The Arctic Monkeys
punk90k
Posts: 54
Is anyone else into these guys? Just set for their 2nd number 1 single in the UK. Album out on Monday - set to be biggest seller in the UK this year.
Four 19/20 year old lads from my city of Sheffield. They basically sing about life in Sheffield and even sing in our dialect!!.
Refused any tv shows apart from Jools Holland. Success came for demos on the internet.
Suddnely they are the biggest band in England. Weird or what. To think not so long ago I sat next to two of them at a Sheffield Wednesday football game!
Four 19/20 year old lads from my city of Sheffield. They basically sing about life in Sheffield and even sing in our dialect!!.
Refused any tv shows apart from Jools Holland. Success came for demos on the internet.
Suddnely they are the biggest band in England. Weird or what. To think not so long ago I sat next to two of them at a Sheffield Wednesday football game!
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Comments
it's astonishing that the NME hypes them and i still like them... i just think it usually works out better for bands if they can taste success in small doses in order not to drown in high expectations... but they seem to handle themselves pretty well so far...
i really liked their demos and "whatever people say i am, that's what i'm not" is an amazing debut album... quite a few songs that weren't released earlier so they already have a pretty solid back catalogue for an emerging band...
catchy rock songs with great lyrics...
a bit like the who fronted by mike skinner...
i think it's great that the no.1 single "i bet you look good on the dance floor" isn't even their best song.... lots of good ones... "a certain romance", "fake tales of san francisco", "mardy bum", "riot van", "scummy/when the sun goes down"...
my current favourite has to be "maybe vampires is a bit strong but..." - i just love the little breakdown where alex screams from the off, "all you people are vampires!", brilliant!
they are not the saviours of rock n' roll - who says that rock music needs to be safed anyway? but they are definitely one of the best new bands around at the moment...
highly recommended!
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
From all of the impressions I have heard of their album, it sounds like they will fall right in line with the other hyped up UK bands like Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party. A good album, but not earth shattering or the most important band of their generation as I believe they have been called already.
I like the Dance Floor song, but not their 2nd single, I might pick up the album next week, still not sure...
yes, they sound a bit like the current crop of british indie rock bands but i think they rock far more than franz ferdinand ever did...
it's interesting how you find their lyrics immature... true, they're not singing about the meaning of the universe but depict every-day life... i think the lyrics are very clever... that's why i used the comparison with the streets' mike skinner earlier...
"Fake Tales of San Francisco
Echo through the room
More point to a wedding disco
Without a bride or groom
There's a super cool band yeah
With their trilbys and their glasses of white wine
And all the weekend rockstars in the toilets
Practicing their lines"
(Fake Tales of San Francisco)
"Well oh they might wear classic Reeboks
Or knackered Converse
Or tracky bottoms tucked in socks
But all of that's what the point is not
The point's that there ain't no romance around there
And there's the truth that they can't see
They'd probably like to throw a punch at me
And if you could only see them, then you would agree
Agree that there ain't no romance around there
And over there there's broken bones
There's only music, so that there's new ringtones
And it don't take no Sherlock Holmes
To see it's a little different around here"
(A Certain Romance)
i don't know about sheffield, but if you ever hung out with london scenesters you will find those words very to the point... i had my fair share of that, so i can relate to the lyrics...
and i'm a sucker for different british accents, guess that helps a bit
and those lines could have well been written for the entire NME staff:
"Cause all you people are vampires
And all your stories are stale
And though you pretend that you'll stand by us
I know you're sure that we'll fail"
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
I guess the case could be made either way:
"I've heard that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if your looking for romance or...
I don't know what ya looking for
Well I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!"
I think they're a little short on really profound lines. Not every song can be profound but a line here and there helps a lot. But I think bands like PJ or Modest Mouse start at a whole other level lyrically. But I havent really listened that much to them and their lyrics so I can't really put up an argument here.
Yeah me too! I never heard of them until I saw they were opening for Oasis.
this line still makes me chuckle though
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
I think you're confusing them with the Kings Of Leon, that's wittier than average, I'd say the Monkeys are below average in my book. But as I've said, the case can probably be made either way.
Yeah, me too
Any song can show bad lyrics if you pick out the right few lines, but as far as listening to the whole song, The Arctic Monkeys have a great thing going. Any more opinions now it's nearly 2 weeks after the album release?
Still haven't heard them, try this:
Look Good on the Dancefloor / When The Sun Goes down
http://www.dominorecordco.com/site/minisites/whateverpeoplesay_int/
Fake Tales of San Francisco
http://www.dominorecordco.com/site/index.php?page=multimedia&artistID=168&artistID=209&view=audio
:cool:
They are ridiculously overhyped by NME, already listing thier album in the top 10 british albums ever a week after it's released! The band can't help that though. As much as i am underwhelmed by them it was great to see them get no.1 with 'bet you look good on the dancefloor' after little press or attention. Indie or even rock bands never get to no.1 so that was a great achievement for them.
If you've lost your faith in love and music the end won't be long
Well, I have listened to whole songs of theirs and I still think they're rather shallow. Let's agree that they can be fun to listen to, why looking for something profound all the time anyway? I'm glad that you brought back the thread, the album's out a week or so now and I'm curious whats gonna happen. Are they already in the charts?
I'm not saying I think this is a ground breaking album, but I see why it's getting hype. They write about what they know .. working class (northern) British culture, and not everyone can relate to that. But if you've ever been to a northern nightclub you'll see it is full of teenagers "Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984" Great description!
