# Arcade Fire Keeping it Real Despite Super Stardom; Exclusive Advanced MP3

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2007/03/arcade-fire-keeping-it-real-despite-super-stardom-exclusive-advanced-mp3/
- Published: 2007-03-05T05:54:00-05:00
- Author: Max Hammer

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.

Related Post:  Arcade Fire's New Album "Neon Bible" Leaked On Internet

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](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Black_Mirror_by_Arcade_Fire.mp3)“

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Related Post:  Arcade Fire's New Album "Neon Bible" Leaked On Internet

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.

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