Rumors have been swirling on the Internet that someone had set up a directory containing the MP3 files for Arcade Fire's new CD, Neon Bible, which is not officially available in the U.S. until Tuesday, March 6.

Labels: Arcade Fire Music, Best of Indie Music Series, MP3s, Neon Bible, The Arcade Fire

On Tuesday, Arcade Fire will release their anticipated second full-length album, Neon Bible, on CD and LP.
Check the links below to order and listen to an advance track from the new album

The album's release follows a year of astonishing success for an indie rock band that was little known just a couple of years ago. But after release of their debut album Funeral in 2005, the band quickly amassed a huge fan base and rocketed to heights many bands never come close to after playing for decades.

You can get a sense of a rock group's success from many different angles.

But when a group sells out nearly a dozen shows just minutes after the concert tickets go on sale, you can bet something bigger is happening.

During the past two years, Arcade Fire have sprung to rock stardom, making them one of the hottest and most popular rock groups on the planet.

Tell that to the band members. Until recently, the band members claim they were largely unaware of the full magnitude and reach of their success. On the Internet alone, there are hundreds of fan sites, articles, tabs, chords, lyrics, reviews, biographies, interviews and more.

By now, they can't help but to know they are world famous, even being featured on Time magazine, usually a cover that is reserved for world figures and cultural icons.

The buzz from critics and fans about just how fantastic their music is seems to not affect the guys and gals of Arcade Fire - they appear to be keeping it real - living the "indie rock" lifestyle, and at least suggesting they are not about to embrace the trappings of stardom. It's a refreshing sign at a time when so many bands that started indie have gone big-time and have never looked back.

Members of Arcade Fire are not the kind of band that will brag about selling out an entire concert tour in just minutes. In fact, band members don't care about the high-flying, money-spending lifestyle of rock stars.

They are just as happy playing for 50 people as they are for 5,000. Band members still drive old cars and wear second-hand clothes and they seem genuinely astonished that their debut album so quickly became of the most popular albums of the past year.

The question is: How long can they keep it "real"?

Hard-core indie fans (which are very difficult to define) have watched bands like The Starting Line, Fallout Boy, Bloc Party and The Killers go "Hollywood" by signing on with one of the five dominant record conglomerates (Sony, EMI, Capitol, Universal, Warner Brothers), taking the money and running with it.

The cross-over from a small label to one of the Big Five seems to be what many indie rock fans, writers and critics is what really sets an authentic indie group apart from the rest who claim to be indie/alternative.

The question is: Can a group go Big Five and remain true to the indie and alternative rock fan base, culture and to themselves or do they buckle to managers and record executives, compromising not just their soul, but their music and integrity for fame and money?

That's part of what attracts many fans to Arcade Fire. They are original and make damn good music. They buck the industry trends whenever possible and lash out at any attempt to take creative control of their work.

* Exclusive advanced release MP3 from Neon Bible, "Black Mirror"

Get more stories on Arcade Fire and subscribe to the IRC feed to stay updated on AF and many other great indie and alternative bands.

Check out the band's profile on Merge Records - The deluxe CD version includes a paperboard clamshell box containing a 32-page flip book designed by Tracy Maurice and the Long Play (LP) version is minted for double 180-gram audiophile quality, featuring three sides of music plus an etching on the fourth side.

As an extra bonus, the LP also includes a coupon code for a free MP3 download of the entire album.

Labels: Alternative Rock, Best Alternative Bands, Canadian Indie Bands, The Arcade Fire, Time Magazine Cover

Bloc Party, Clay Your Hands Say Yeah (pictured below), The Fray, Franz Ferdinand, Billy Talent, Of Montreal, Camera Obscura, Evanescene, Cold War Kids (who'll also be playing gigs with CYHSY), Page France and many other artists have announced concert tour show dates and venues.

Concert announcements are coming through the wires every week. IRC will do it’s best to get them updated. Please check the IRC website to get the most up-to-date listings.

Bloc Party (in the photo on the right) has released it's tour dates for its first U.S. tour with their second album to be released on February 9th. See tour dates below.

We all know how fast time goes by, and kick ourselves in the ass for missing concerts we so wanted to see, so it is never too early to start making plans to see your favorite indie rock and pop artists live and on stage.