It's #1 in the album charts .. but whether that's a good thing I'm not sure
haha, i'm also glad this thread is back again... so we can disagree some more
MOTH, you know how the german charts work, i just can't see them making it big over here...
but it's the best-selling UK debut album EVER!!!!!!!!! i know sales don't equal greatness but at least this tells you something...
but it's still beyond me how anyone can't see that they write very clever lyrics - MOTH, i'm looking in your direction
lyrically, they're less shakespeare and more bukowski... is that a bad thing? i'd say no! does everybody have to like it? hell no...
i start to feel like i'm the arctic monkeys no.1 fan boy on this board for always defending them while they're nowhere near my new favourite band... but let me add one more thing...
those guys are pretty young and out of nowhere became the biggest band in the UK... but all the music aside, i have the utmost respect for their way of handling fame... you could even say they "pulled a pearl jam" on that one... they took an oath to never play top of the pops and they didn't even go to the brits because they don't believe in awards... i think they are very level-headed for their age and i'd rather have more successful bands like the monkeys than all the james blunts of the world...
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
But yeah. I am really enjoying the monkeys
Mine too
How many guys relate to this:
(even better with the music)
Now then Mardy Bum
I see your frown
And it's like looking down the barrel of a gun
And it goes off
And out come all these words
Oh there's a very pleasant side to you
A side I much prefer
It's one that laughs and jokes around
Remember cuddles in the kitchen
Yeah, to get things off the ground
And it was up, up and away
Oh, but it's right hard to remember
That on a day like today when you're all argumentative
And you've got the face on
Well now then Mardy Bum
Oh I'm in trouble again, aren't I?
I thought as much
Cause you turned over there
Pulling that silent disappointment face
The one that I can't bear
Can't we laugh and joke around
Remember cuddles in the kitchen
Yeah, to get things off the ground
And it was up, up and away
Oh, but it's right hard to remember
That on a day like today when you're all argumentative
And you've got the face on
Yeah I'm sorry I was late
Well I missed the train
And then the traffic was a state
And I can't be arsed to carry on in this debate
That reoccurs, oh when you say I don't care
Well of course I do, yeah I clearly do!
So laugh and joke around
Remember cuddles in the kitchen
Yeah, to get things off the ground
And it was up, up and away
Still it's right hard to remember
That on a day like today when you're all argumentative
And you've got the face on
I love that line
me too... but i guess it's mainly due to the way he sings it...
and thanks for explaining what mardy means... i guessed it but didn't know...
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
I'll agree with this part
So they're no.1 in the UK? thats cool. What about the US and Germany?
edit - I found them at 20 in Germany which is pretty impressive given the fact that the Strokes are on 25 right now. Their album is not yet released in the US, so no chart position there obviously
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is the best."
~ FZ ~
I think they're great, I love the album, especially fake tales of San Francisco, when the sun goes down and mardy bum. It's good to know that young bands are being listened to again in this country, particularly ones from out this way!
I don't read NME because I think most of what they print is utter bollocks, they hype bands up and then two weeks later slag them off for being too popular!
They might not be on a lyrical par with Pearl Jam but I don't think there's many bands out there that could claim to be. I like them and that's all I'm bothered about.
A benevolent psycological pressure applied by drinking companions encouraging one to consume more alcohol than one feels comfortable drinking.
Chaveller's Check
A Giro.
It damn rocks, I liked it more than expected. This is certainly impressive, a few tracks though seem to repeat the same formula, but anyway I loved the huge, frenetic sound of the album. And the lyrics, they didn't seem foolish to me at all, witty and... kind of fitting with the times. Really good for a start, let's see what does future deserve for them.
-The crazy guy with the Ramones t-shirt.
Mexico C. 12/10/05.
"There is a rose that I want to live for
although, God knows, I may not have met her"
-J. Strummer
"And you'll never know just how dark this screen could be"
I'm pretty sure they will have a lot of success with this album but I'm not so sure what'll happen after that. There is always the "next big thing" that gets hyped in the UK and when it comes to putting together a second album it kinda flatlines, the hype isnt there and the bands dont know in which direction to go from their first album. And I kinda sense this danger with those gyus as well. The songs are catchy and fun but as you've pointed out they are all the same mold and that makes it hard to put out a second album IMO. But what speaks for them is the way they handle all this -almost PJesque because dealing with this stuff plays a big part on how their path continues. If they dont try to impress critics but try to make good music they could be around some time. But thats a bit far ahead I guess, the album has just come out or has yet to come out so good luck with it.
"i am the first man to shit my pants ya whew!"
its no crime to escape..theres still time to escape...theres still time so escape...
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st.louis 04, chicago 06, and counting...
Arctic Monkeys is a great band and, through the sheer love of their music, the fans have propelled them from playing dodgy Working Men's Clubs in Rotherham to record breaking success. Who can fault that!?
as to the music? : zzzzz
... so what of us who never read NME or other "music rags " ?? That's like saying because you don't rate them, they're no good and undeserving of the hype.
I saw them on 'Later with Jools Holland' in October and really liked them .. made me go find out who they were.
That's when I discovered all the hype!
It might be a bit much to say they're the best thing since the Beatles but alot of people are enjoying their music, you're just not one of them.
Eh? The band were already successful, locally, thanks to their fans. They gave away their music at gigs and online. That's how I found them out. Now they have the fastest selling record in UK chart history.
If the music press want to jump on the bandwagon and tell everyone what to think this month then so be it. A lot of people happen to be able to form their own opinions about the music they listen to. If people believe what the press say, whether for good or bad, then they're idiots.
Whether you like the band or not, their music certainly isnt zzzzzzz