Originally posted by ericg75: I was talking about kids buying her record, who may not be fans or even be aware of the orginal. I'm sure the above have heard the original.
Ah, gotcha, that makes a lot more sense. My apologies then.
Now, I realize that the Arctic Monkeys are already being considered the latest overhyped "buzz" band from England and the cynics are already talking about how they will fade rapidly into obscurity. I can't honestly say if this will be true or not, but what I can say is that it is still January and "A Certain Romance", a track I heard off of their upcoming debut full-length, is already guaranteed to be on my list of favorite songs for 2006. It is a perfect pop song, with a hook that doesn't leave your head, brilliantly insightful lyrics ("there's only music so that there's new ringtones/but all of that is what the point is not/the point's that there ain't no romance around here"), and a jubilant guitar-driven climax that can only inspire wild head-banging and steering-wheel-pounding. I can't wait for this album, and you should try to seek out some of these songs ("Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts" and "Fake Tales of San Francisco" are also excellent). Finally, a fresh voice takes everything we love about pop and rock music and redefines it for a new generation. Long story short - believe the hype.
Wow to Electric President. I can't stop listening to this. For anyone that enjoys Notwist, Grandaddy, Okay or even Postal Service. I highly recommend this gem.
Originally posted by vlad: Now, I realize that the Arctic Monkeys are already being considered the latest overhyped "buzz" band from England and the cynics are already talking about how they will fade rapidly into obscurity. I can't honestly say if this will be true or not, but what I can say is that it is still January and "A Certain Romance", a track I heard off of their upcoming debut full-length, is already guaranteed to be on my list of favorite songs for 2006. It is a perfect pop song, with a hook that doesn't leave your head, brilliantly insightful lyrics ("there's only music so that there's new ringtones/but all of that is what the point is not/the point's that there ain't no romance around here"), and a jubilant guitar-driven climax that can only inspire wild head-banging and steering-wheel-pounding. I can't wait for this album, and you should try to seek out some of these songs ("Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts" and "Fake Tales of San Francisco" are also excellent). Finally, a fresh voice takes everything we love about pop and rock music and redefines it for a new generation. Long story short - believe the hype.
I was totally ready to hate this band but the album is actually good. It's very catchy and consistent. They're of the cheeky side of the post punk revival, as opposed to the self-serious side, so if you like Franz and Art Brut you'll like these guys.
Does anyone know anything about the Lambchop album that is supposed to come out in April or May? It is called 'The Decline of Country & Western Civilization: The Woodwind Years.' Is this a new album or a compilation? Either way I'm excited.
As far as the Arctic Monkeys go, "I Bet You'd Look Good on the Dance Floor" is a great song. The fact that it went to number 1 in the UK without a label or a record deal behind it sets the band up to fail: how can you get bigger than a truly independent #1 record?
I look forward to hearing the whole thing. "Dance Floor" is getting airplay on the local 'alternative' station in Atlanta.
Posts: 3875 | Location: ATL, GA | Registered: 25 May 2004
the Artic Monkeys are comfortably the most overhyped band since the turn of the millenium, and probably since a long time before that...
and it's not so surprising that they got to number 1...this isn't like CYHSY!'s success in the US, distribution is a lot easier over here...and the utterly ridiculous hype storm that got kicked up by the NME, the Radio 1 daytime rinsing not the mention the Myspace factor...all contributed.
To be honest, I probably wouldn't have hated them so much if they hadn't been made out to be 'the saviours of British/modern/popular/ALL music' and their album declared 'THE GREATEST ALBUM EVARRRR' by various sources (including the NME, surprisingly enough...) even before it had been released...
It's all bull.
actually, I thought 'Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' and 'When The Sun Goes Down' were dire when they got played on Radio 1's main alternative show as demos...
This message has been edited. Last edited by: headinsand,
Posts: 126 | Location: Manchester, England | Registered: 21 March 2005
I'm with headinsand. I heard some tracks from these guys, and I thought they were decent, nothing special. I really don't like "I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor," but there was one called "From the Ritz to the Rubble" which I liked a lot.
Posts: 4022 | Location: NE Indiana | Registered: 14 April 2005
Originally posted by headinsand: the Artic Monkeys are comfortably the most overhyped band since the turn of the millenium, and probably since a long time before that...
To be honest, I probably wouldn't have hated them so much if they hadn't been made out to be 'the saviours of British/modern/popular/ALL music' and their album declared 'THE GREATEST ALBUM EVARRRR' by various sources (including the NME, surprisingly enough...) even before it had been released...
actually, I thought 'Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' and 'When The Sun Goes Down' were dire when they got played on Radio 1's main alternative show as demos...
It's not exactly clear if you've heard the album based on your post. Hating NME and the British press is different from hating this band. They didn't ask for this publicity, and some of their lyrics indicate that they resent it. I know they're overhyped, and there's no way they could live up to their press. This album is not a five-star, 10.0 masterpiece, and they are not the saviours of rock, which, as someone somewhere pointed out, doesn't need to be saved. But they didn't call themselves that; that's something the Darkness would do.
What they are is another band like virtually every other new band from the UK: Bloc Party, Franz, Hard-Fi, Kaiser Chiefs, Art Brut, Futureheads.... I happen to like most of this stuff, and this incarnation blends some of the nicer elements of that music and makes it more danceable than anyone except maybe Franz. Fine by me.
Jenny Lewis' stuff is more sparse and a little more folky/countryish than Rilo Kiley. She also does a pretty faithful cover of the Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care", which I always thought was a great song. Unfortunately, aside from introducing it to a bunch of indie kids who may not be familiar with the original, I don't think she really adds anything to it.
