Billions update

Billions, Arcade Fire's booking agency, today updated their availability status to:

August-September 2010: For strong support

While it is a bit unclear as to what they mean by 'for strong support' one has to assume it means they're looking for a support band that are strong enough to make the show a bit more of a bill.

Billions: Arcade Fire

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Have the very very best of times everybody... and remember, as you can see above, Elvis is alive.

xx joel

Heartland out now!!

The US iTunes Store has oddly enough put up Owen Pallett's new album Heartland. BUY IT NOW ALL YOU AMERICANS! Wouldn't surprise me if the US Store's mistake will lead to all iTunes Stores soon will have it available for purchase. Will update this post should that happen.

Edit: They've now realised their mistake and taken it down. Though because they've been so careless there are of course much less legal copies of the album out there.

Working for the church while your life falls apart

Gothenburg's Indie Choir (Göteborgs Indiekör) sings 'Intervention' by Arcade Fire.
What better way to end the weekend!

Oh and Final Fantasy is no more. He now wants to be called by his real name Owen Pallett.

Your name is the only word, the only word that I can say

I Blame Coco feat. Robyn - Caesar

Robyn just nails it, as usual.
/Robyn fanboy.

Pic of the day

Paolo Nutini covers Wake Up - again.

Yepp, Paolo Nutini is at it again. Covering Arcade Fire's anthem "Wake Up". Don't really care for it but the inclusion of the trombone adds something more to it than this version he did a few weeks ago.

Favourite track of the now

http://jonsi.com

NEW ARCADE FIRE ALBUM IN MAY!!

I can't think clearly right now about anything! Billboard has let slip that according to their sources Arcade Fire's new album is currently on track for a May release. Aaaaaaaaah!! I can barely type right now... just read the thing here: http://is.gd/5aoQf

THERE WILL BE RIOTS!! RIOTS!!!
AND DANCING!! LOTS OF DANCING!
RIOTS AND DANCING!!
WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!

Arcade Fire Online Store holiday mega sale!

Arcade Fire Online Store

Old news is suddenly new news

It's funny how it works isn't it. It's been known for months Markus Dravs is the main producer on the new Arcade Fire album. Yet when BBC 6 Music runs an 'exclusive' on it the whole media world goes crazy and blows it up like no one knew anything about it... Ah well, at least there's something in this article that's pleasing to hear. Markus Dravs thinks the new songs are 'better'. Markus Dravs was of course also the producer on Neon Bible so the man ought to know what he's talking about.

Dravs aids Arcade Fire
Mumford and Sons reveal Markus Dravs at work on Canadian collective's new album

01/12/2009 | Georgie Rogers

We’ve already knew that a third Arcade Fire album is due in 2010 but we can now reveal the band have been working on it with Markus Dravs, who engineered their last offering Neon Bible.

Not only does Dravs have the likes of Bjork, Coldplay and The Maccabees on his studio CV, he produced Mumford and Sons’ debut Sigh No More, with Marcus Mumford letting slip the news in an interview with 6 Music.

"I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this but yeah, he’s working on the next Arcade Fire record at the moment," he said, with double bassist Ted Dwane interjecting: "Boom there it is."

"There it is, dropped, 6 Music exclusive," added Mumford. "I’m sure that’s public knowledge, because he’s been there for about six months."

The London folk quartet are big fans of Arcade Fire themselves, but said Dravs wasn't giving much away about what's going on, despite Marcus Mumford’s questions.

"I don't know if I'm aloud to say this but yeah, he[Markus Dravs]'s working on the next Arcade Fire record at the moment."

Marcus Mumford

He admitted: "I keep asking Markus how it’s going and he’s like, 'Yeah, it’s okay', and I’m like, 'What are the songs like?' And he goes, 'Better'."

We also asked Marcus from Mumford and Sons to pick his album of the decade and he chose Funeral, Arcade Fire’s first album.

As for why, he explained: "It changed my life. I started listening to it when I was living in China. I always listened to it in Hong Kong non-stop on the tubes and I’d never heard anything like it before.

"It changed my idea of song-writing and sound, and the idea of lots of people making music together in one recording, but it making sense."

"Seeing them live was probably the best gig I’ve ever been to as well," he said and laughed. "Am I sounding really sycophantic right now?"

Arcade Fire’s last release was Miroir Noir in April, a documentary DVD with footage of the recording, release and tour behind their second offering, 2008’s Neon Bible.

BBC 6 Music News: Dravs aids Arcade Fire

Two quickies

• The Irish Times picks Funeral by Arcade Fire as their #1 album of the decade.
• Final Fantasy performs Lewis Takes Action and Midnight Directives from his new album Heartland which of course is due in early January next year.

Lewis Takes Action

Trade your email address for a free mp3 of Final Fantasy's new single "Lewis Takes Action". You can also pre-order the new album Heartland. Can't wait for it to drop down in my mailbox!