Arcade Fire Commune With Elephants, Snakes On New Album
'Year of the Snake' is also notable for marking Arcade Fire recorded debuts for Butler on drums and Chassagne on bass. The 10-track Pink Elephant, meanwhile, was recorded at Butler and Chassagne's New Orleans-based Good News Recording Studio.
More from Spin:
Momma Say It Like They Mean It On 'Welcome To My Blue Sky'
Turnstile Say 'Never' On First Album In Four Years
'Instant' Karma: Stereolab Are Back With New Album
The album includes the vintage song 'Cars and Telephones,' which was performed live nine times in 2005 before disappearing for another 13 years. Fans who download Arcade Fire's Circle of Trust app will have first access to that track (the first Butler ever played for Chassagne some two decades ago), as well as news, videos, merch, ticket offers and band-created Santa Pirata Radio content.
Several other new songs have already been played live at least once as well, including the title cut, 'Year of the Snake' and 'Ride or Die.'
Pink Elephant is the follow-up to 2022's WE, which topped Billboard's Rock and Alternative tallies and debuted at No. 6 on the overall Billboard 200. It was nominated for the Best Alternative Music Album Grammy.
Arcade Fire is planning pre-release shows in a handful of cities, during which they will play Pink Elephant from front to back in as-yet-unannounced 'intimate' venues.
Open Your Heart or Die TryingPink ElephantYear of the SnakeCircle of TrustAlien NationBeyond SalvationRide or DieI Love Her ShadowShe Cries Diamond RainStuck In My Head
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Music Review: Jon Batiste opts for chill vibe on stripped-down album, 'Big Money'
On 'Big Money,' Super Bowl-sized singer Jon Batiste opts for a surprisingly intimate sound. The just over 32-minute, nine-song set will be released Friday, and it's not nearly as loud as the New Orleans' jazzman's eye-popping wardrobe. The stripped-down, mostly acoustic arrangements create a chill vibe. Simplicity somehow only intensifies the songs' swing and sway. Batiste pairs lyrics about devotion, values, angels and ecology with music that mixes folk and funk, gospel and the blues. The range is such that Batiste even plays a little fiddle and mandolin, but he shines brightest on two songs featuring his solo piano. The first is a wonderful duet with Randy Newman, another piano man with New Orleans roots, who in recent years has been slowed by health issues and kept a low profile. They cover Doc Pomus' 'Lonely Avenue,' and Newman's legendarily froggy tenor provides a comical contrast to Batiste's vocal sheen. 'I could die, I could die, I could die,' Newman sings. 'It sounds like I'm dying.' Also stellar is 'Maybe,' a ballad filled with thick chords and questions about the big picture. 'Or maybe we should all just take a collective pause,' Batiste sings, before launching into a keyboard exploration worthy of Jelly Roll Morton. The bouncy 'Lean on My Love' draws from Prince, Sly Stone and the Spinners as Batiste sings in unison with Andra Day. The equally buoyant title cut rhymes 'money' and 'dummy' in a strummy sing-along that includes backing vocals by the Womack Sisters, granddaughters of soul singer Sam Cooke. 'Pinnacle' chooses a similar tempo to kick up Delta dust around a delightful word salad. 'Hop scotch/Double Dutchie jumping rope/Twistin' it and ya wobble it/And let it go,' he sings on one verse. Batiste's gospel influences are most evident on the closing reggae tune 'Angels' and the ballad 'Do It All Again,' a love song that could be interpreted as secular or spiritual. 'When I'm happy, it's your shine,' Batiste sings. As always, he makes joy sound genuine. ___ More AP reviews:
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Soccer's Wrexham chooses Long Island for first US youth camp
The kids are getting a kick out of this. Wrexham AFC, the Welsh soccer team made famous by celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, is running its first-ever youth camp in the US — and picked the Long Island soccer hot spot of Massapequa to hold it. 'You can clearly see that they've already had some coaching — and it's great seeing their ability,' said Josh Evans, Wrexham's longtime program officer, of the local talent at Burns Park in Nassau County. 7 Josh Evans, program officer at Wrexham AFC Foundation, giving instructions to young soccer players at a clinic hosted by Wrexham AFC soccer club in Massapequa on Aug. 18, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 7 Wrexham chose Massapequa to host the team's first-ever youth camp in Long Island. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post The Massapequa Soccer Club and Long Island Junior Soccer League helped score the world-class team for the special camp, which includes some of Wrexham's top trainers, such as former star Ben Tozer. 'It also shows these players that, 'Hey, that could be me,' said John Fitzgerald, the sporting director for the Long Island Junior Soccer League. Grace Robson, 10, who loves the team's docuseries 'Welcome to Wrexham,' said her dreams have gotten bigger after seeing and learning from her heroes up close in person. 'I was so excited, I couldn't sleep the night before,' she said of the camp. 