for the simple moments. And His constant grace.

I have been encouraged lately by a specific Bethany Dillon song "Say Your Name." While some of it does not apply in any way (some lines are from a girl's perspective on her marriage after all), the heart of the song resonates with me and my life.

First:

"I'm trying to find a moment with you. These days are speeding by"

Who doesn't feel that way? Everything goes by so very quickly...

The chorus especially:

"Still I reach for you, when I am afraid.

This breath, it comes from You

It helps me say Your name."

Another line that just floors me:

"I look at the life of Anna
Your presence was her home"

What does it look like for His presence to be my home?

How would my day and my thoughts change? How would my focus and heart re-orient onto Him? If His presence was my home, than the things in this world wouldn't matter so much and the troubles I have would fade.

May Your presence be our home!

Homecoming

I went to my highschool homecoming last night. Always fun for me and always an interesting evening where old friends return. The crazy mix of old friends, family, and high school football in Texas is a not often experienced event. Some people don't really like going back to where they came from, but it's often special for me. I really enjoyed seeing some buddies from sports, from advanced computer, and from just plain school.

We went to BJ's after and that was a cool time too. Their October fest was sooo good!

Blah

It's been a blah day with work today so far. So much to do... I hope I can get it done...