Neon Bible

[mr_j]

let's let you forkers be the judge:

In this corner, the brilliant, fictional Eddie & The Cruisers, and their classic hit, On The Dark Side

in that corner, the candian Arcade Fire, and their hit, keep the car running


come to your own conclusions, boys and girls

[Jan]

It's good good, good good, good good good.

I'm really enjoying it, it has even managed to knock off Charlotte Hatherley's new album off of my stereo.

[Dalya]

LOVE. IT.

"MTV what have you done to me?
Save my soul, set me free
Set me free, what have you done to me?
I can't breathe, I can't see
World war three, when are you coming for me?
Been kicking up sparks to set the flames free
The windows are locked now, so what'll it be?
A house on fire or the rising sea?"

[Dalya]

p.s. i hope its not the soundtrack to 2007, as the entire thing is about WWIII.

but i love it. i love the way it grows on you. the same thing happened with funeral, for me. the first time i listened it seemed like all the songs are pretty slow, then the more i got into it and the louder i turned it up, i realized how catchy they are.

Arcade Fire is the only band i'm truly excited about right now. I don't really care what all the hype is surrounding them bc I havent read a music magazine in 3 years and stopped watching MTV, etc. so I don't know how famous they are but i know that i don't get sick of them and i love the lyrics and thats the sign of a great band to me.

also just read a bunch of stuff on their website (kind of a bloggy section i guess) about their decision to participate in the Red campaign (saying something like "the money could be coming from the devil for all we care, as long as those mothers dont pass on AIDS to their children) by letting them use their song Rebellion. That made me glad because I remember hearing Rebellion on TV a couple of months ago and feeling like UGH it's every fucking band now.

maybe there are a few left who dont think money will make them happy.

[mere1975]

their decision to participate in the Red campaign (saying something like "the money could be coming from the devil for all we care, as long as those mothers dont pass on AIDS to their children) by letting them use their song Rebellion.

Just read this about the Red campaign and how it's not as transparent/forthcoming about how much of its money helps the actual cause as other non-profits must be.

However, I like that it's making consumers aware -- and even better, it's making philanthropy "cool." And that can't be a bad thing (or a bad marketing strategy!)

Same reason that I don't think organic milk is a perfect product or really believe that Whole Foods is the perfect supplier and supporter of local farmers -- but it's all a step in the right direction, at least.

- Mere "so go Arcade Fire for helping out" 1975

[Dalya]

well a percentage of whatever you buy goes to... I forget the name of the group. But its a group in Africa that gives direct aid to AIDS patients. Where they saying that the RED campaign pretends its giving all the profits to AIDS or that they lie about the percentage or what?

its each individual company that agreed to participate, so the idea was for people to give money to the organization by buying things they'd probably buy anyway, making it easier and more convenient for the consume. on top of that people will buy who probably would never give to a charity otherwise. it raised something like $9 million in the first week alone. so... that's pretty good.

[mere1975]

No, I agree -- that's great!

It's just that the Gap things I have seen led me to believe that 50% of proceeds go to Red to help with AIDS in Africa -- but in actuality, it's a lot less than that.

But still.

A little bit is better than nada.

- Mere "bought a Red iTunes gift card, so I'm a regular Bono over here" 1975

[Dalya]

oh, ok. the only things i've ever seen said something like 15% go to AIDS, but i haven't paid close attention to the campaign or anything. its too bad the gap wont just make red t-shirts or something, because the stupid slogan shirtd are ugly. i'd buy it if it was just plain. the red RAZR is pretty cool looking. oprah gave them out to one of her audiences.

[Irock]

I have no doubt the Red campaign is a good idea. And The Gap is a for-profit orginization, so it makes sense they wouldn't have the same reporting requirements as a non-profit charity... But what I wonder is how much funding is actually being given that wouldn't have been already.
What I mean is, all major corporations give a certain amount of $ to charity - it's a PR thing. But with Dannon's pink lid campaign and others like it, they say they'll give $X per lid up to $XX. and the "up to" number is usually only a few hundred thousand, so I always wonder if that's the amount of moeny they intended to give anyway.
Like with The Gap and Red - maybe they can't tell you a %age of profits even if they wanted to - because there may be a cap on the expense - but there's no cap on the profit.

So I give the Red campaign and A for increasing awareness - as for actual real-world benefit, it's really impossible to say.

[ifihadahifi]

I likes it, yes I do.

Sy "sounds like some artsy fartsy Canadian indie kids have discovered The Boss" bil

I thought about this statement from time to time wondering what it would sound like.

I gave it my first listen this morning. And Sybil, you were spot on.

I'm only four songs into it... but so far I'm digging it.

[sam]

the red RAZR is pretty cool looking. oprah gave them out to one of her audiences.

You mean Motorola gave them out on Oprah's show?

[Dutch]

You mean Motorola gave them out on Oprah's show?

...what have you.