The Arcade Fire
Let me begin by stating that I know so little about Arcade Fire that I don't even know if there's a "The" prefixing their name. Hell, I wouldn't know one of their songs if it was played on a loop. I'm actually not that sure if they do such a mundane thing as a song - they probably do a "piece" or something. Nope, what I detest about this particular band are the humourless pretentious followers of Elite Indie Rock.

A follower of Elite Indie Rock is best exemplified by those twenty and thirty-something cardigan-wearing (males; the females prefer tea dresses and opaque tights), Converse-shod skinny types who sport asymmetric haircuts and an unwarranted superior musical attitude. They revel in the obscure quirkiness of their tastes. The twee is to be embraced in an ironic manner. The more unknown the band, the more offbeat and whiny the music, the more they love it. Arcade Fire made them pee a little with excitement when first they emerged because everyone used terms like "critically acclaimed" and there was a collective of musicians onstage dressed just like them!.

I have been informed that I obviously don't know and don't like music because I express no interest in (The) Arcade Fire and was not falling over myself to go and stand amongst all the other fringe-wearers at some alt gig location. To be honest, the whole thing just makes me think of that couple on the Match.com advert ("I like old movies... Like the Godfather...3...") - you just know they're going to go on a date to see Arcade Fire, possibly with a mumbling drink beforehand, with some surreptitious hand-holding and sideways smiles during the finale, and then some weak but meaningful sex in his North London bedsit.

I like music, I'm just not a humourless bollix about it. For "(The?) Arcade Fire" fill in any band's name where a bunch of earnest self-proclaimed music lovers are queuing to get into the gig, hipstamatic cameras at the ready.

Q. How many Elite Indie Rock fans does it take to change a light bulb?
A. What, you mean you haven't heard it?
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 4 Jan 2011, 11:06, 4 replies)

Are THESE the people you mean? www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVmmYMwFj1I

My friend and I like pointing them out on the street, and as we live near Shoreditch, there are a fair few...
( awayfromthenumbers, Tue 4 Jan 2011, 12:18, closed)

Arcade Fire ripped off their entire sound from ASMZ.

(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Tue 4 Jan 2011, 18:30, closed)

I like Arcade Fire
But I know what you are saying about musos.

The way that something not being in the charts makes it good, and as soon as someone receives chart glory, they have sold out. Even though all it means is that lots of people like them.

Nobs.
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Wed 5 Jan 2011, 10:32, closed)

preening tossers
I can confirm that there's no The in (The) Arcade Fire and, whilst I greatly enjoy their music, I agree that the elitist tossers do have a habit of ruining it for those of us who don't dress like morons and sneer at people for not having approved tastes. Don't get me wrong I'll recommend them and anyone else who I've heard of and you haven't who I think you'll like but in a strictly non-judgemental way.

Now take back what you said about my favourite band or I'll come to your house, burn your CDs and EMP your iPod.
(Joey[kins], Wed 5 Jan 2011, 15:44, closed)