New this week: Arcade Fire, 'Hatching,' Three Mile Island

Arcade Fire took to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform ‘Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)’ – check out the performance below.The band have been playing a number of late-night TV slots around the release of new album ‘WE’, which came out last week (May 6) and gave the band their fourth UK number one album.Arcade Fire played Saturday Night Live last week, where, introduced by guest host Benedict Cumberbatch, they performed recent singles ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ and ‘The Lightning I, II’ in the legendary New York studio.The band then took to Fallon this week to share another track from the new record. For the rendition of ‘Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)’, the band were watched over by a giant eye, the same that hung above the stage for the band’s recent London gig at KOKO.Watch the performance below.Reviewing ‘WE’, NME wrote: “Our global journey from fear to appreciation is played out in what Arcade Fire themselves accurately describe as a ‘concise 40-minute epic’.

Arcade Fire have scored their fourth UK Number One album with their sixth studio album ‘WE’.The Canadian collective shot straight to the top of the album chart and the vinyl albums chart, with their latest record beating Sigrid‘s ‘How To Let Go’ into second place, according to the Official Charts Company.It comes after their previous LPs – 2010’s ‘The Suburbs’, 2013’s ‘Reflektor’ and 2017 album ‘Everything Now’ also went to Number One.Frontman Win Butler recently told the NME Big Read, that the album title was inspired by the 1924 dystopian novel WE by Yevgeny Zamyatin, which itself inspired George Orwell’s 1984.“The seeds of everything that we’re ever going to do are within us,” he explained. “Reading that Zamyatin novel connected this dot in my childhood, then to Orwell, and then allowed me to be inspired by its own merits.“I didn’t know what ‘WE’ was, but I knew that it was in there and that I’d use it at some point.

Arcade Fire performed as part of a live-stream to unveil the first image of the black hole at the centre of the galaxy – watch below.The picture was produced by a global research team called the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration, using observations from a worldwide network of radio telescopes. Known as Sagittarius A*, the object is four million times the mass of the Sun.“These unprecedented observations have greatly improved our understanding of what happens at the very centre of our galaxy, and offer new insights on how these giant black holes interact with their surroundings,” said EHT Project Scientist Geoffrey Bower.Coincidentally, ‘Sagittarius A*’ is the subtitle of a song on Arcade Fire’s new album ‘WE’ (‘End Of The Empire IV’).

Arcade Fire have put their own spin on Harry Styles’ “As It Was”.

Arcade Fire have shared their performance of ‘End Of The Empire II’ from their appearance on Saturday Night Live last weekend – watch below.The Canadian band featured on the hit US show on Saturday (May 7) in support of their sixth studio album ‘WE’, which came out the day before (May 6).Introduced by guest host Benedict Cumberbatch, Arcade Fire played their recent singles ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ and ‘The Lightning I, II’ in the legendary New York studio. Frontman Win Butler ended the powerful latter performance by speaking out about abortion rights.In a rare move, SNL allowed its most recent musical guests to play a third track.

DEALSWarner Chappell has signed film composer Daniel Blumberg. “I’m really happy to be working with the team at Warner Chappell Music in this new chapter of my career”, he says. “I’m looking forward to developing my practice as a songwriter and composer over the coming years, starting with a new solo album and some upcoming film projects”.————————————————–APPOINTMENTSBMG has appointed Sarah Mitchell as head of its UK-based neighbouring rights business.

Arcade Fire have shared a new video for ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’, filled with the tube men that have appeared at their recent live shows – watch it below.The track, shared last month, is the second single from the band’s sixth album, ‘WE’, which came out last week (May 6).The video centres around a host of inflatable tube men, which have also danced around while the band played the song at a number of recent shows at Coachella, in New York and at London’s KOKO.Speaking to NME for last week’s Big Read cover feature, frontman Win Butler was reminded of a scene from the Coachella set, when one of the tube men didn’t inflate properly and needed a kick in order to begin dancing with his friends.“I think when we were making these songs, we weren’t sure what world we were making it for,” he responded.“There’s so many precarious things in the world and so much to have anxiety about, but I’ve been trying to really appreciate these moments when I’m in them. When the world is a beautiful place, I’m trying to allow myself to appreciate it in a way that I wouldn’t have before.”Butler added: “The concept of the video for ‘…Lookout Kid’ is that one of those tube men is depressed and their whole family is happy around them.”Watch Arcade Fire’s new video below.‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ was given its live debut last month during that surprise performance at the first weekend of Coachella 2022.

Arcade Fire look to set to claim their fourth UK Number 1 album with WE this week.

Arcade Fire‘s Win Butler has discussed the divisive reputation of the band’s fifth album, 2017’s ‘Everything Now’, in a new interview with NME.Speaking to NME for last week’s Big Read cover feature, released on the same day as the band’s new record and ‘Everything Now’ follow-up, ‘WE’, Butler said he doesn’t think negatively of the band’s last album – while many fans and critics were left divided over it.“I don’t have any insecurity about that record,” Butler told NME. “I think a lot of journalism has become very ‘cut and paste’ and there needs to be some sort of storyline in interviews, so I’m happy for ‘Everything Now’ to take the hit and be maligned… Like, I know there needs to be a cliché and story and [‘WE’] is, like, ‘the comeback’.

