The much anticipated Arcade Fire show on Sunday night was...splendid? Fantastic? Terrific? I'll just say it was as good as every review I'd read previously had made it out to be. Final Fantasy opened up the sounds and did an impressive job for one guy and a violin. His foundation of sound was built by bricklaying pieces of music on top of each other by holding and looping the sounds and repeat the process until it was as if he had a full band behind him. He did a pretty solid job of compiling such a variety of sounds with no obvious faults. 6 songs was perfect - not too much, nor too little. From scaling the up the wall on the side of the stage to each musician - minus the violin - switching instruments on multiple occasions, The Arcade Fire made the performance about as entertaining as is possible. Two new songs were played - to which no name was mentioned - and they sounded great. The single file line through the crowd at the close of the encore, "backseat", was a perfect cap to the night. They're on Conan Obrien tonight because "Maroon 5 cancelled." Check it out.     KCRW Session (3 tracks)

Tara Jane O'Neill - The Poisoned Mine

Pitchfork reviewed Chin Up Chin Up's "We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers" today and the review contained a tragic story which I'd never heard. The title of the album - a favorite of mine from 2004 - now makes more sense.

Chin Up Chin Up - Virginia Don't Drown

The sounds of Moviola settle in the alt/countryish genre as snug as tobacco in a pipe. They're quite diverse and write some great tunes. Done Waiting interviewed Jerry Dannemiller (vocals, instruments) last April and asked him a few questions about the band, their approach to songwriting, and a variety of other things. Have a gander at their albums.

Moviola - Halflife
Moviola - Kew Garden Hills
Moviola - About You

Grizzly Bear is romantic, emotional, dreamy and sincere. It combines the quirkiness of Animal Collective in the form of a Syd Barrett solo project. Grizzly Bear music started as a pet project meant only for friends; during a long fifteen-month hibernation in his cozy Greenpoint apartment, Ed Droste laid the groundwork for Grizzly Bear's first album......

Grizzly Bear - Don't Ask
Grizzly Bear - Fix It

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