'And I get to hear their accents and stuff like that — I thought that was kind of funny.' 7 Grace Robson (center) is a fan of the series 'Welcome to Wrexham.' Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 7 John Fitzgerald (left) , the sporting director for the Long Island Junior Soccer League, and Paul Bigilin, Director of Coaching at Massapequa Soccer Club, at the Massapequa soccer clinic. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Evans is playing along by teaching the kids some Welsh colloquialisms, such as how 'bore da' translates to good morning. 'Oh, they're loving it,' he said, adding that the staff has been recognized by fans all over since their flight touched down in Queens. Pitching in Getting Wrexham stateside was the work of a bit of magic from Paul Bigilin, Massapequa Soccer Club's director, along with Fitzgerald and town soccer icon Jim Kilmeade, the brother of Fox News host Brian. They connected with Terry Barton, CEO of the UK-based soccer development program the Coaching Manual, who had relations with the fellas at Wrexham. 'They know we have a long history of soccer and the local and national stage in Massapequa,' said Bigilin, whose son Nick is a coach with the men's team at Long Island University. Aside from fun and games for the kids, each day brings a different theme of soccer fundamentals. 7 Wrexham AFC is co-owned by American actors Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds. AP 7 Wrexham's Lewis O'Brien celebrating a goal during a game against West Bromwich Albion in Wrexham, Wales on Aug. 16, 2025. Cody Froggatt/PA via AP Fitzgerald, who is the head coach of the Long Island-based American Soccer Club, a k a the Fighting Tomcats, added that he may be assessing his future roster these next few days. 'The majority of our team is local,' he noted of the National Premier Soccer League group. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Fitzgerald said events such as this, plus excellent coaching, can be pivotal in seeing through a child star's development for future careers on the island — or perhaps on a bigger stage across The Pond some day. 'That's why and how players stay in the game,' he said. 7 The kids were able to get pointers from the Welsh club's top trainers. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Kilmeade — who played as a kid in Massapequa and later for nearby Hofstra University and is now American SC's general manager Wrexham — said the camp continues to put the area on the soccer map. 'This initiative reflects one of our Fighting Tomcats' core values — making Long Island and the metro New York area a true epicenter for American soccer development and excellence,' he said.
New York Times
5 hours ago
- New York Times
Arch Manning's siblings provide support, camaraderie growing up in football's first family
Like many proud dads in the early 2000s, Cooper Manning often whipped out the camcorder to document his three children — May, Arch and Heid — growing up. In one of the videos in the Manning family archives, Arch is participating but hangs in the background — clearly wanting May to stay in the spotlight while she dances front and center. In another, the kids are playing football in the family's New Orleans front yard, when 5-year-old Arch asks his dad to stop filming. Advertisement 'I said something like, 'Well, just keep your helmet on the whole time,'' Heid recalled telling his brother. 'And my parents always talk about it like, 'That's kind of how he is.' He honestly — just literally and metaphorically — just kind of wants to keep his helmet on. He's just not one for the spotlight. Just a shy, sweet kid.' These days, cameras are everywhere on Texas' Forty Acres as everyone in Austin wants a piece of the quarterback who wears No. 16. No one enters the 2025 college football season with more pressure than Manning, who leads No. 1 Texas into No. 3 Ohio State in a blockbuster season opener next week, marking the true start to the Manning era after a hype-filled two-year prologue as Arch waited his turn behind Quinn Ewers. But lucky for Arch (21), just like when they were kids, he has May (22) and Heid (19) — a sophomore alongside him at Texas — who form a faithful support system behind the scenes. 'My dad always made a joke, he was like, 'I'm glad Arch is the one who gets the attention because if Heid did, he'd be wearing a cape to school,'' Heid said. 'Which — is very much true.' If anyone can understand the heft of being a Manning, the most famous name in football, it's his brother and sister. Fiercely loyal, wickedly funny and always there to cheer him on — no one knows Arch quite like them. 'Arch values our sibling relationship — I think we all value it,' May said. 'But I think especially Arch being in the position he is now … he's so adamant about making sure the three of us stay close.' The Manning family has been in New Orleans for five decades, the surname made famous, of course, by Arch's grandfather, former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and two Super Bowl-winning uncles, Peyton and Eli. Archie starred with the New Orleans Saints from 1971-82. He and his wife, Olivia, raised their three sons in the city, with Cooper, the eldest, eventually starting a family of his own in town with his wife Ellen. Advertisement May was born in December 2002. Arch came along in April 2004. Heid completed the family in December 2005. In some ways, the children's famous last name preceded them. In others, they were their own tight-knit little trio with their own identity, Arch serving as the glue. 