The Arctic Monkeys

[Shuey]

Ok, there's a lot of hype surrounding the band. What do we think of their music?

Personally I like it, some suitably 'phat' choons. Not really a let down track on the album. Nice lyrics, quality basslines and some surprisingly good drumming. There are definitely some 'spine tingley' moments in there.

8/10

[thisisexploding]

I think there's too much hype. As per usual the NME is wetting itself over how hip and trendy they are by bigging up the Arctic Monkeys like they're the best thing since the last best thing. I've heard some of their stuff and, whilst I'll admit that it has something (I've been known to give it some in Scandal's when 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" gets played), and the lyrics are very well observed in places, it's still not quite there. I heard Fake Tales Of San Francisco and was at a loss what all the fuss was about. It didn't grab me in the same way as, ooh, Franz Ferdinand did.

Then again I'm an old fogey and not a hip and trendy young whippersnapper so what do I know; I'm scratching-of-head when it comes to The Libertines too.

[Paulo]

Can only base my opinion on the two songs i've heard, but frankly, not particularly impressed.

They're better than Hard-Fi though... although that's hardly a ringing endorsement.

[Brandonshero]

Getting the album 'thru the post' soon. However having been led to believe life is not worth living without either Arcade Fire / The Bravery and then discovering both have as much appeal as rancid pickle I do not hold much hope.

[thisisexploding]

The Arctic Monkeys and Hard-Fi are similar in that they both produce songs based on the day-to-day mundane aspects of life as a disassociated youth in today's Britain (I might have read that in the Guardian though). Hard-Fi are slightly funkier, and they have more BBC friendly accents (Stars of CCTV has some good tracks, it also has some ropey ones too).

[thisisexploding]

neil said:

Getting the album 'thru the post' soon. However having been led to believe life is not worth living without either Arcade Fire / The Bravery and then discovering both have as much appeal as rancid pickle I do not hold much hope.

I got the Arcade Fire CD for Christmas and found it as good as I'd been led to believe it would be. As for The Bravery, I like the Killers as much as the next guy but..

[Gigmeister General]

So we're nicely split on whether the Arctic Monkeys are the best thing since sliced bread or just another bit of crust. Excellent. It'd be no fun if we all liked them.

Anyway, to perk things up a bit, here they are covering Girls Aloud:

a blog link to a track from their Radio One session

No, really.

[thisisexploding]

Just when you thought things couldn't get more bizarre, Sugababes up and cover I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor (if you go here you can give it a listen) and, despite the over the top guitar, make a pretty good job of it.

It's the b-side of their next single, Red Dress, and rumour has it that they'll be performing it at the NME Awards on the 23rd of February. Oh lordy.

[Gigmeister General]

If the Sugababes covering the Arctic Monkeys wasn't bizarre enough, there's now The Artex Monkeys. It's a wee-take, obviously, but a good one (the site design is blatant rip-off of the real Monkeys site and it's all written in colloquial "northurn").

Someone has also gone to the trouble of knocking up mash-ups. I've not heard them yet but if you want a listen they're available from Arctic Monkeys Remixed. It's only a matter of time before a George Formby-style version of the album floats to the surface.