Email alerts for your favorite artists are one of the things I'm working on so that visitors to IRC can customize how they receive instant news, updates, concert dates, releases, etc.

Here are just a few listings from some of the top indie bands:

BLOC PARTY
Helicopter [mp3]

3/11-Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
3/12-Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
3/13-Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
3/15-Austin, TX @ SXSW
3/17- Francisco, CA @ Concourse Exhibition
3/19-Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
3/20-Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
3/23-Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre
3/24-Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Theatre
3/25-Toronto, ONT @ Kool Haus
3/27-Montreal, ONT @ Metropolis
3/28-Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
3/30-New York, NY @ United Palace Theatre
3/31-New York, NY @ United Palace Theatre


THE ARCADE FIRE - All concerts listed are SOLD OUT
Crown of Love [mp3]

01/29: London, UK @ St. John's
01/30: London, UK @ St. John's
01/31: London, UK @ St. John's
02/01: London, UK @ Porchester Hall
02/02: London, UK @ Porchester Hall
02/06: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/07:: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/08: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/09: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/10: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/13: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
02/14: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
02/15: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
02/16: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
02/17: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
03/05: Dublin, IRE @ Olympia Theatre
03/06: Dublin, IRE @ Olympia Theatre
03/08: Manchester, UK @ Carling Apollo Manchester
03/09: Manchester, UK @ Carling Apollo Manchester
03/11: Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
03/12: Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
03/14: London, UK @ Carling Brixton Academy
03/15: London, UK @ Carling Brixton Academy
03/19: Paris, FRA @ Olympia
03/20: Paris, FRA @ Olympia
03/23: Stockholm, SWE @ Cirkus Djurgarden
03/24: Oslo, NOR @ Sentrum Scene
03/25: Copenhagen, DEN @ Vega Musikkenshus
03/27: Berlin, GER @ Postbanhof Berlin
03/28: Munich, GER @ Georg Elser Halle
03/31: Villeurbanne, FRA @ Transbordeur
04/01: Cologne, GER @ Live Music Hall
04/02: Utrecht, NET @ Muziekcentrum
04/04: Brussels, BEL @ Halles De Schaerbeek
04/05: Lille, FRA @ Aeronef



TV ON THE RADIO
Let the Devil In [mp3]

03/01: Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
03/03: Montreal, QC Olympia de Montreal
03/04: Toronto, ON Kool Haus
03/06: Cleveland, OH Agora Theatre
03/7 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
03/08: Indianapolis, IN The Vogue
03/09: Louisville, KY W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre
03/10: Columbia, MO Blue Note
03/12: Chicago, IL Metro / Smart Bar
03/13: Chicago, IL Metro / Smart Bar
03/15: Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
03/17: Kansas City, MO Voodoo Lounge
03/20: Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
03/21: Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
03/23: Portland, OR Roseland Theater
03/24: Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
03/25: Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
03/28: San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
03/29: San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
03/30: Los Angeles, CA Music Box @ Fonda
03/31: Los Angeles, CA Music Box @ Fonda
04/01: Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
04/04: Dallas, TX Gypsy Tea Room & Ballroom
04/05: Austin, TX La Zona Rosa
04/06: Houston, TX Meridian
04/09: Orlando, FL The Club at Firestone
04/10: Fort Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
04/12: Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
04/13: Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
04/14: Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
04/17: Norfolk, VA The NorVa
04/18: Washington, DC 9:30 Club
04/20: Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero & Balcony Bar
04/21: Poughkeepsie, NY Vassar College


CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
Home on Ice [mp3]

1/23: New York City, NY, - Bowery Ballroom
2/2: Manchester, England - Academy
2/3: Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands *
2/4: Birmingham, England - Academy *
2/6: Cologne, Germany - Gebaeude 9 *
2/7: Brussels, Belgium - AB Club
2/8: Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Paradiso *
2/9: Berlin, Germany - Postbanhof
2/11: Hamburg, Germany - Kunst
2/12: Paris, France - La Cigalle *
2/13: London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire - SOLD OUT! *