'I get that question a lot, 'Did you understand the magnitude of (the Manning name?)'' Heid said. 'Yeah, we got it. But it was always May, Arch and Heid. It was never May Manning, Arch Manning, Heid Manning. 'It was never a moment where we were like, 'OK, we're Mannings.'' From a young age, Arch tried out all sorts of sports. Heid can vividly remember heading for the Lego aisle or looking at toys and movies as a 5-year-old on trips to Target, while Arch beelined to the sports department. When Heid asked for an Xbox or action figure for Christmas, Arch asked for a jersey or football. Always into something, Arch swam, played tennis, golf, basketball, baseball, football and even tried his hand at karate and gymnastics. On the baseball field, he often played with kids two and three years older. On the basketball court, he was able to dribble with his off hand before anyone else on the team. A post shared by Cooper Manning (@coopermanning) 'He was just ahead of the curve,' Heid said. 'Everything was always about being better or trying to get better,' May said. 'And that's (been the case) since he was 10 years old.' There was something about football, though. If Heid and May were inside watching television after school, Arch was outside throwing the football or asking to run in the park. If Heid wanted to sit down for dinner after a hard practice at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans — where he snapped to his brother as the varsity football team's center — Arch wanted to get 50 more snaps in before he ate. He was relentlessly motivated, May said. And between his grandfather, uncles and father, Arch very much understood how to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge that surrounded him. Advertisement As Arch progressed through Newman — where his father and uncles all played — May knew her brother might be onto something when she sat in the stands and watched him become the school's first freshman starter at QB in four decades. The Greenies went 9-2 that year, with Arch throwing for 2,500-plus yards en route to earning Freshman All-America honors from MaxPreps. He kept things going as a sophomore during the COVID-19 season, and by the end of his junior year, he emerged as the can't-miss five-star recruit who every school in the country wanted. Off at the University of Virginia, May missed most of her brother's recruitment — a national circus that saw college coaches showing up to the Newman playground just to see if they could catch a glimpse of Manning through a window. But she knew things were serious when Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and, of course, Texas all got in on the action. Heid, on the other hand, had a front-row seat to the process and could tell that a big city like Austin would offer his brother a level of privacy that traditional college towns couldn't. In typical Arch style, he didn't make a big deal about his commitment, simply letting the world know that Texas was the choice with his first-ever tweet. Committed to the University of Texas. #HookEm — Arch Manning (@ArchManning) June 23, 2022 Last season, the two brothers met for dinner as often as possible, even when Arch was busy with football and Heid was pledging a fraternity. They'd laugh together over Tex-Mex at Cabo Bob's or Maudies, their favorite spots, where no one could take Arch's mind off of everything around him quite like Heid. '(That was) a big thing for me,' Arch said in an interview with The Athletic last month. 'Laughing, not talking about football, was always good for me because as you know, nowadays, it's pretty much a job.' Heid's pals are Arch's pals and vice versa. They all have a group chat, and Arch and his football buddies have a standing invitation to hang out if they're looking to have a little fun in their free time. Heid likes to joke he's the more popular Manning on campus, which might not be that much of a stretch. But Arch's brother is a title he's happy to hold. Advertisement When Arch turned 21 in April, his mother begged him to let her throw a big party. But Arch opted for an intimate dinner with his close circle at ATX Cocina, an upscale Mexican restaurant in town. Stories were told. Heid gave a toast. Just what Arch wanted. This May before an early-morning family trip to the Bahamas, Arch came crashing into Heid's room at 11:30 p.m., jumped on the bed and shook his brother awake, too excited to sleep. 'I probably don't tell (Heid) enough how much I appreciate him,' Arch said. 'But I'm definitely his biggest fan behind his back. He's the funniest guy I know. He's the funniest guy in every room. No one laughs harder around him than me.' That said, no one keeps Arch humble like his siblings. During his first week on campus, Arch infamously lost his Texas student ID. He thinks it fell out of his wallet or phone in an English rhetoric and writing class. A fellow student found it and astutely realized the ID gave her access to the Texas football facility. She walked right into the South end zone of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to hand-deliver it to head coach Steve Sarkisian. But not before she took a picture of the ID that she promptly posted to Snapchat. 