Putting Out the Arcade Fire

As many of my friends have probably realized, a lot of entries on this blog stem from snippets of conversations that were often times, far too short yet thought-provoking. Thanks guys. The most recent exchange that got the wheels turning had to do with Arcade Fire, a band which has been creeping up on me for about a year. The first time I heard them, I was with a group of people and someone wanted to put on some music. The only CD anyone had was Arcade Fire. I suppose that most of the rest of us crinkled our noses thinking, "who are they?" Since then I've seen them around, popping up from time to time. I was even on their myspace page not too long ago. It seems like they have the benefit of hype and indie approval. I'll take this opportunity to shamelessly reference my own entry on The National, I'm still not into bestowing blessings, especially when I can't figure out the appeal.
I'm crazy, right? After all these guys have David Bowie to thank for label introductions (or so I've heard). Their star is rising, for Pete's sake. Nah. I'm not a big fan though I've tried. It doesn't really matter, I've heard cuts off both Funeral and Neon Bible and to me it rambles; a vast musical landscape with no known cartography. It's not even that their sound is all that bad, but the meandering just kills me. I hear vocals and whimsical accompaniment, but in my mind it never quite takes shape. For a while I wondered if it would grow on me. No, I think I'm past that point. Rockafeller Skank rambles too...but it's fun. Other songs can be so traditional that they're painfully boring and predictable. I'm looking for a middle ground, like The National. Maybe I'll just be content with them. What can I say? You can't like what you don't like, all you can do love what you do.