* with Cold War Kids and Elvis Perkins

Sun 01/21/07 Raleigh, NC Memorial Auditorium

Mon 01/22/07 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium

Thu 01/25/07 Coral Gables, FL University Of Miami

Fri 01/26/07 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall

Sat 01/27/07 Savannah, GA Savannah College Of Art & Design

Mon 01/29/07 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center

Tue 01/30/07 Starkville, MS Mississippi St. University

Wed 01/31/07 Orem, UT Utah Valley State University

Sat 02/03/07 Vail, CO Dobson Arena

Fri 02/09/07 West Hollywood, CA House Of Blues


appearing with The Feeling


Fri 02/16/07 Norwich, UK University Of East Anglia

Sun 02/18/07 Wolverhampton, UK Civic Hall

Mon 02/19/07 Bournemouth, UK International Centre

Tue 02/20/07 Plymouth, UK Plymouth Pavilions

Thu 02/22/07 Liverpool, UK Liverpool University

Fri 02/23/07 Edinburgh, UK Corn Exchange

Sat 02/24/07 Doncaster, UK The Dome

Mon 02/26/07 Derby, UK Assembly Rooms

Tue 02/27/07 Manchester, UK Carling Apollo Manchester

Fri 03/02/07 London, UK Carling Apollo Hammersmith

Sat 03/03/07 London, UK Carling Apollo Hammersmith


The Fray


Mon 03/19/07 Edmonton, AB Edmonton Events Centre

Tue 03/20/07 Calgary, AB MacEwan Conference And Event Centre

Wed 03/21/07 Vancouver, BC Orpheum


appearing with Dave Matthews Band


Fri 03/23/07 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena

Sat 03/24/07 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena

Labels: 2007 Concert Dates, 2007 Concerts, Berlin, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cold War Kids, Dave Matthews, Glasgow, London, New York, Paris, The Arcade Fire, The Fray, TV on the Radio

The song of the week is one that is well deserving of the honor. If you like edgy, experimental indie pop, check out the quirky Montreal indie band Island's single "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby".

The single is on Island's under-rated and brilliant debut album Return to the Sea, which surprisingly was overlooked by many rock critics, and even many of the indie rock bloggers. It didn't even make most of the top album of the year lists you see everywhere in December and January.

- Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby [mp3]
- Bonus: Volcanoes [mp3]

Buy the album or these tracks individually at iTunes, Amazon or anywhere they sell the group's music!

Islands is a band that is in a perpetual state of flux, formed by Unicorn members Nick Diamonds and J'aime Tambeur. The album is described by Nick as having "some dancehall [sic] influences, some calypso...diverse and sprawling and ambitious...a bit more mature than The Unicorns... more of a Neil Young/Brian Wilson vibe running through it." (quoted from Wikipedia)

Woooa, Nick, your a great musician and artist but comparing yourself to Neil Young and Brian Wilson is pushing your luck, especially considering those two legends influence on the last 40 years of music. As Stephen Colbert would say, 'a wag of the finger' at you, Mr. Diamonds.

The collaboration on the Return to the Sea project included contributions from members of The Arcade Fire and The Wolf Parade.

Following the release of the album, the band went on a series of U.S. and Canadian tours during 2006. Earlier in 2005 they had opened for Beck from time to time and Metric. The critics and fans love the group's live shows. They even played some concerts where they had the concert-goers to follow them out of the venue and into the streets in the spirit of the Pipe Piper of Hamelin.

After fans complained enough on blogs and fan sites, the group launched a fairly cool Flash powered official website back in late summer of 2006. The site may be a bit difficult for some (roll the mouse over the name of the band for the sections of the site), but it is a creative and refreshing approach.

No question that official band sites are getting better all the time. They just need to offer more free downloads, videos, interviews and add-ons like alerts when a concert date is added or changed.

Since 2006 wasn't that long ago, we have named Return to The Sea one of IRC's Top 20 albums of the year, and the single "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby" one of the best songs of the year.

You'd think that a song with such a title would be quirky, angry, mocking or what have you. But it's a true indie gem - oozing with waves of melodies, catchy riffs and memorable chorus harmonies. You may even find yourself tapping your foot. It's a great song to play when stuck in rush hour traffic or you need a picker-upper.

Warning: If you are a total hard-core indie punk or monster rocker, then you'd probably want to smash this CD if it was in front of you, but chill out my friend, we have plenty on damn good indie rock and punk on this site for you too,

Labels: Beck, Best Indie Songs, Brian Wilson, Islands, Neil Young, New Indie Artists, Nick Diamonds and J'aime Tambeur, Return To The Sea, The Arcade Fire, The Unicorns, The Wolf Parade, Unicorns