Arriving on the American cultural scene in 2004, Arcade Fire quickly became hailed as one of the most significant new indie rock acts on the touring circuit. The band hails from Montreal, which has become the source of countless successful indie bands throughout the '00s. Though their debut record, Funeral, went largely unnoticed by the mainstream charts, it's follow-up, 2007's Neon Bible, actually jumped to the top of the charts, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 (and number one on the Top Independent Albums chart).

Arcade Fire is made up of vocalist Regine Chassagne, organist Richard Parry and brothers Win and William Butler, who serve the band as vocalist and percussionist/keyboardist respectively. Win Butler and Chassagne met in 2003, when she was singing at an art exhibit at Concordia University. In no time they found much in common, eventually becoming more than friends when they married. Their music combines emotional heights and apocalyptic imagery, blending rock with classical flourishes that made them distinctive. The passing of Chassagne's grandmother, the Butler's grandfather and Parry's aunt gave them emotional material to work with, and produced the album Funeral. The record was filled with songs that acted as rays of light piercing grey clouds, rallying cries of youth defying death.

Indie music blogs and publications hailed Funeral as one of the best releases of that year. Three years later, they released Neon Bible, naming the record after a lesser-known work of cult author John Kennedy Toole. The album shot up the charts, and a tour across Canada and America was well-attended. The band has drawn praise and toured with elder statesman of alternative rock such as David Bowie and David Byrne, earning them the respect of fans and critics alike.