Their debut album “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” released in 2006, became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history, surpassing Oasis “Definitely Maybe” and remains the fastest-selling debut album for a band in the UK since. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, Arctic Monkeys are one of the first acts to come to the public attention via the Internet and receiving attention from the British tabloid press.
In 2005 the band played a critically acclaimed performance at the Carling Stage of the Reading and Leeds Festivals, reserved for less known or unsigned bands. Their appearance was hyped by much of the music press and the band was watched by an unusually large crowd.
They refused to change their songs to suit the industry and resisted signing to a record label and their cynicism towards the industry was such that record company scouts were refused guaranteed guest list entry for their gigs. The success of the strategy was illustrated with a series of sell-out gigs across the UK and Ireland.
But as any fairly tale got to an end, finally they signed to Domino in June 2005. The band said they were attracted to the “DIY ethic” of the label, but the UK’s Daily Star reported that following the record deal, Arctic Monkeys singed also a £1 million publishing deal with EMI and a £725,000 contract with Epic Records for the United States. Eventually the band denied this on their website, dubbing the newspaper “The Daily Stir”.
The UK’s NME magazine declared the band’s debut album the “5th greatest British album of all time”.
The band’s second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, was released on 23 April 2007. On 29 April 2007, the day Favourite Worst Nightmare charted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart, all 12 tracks from the album charted in the Top 200 of the UK Singles Chart. On 27 April 2007 they had a total of 18 tracks in the Top 200.
On 19 August 2009 they released their third studio album entitled “Humbug”. The band recorded a total of 24 songs; 12 in the Rancho De La Luna recording sessions with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age in early autumn, 2008, and 12 in the New York sessions with James Ford in spring, 2009, but the final track-list consist of only 10.
I know, I know, I’m such a jerk, but while I’m not checking out the Billboard – or any other bloody charts – each fifteen minutes, I’m not reading neither tabloids and mainstream music magazines, I’m not watching any music channel and as a straight bloody bastard I’m not even listening any kind of radio, I never really was impressed simply by the music of the Arctic Monkeys. Maybe it’s something fuckin’ wrong with me, but actually, I don’t think so.
I’m really sick of this so-called “indie” bullshit. I had enough of it. Seriously. I can get it what it so indie about millions and millions of band all over the world playing the same kind of stuffs mainly ripping off themes and tunes of the late 60s and the 70s. Probably it’s only a matter of culture and perception, but ignorance still is not a bliss.
Arctic Monkeys blending post-punk, psychedelic rock, garage rock into indie rock. It’s not like inventing the bulb or something, but still they wrote a couple of good songs.
For “Suck It And See” was recorded at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles and they hired once again producer James Ford who become famous mainly for producing the Mercury Prize–winning album, “Myths of the Near Future” by Klaxons.
Alex Turner (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jamie Cook (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Nick O’Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Matt Helders (drums, percussion, backing vocals). Former members include Andy Nicholson (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Glyn Jones (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) returning with 12 brand new songs and the album scheduled to be released on 6 June 2011.
This time Arctic Monkeys seems to go back in time to get some “refreshing” inspiration from the 60s. “She’s Thunderstorms” even could be written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934 (“Blue Moon”). And that “dusty”, retro feeling is breathing through the hole material. Still, there are a few nice moments, a couple of good riffs, some nice choruses. “Brick by Brick” for example it’s quite a good song. For those who never listening anything older than the stuffs made after 1990 it may be charming, so, if you like to suck it, be their guest, I’m not even watching. Sha-la-la-la!
Arctic Monkeys – Official Site
Arctic Monkeys – on MySpace
Domino Records
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYvWpVz770k&hl=en_GB&feature=player_embedded&version=3]