Arcade Fire appeared on Saturday Night Live last night (May 7), performing two tracks from ‘WE’ and seemingly speaking out about abortion rights.Earlier this week, a leaked draft from the US Supreme Court suggested the organisation is preparing to overturn Roe V. Wade – a 1973 ruling that made abortion legal on a federal level.Arcade Fire used their performance on Saturday Night Live to seemingly critique the proposed draft.After a powerful performance of ‘The Lightning I,II’, vocalist Win Butler returned to the mic to say “a woman’s right to choose forever and ever and ever.

Arcade Fire have announced details of a new world tour, set to take place later this year in support of their new album ‘WE’.The band released the record – their sixth so far – earlier today (May 6) and will hit the road in September, following on from one-off dates in New Orleans, New York, Coachella, and London in the run-up to the LP’s release.The tour will kick off in Dublin on August 30, taking the group across the UK and into Europe throughout September. The North American leg of the tour will begin in Washington D.C.

Arcade Fire and Benedict Cumberbatch have appeared together in a humorous new promo clip for this weekend’s Saturday Night Live – you can watch the band constantly interrupt the actor below.Arcade Fire will feature on the long-running comedy series tomorrow (May 7) as the musical guests, where they’ll perform in support of their new album ‘WE’.The band will be joined tomorrow by SNL guest-host Cumberbatch, who is taking on the role this weekend in support of his new film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.A new SNL promo has now been released starring the actor and Arcade Fire, along with castmember Ego Nwodim. In the clip, Cumberbatch attempts to present the segment according to the script, but his efforts are scuppered by Nwodim and the members of Arcade Fire, who all chip in to individually introduce themselves.The clip ends with Cumberbatch walking off in mock-frustration, leaving Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara to introduce himself on his own.

Arcade Fire have opened up to NME about the recent departure of Will Butler from the band.Arcade Fire were founded by multi-instrumentalist Win Butler, Will’s brother, in Montreal in the early 2000s, with Butler joining in 2004 ahead of their debut album ‘Funeral’.After the band returned in March with news of their sixth album ‘WE’, and a video for its first single ‘The Lightning I, II’, Will confirmed on social media that he had left Arcade Fire.In a series of tweets posted on March 19, Will revealed that he had left the band at the end of last year, saying that it was “time for new things” and that the band remain his “friends and family”.“Hi friends— I’ve left Arcade Fire,” he wrote. “I left at the end of last year, after the new record was complete.

Hollywood Bowl Bolton has been celebrating its half a million pound makeover. The venue hosted a VIP night to mark the refurbishment of the centre, which is at Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Park, Bolton.

Arcade Fire‘s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, titled ‘L.E.S (Liberté Égalité Sagacité)’.The song opens Kwenders’ new album ‘José Louis And The Paradox Of Love’, which arrived last Friday (April 29). A vibrant nine-and-a-half-minute dance track, it features keys from Chassagne and vocals from Butler, as well as production from American DJ, King Britt.Check out the track, a swirling mix of African-inspired beats, electronica and atmospheric synths, below:‘José Louis And The Paradox Of Love’, released via Arts & Crafts, is Kwenders’ third full-length album, and his first since 2017’s ‘MAKANDA At The End Of Space And Beginning of Time’.

Arcade Fire returned to London last night (April 29) with a special show at the newly opened KOKO – watch the performance and see the setlist below.The Canadian band made their first UK live appearance since 2018 at the Camden Town venue, which had been closed for three years for a £70million restoration and redevelopment.Fans who didn’t manage to secure a ticket to the intimate gig were able to live-stream it via the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch. Now, the platform has shared a replay of the concert that can be watched on-demand.Arcade Fire kicked off their 20-song set by playing the as-yet-unreleased ‘Age Of Anxiety I’, which will appear on their upcoming sixth studio album, ‘WE’.“Hi London, we really fucking missed you a lot,” frontman Win Butler told the audience at the start of the show.Butler and co.

Arcade Fire are just over a week away from the scheduled release of their sixth studio LP, WE. Announced in March along with the arrival of its first single, "The Lightning I, II," the record will be their first since 2017's Everything Now.

Arcade Fire have released ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’, the latest single to be taken from their forthcoming album ‘WE’.The track was initially teased by the band on April 12, when frontman Win Butler posted a video on Instagram of a vinyl version of the album playing. “Next single is,” he is heard saying before a slow strumming song kicks off with the lyrics “Lookout kid trust your heart / you don’t have to play the part.”‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ has now been shared by the band on their social media, with a caption on Instagram reading: “There’s nothing saccharine about unconditional love in a world that is coming apart at the seams.

Arcade Fire have announced details of ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’, the next single to be taken from their forthcoming album ‘WE’.The track will follow ‘The Lightning I’ and ‘The Lightning II’, both of which arrived in March and are the only tastes of the album to be shared so far.The band first began teasing the release of ‘Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’ on April 12, when frontman Win Butler posted a video on Instagram of a vinyl version of the album playing. “Next single is,” he is heard saying before a slow strumming song kicks off with the lyrics “Lookout kid trust your heart / you don’t have to play the part.”Now, Arcade Fire have confirmed that the new single will arrive later this week.

Arcade Fire have spoken about Peter Gabriel and Father John Misty‘s contributions to their upcoming new album, ‘WE’.The Canadian band are due to release their sixth studio effort on May 6 via Columbia Records. It was produced by long-term Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich along with the group’s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne.During a recent interview with the Montreal Gazette, it was noted that Gabriel contributed to a dance-orientated album track called ‘Unconditional II (Race and Religion)’ on which Chassagne takes the lead.“[Gabriel] came to the studio and we had a day to work on it,” Butler told the outlet.