'I go back to my dorm room, I take a nap and I wake up to a FaceTime call from Sark,' Arch said. 'I was thinking I was in trouble or missed something, and it was him with the ID. He FaceTimed with it and was like, 'Hey pal.' So that was funny.' Within seconds of hanging up with Sarkisian, Arch had multiple text messages. The picture had already gone viral — the college football world getting a collective laugh out of QB1's whoopsie. 'Literally, my sister was like, 'What the hell is this?'' Arch said with a laugh. 'I lost it again on the Fourth of July last summer. That one did not go viral, which was great. It's probably at the bottom of the ocean or something.' Two years later, May and Heid still laugh at the Snapchat that, in some ways, perfectly embodies their brother. 'So typical,' May said. 'Just love the kid, but some of the things I'm like, 'Not surprised at all.'' 'It was the most, 'Yep, that's definitely my brother,'' Heid said. 'Especially the first week he got there. I was like, 'Yeah, this definitely sounds right.'' Advertisement As a football player, Arch studies film scrupulously, can break down defenses for days, inherited his mother's speed and has made it a point to work on his leadership this offseason. But as a brother, he has an endearing personality that often cracks his siblings up. A total middle child. May isn't so sure Arch, who loves Cinnamon Toast Crunch, can work a toaster properly or knows his car needs to have its oil changed regularly. One time, he asked his mother how much 'sand', er, laundry detergent he'd need for the washing machine. Another time, during his first semester at Texas, he called Heid because he realized he didn't know his own sushi order (it's two crunchy rolls on soy paper with miso soup). 'Arch knows things that no one else knows,' May said with a laugh. 'But then things that everyone knows, Arch has no idea about.' And then there are the bajillion questions, every single one of which keeps May and Heid on their toes. If Arch isn't asking May for girl advice, he's peppering her about her latest outing to grab ice cream — Where'd she go? What flavor did she get? Who'd she go with? Meet anyone new? Did the place look the same as usual? How are her friends liking the University of Delaware? Do they have sports there? Or, when she went to dinner with a friend recently — What'd you guys talk about? What questions did you ask? 'Arch is very inquisitive. I would say that's a quirk. Inquisitive about things that you would not think a person would be inquisitive about. He asks 100 questions. Heid, wouldn't you agree?' May said, laughing. 'He's very curious about the things that don't matter at all,' Heid echoed. 'I'm like, 'Why are you even asking me these questions?'' Both siblings figured that quirk also comes to the forefront when Arch and Sarkisian game plan or review concepts and coverages. Advertisement 'I cannot imagine what those meetings are like,' Heid quipped. 'Oh, me neither,' May said. 'Sark's probably like, 'Please get out of my office.'' But that's Arch. And they love him for it. Late last month, May was in Austin to see her younger brother for his last free weekend before preseason camp opened and football would dominate his schedule until January. Over takeout sushi with two of her UVA friends — who have also become Arch's good friends — she noticed something about her brother's demeanor. 'With all of this pressure — he's only played a couple downs of college football — and all of this hype, I think above it all, Arch is excited. He's antsy,' she said. 'He's excited to kind of put all of the hype and all of the talk to test: 'Everyone keeps saying what I can do, let me see if I can do it.' I think that's kind of how he's feeling right now.' Indeed, talking season is coming to a close and Arch will soon take the field in Columbus for a massive early-season test for the quarterback and the team. 'That's why you come to a school like Texas — to play in big-time games,' he said. 'So why not knock it out early? See what we're all about.' Through the course of the season, Heid and May will root their brother on. They'll offer an escape. Try to make him laugh in their 25-person SnapChat group, featuring all of the friends the siblings bring home to Mardi Gras — Arch's favorite time of year outside of football season. Ellen, Arch's mother, believes she'll be the most nervous person in the stadium any given week. Heid thinks he'll have her beat — sitting in the stands while someone else blocks for Arch. May's biggest hope? 'Obviously it's a lot of pressure, and I could not imagine being in his position,' she said. 'But I hope that with all of this right now, all of the attention surrounding him, I hope that it doesn't suck the fun and enjoyment out of football, because I know he loves it so much. 'I pray and I hope that that continues for him.' (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Todd Kirkland / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