I've heard the album now and I like this cover. I didn't realize which Wilburys song that was because I haven't listened to them in forever but that's definitely one of my favorites. I think it's interesting how they hand out the different singing parts (i.e., Ben Gibbard = Roy Orbison, Conor Oberst = who else? Bob Dylan), though I may be misremembering how it was in the original.
That's the high point of the album for me though. I was never a big Rilo Kiley fan because, well, that kind of music bores me, and this is even more sparse. But Jenny Lewis's performances are mostly quite good. The album cover sure is creepy.
Originally posted by philosopherEric: Weren't there four vocal parts on the original version of "Handle With Care"? Dylan, Orbison, Petty, and George Harrison???
I guess Jenny is doing Petty and M. Ward is Harrison?
No, Jenny does the Harrison parts, with the exception of Oberst taking the last verse (Oberst doesn't sing the Dylan part as stated above), Ben Gibbard does the Roy Orbison part, M. Ward does the part sung by Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne(the forgotten Wilbury) in the original.
----- Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.
Posts: 5363 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 19 June 2005
I just checked out a few tracks from the upcoming Bonnie Prince Billy & Tortoise album and it sounds fantastic. I'm not a big Tortoise fan, but their instrumentation really seems to work well with Oldham's voice. Unlike Jenny Lewis' "Handle With Care" cover, which I kinda dissed, these covers are really inspired-- BPB and Tortoise make them their own.
----- Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.
Posts: 5363 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 19 June 2005
Originally posted by headinsand: the Artic Monkeys are comfortably the most overhyped band since the turn of the millenium, and probably since a long time before that...
To be honest, I probably wouldn't have hated them so much if they hadn't been made out to be 'the saviours of British/modern/popular/ALL music' and their album declared 'THE GREATEST ALBUM EVARRRR' by various sources (including the NME, surprisingly enough...) even before it had been released...
actually, I thought 'Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' and 'When The Sun Goes Down' were dire when they got played on Radio 1's main alternative show as demos...
It's not exactly clear if you've heard the album based on your post. Hating NME and the British press is different from hating this band. They didn't ask for this publicity, and some of their lyrics indicate that they resent it. I know they're overhyped, and there's no way they could live up to their press. This album is not a five-star, 10.0 masterpiece, and they are not the saviours of rock, which, as someone somewhere pointed out, doesn't need to be saved. But they didn't call themselves that; that's something the Darkness would do.
What they are is another band like virtually every other new band from the UK: Bloc Party, Franz, Hard-Fi, Kaiser Chiefs, Art Brut, Futureheads.... I happen to like most of this stuff, and this incarnation blends some of the nicer elements of that music and makes it more danceable than anyone except maybe Franz. Fine by me.
heard it all, gave it 3 listens as is fair. Maybe it's the hype-machine that really gets to me, but the music isn't much cop, to be honest. Not as bad as Hard Fi, but still pretty torrid.
I'm also pretty fed up with people lumping Maximo Park (I heard someone mention them in the same breath the other day), The Futureheads or Franz in with them...all 3 write songs of a much higher standard...in comparison, the Artic Monkeys sound like teenagers...ahaha...no really, in comparison they just don't stand up.
Their music is passable, but it all sounds the same...the vocals are incredibly grating and the impression that I get is that his voice is kind of a novelty across the Atlantic (correct me if I'm wrong).
The lyrics are the worst part, they really get to me...people are going to be thinking all the teenagers in Northern England get worked up over the same mundane things...if they were well put across, it wouldn't be so bad, but the standard is even worse than the subjects that the lyrics tend to explore.
...if the hype wasn't so ridiculous, I wouldn't be so bothered. I'll give you that.
Posts: 126 | Location: Manchester, England | Registered: 21 March 2005
heard it all, gave it 3 listens as is fair. Maybe it's the hype-machine that really gets to me, but the music isn't much cop, to be honest. Not as bad as Hard Fi, but still pretty torrid.
I'm also pretty fed up with people lumping Maximo Park (I heard someone mention them in the same breath the other day), The Futureheads or Franz in with them...all 3 write songs of a much higher standard...in comparison, the Artic Monkeys sound like teenagers...ahaha...no really, in comparison they just don't stand up.
Their music is passable, but it all sounds the same...the vocals are incredibly grating and the impression that I get is that his voice is kind of a novelty across the Atlantic (correct me if I'm wrong).
The lyrics are the worst part, they really get to me...people are going to be thinking all the teenagers in Northern England get worked up over the same mundane things...if they were well put across, it wouldn't be so bad, but the standard is even worse than the subjects that the lyrics tend to explore.
...if the hype wasn't so ridiculous, I wouldn't be so bothered. I'll give you that.
I think the guy's voice is fine for the music, and lyrics aren't particularly important to me, especially from this kind of music. Aren't they teenagers anyway, or at least close to it? Eh, you've conceded my main point (that the hype will ruin them for many people) and from here on out it's a battle of taste, and that's senseless. I can understand how you Brits are totally fed up with them already; I probably would be too.
It's hard not to react to the hype machines at time. The UK press is really outrageous, at times, at overhyping. It can both help you (record sales for the Arctic Monkeys were astounding this week!) and hurt you (immediate backlash).
I'm going to try to cut through the press and listen to the album without assuming anything about, although I tend to like guitar-based British rock bands, so I think I'll like it, but we'll see. (I really liked Hard-Fi as well!) Do I take these young British rockers as being indicative of the moods and attitudes of the whole youth of England...of course not! But I like the energy and vigor, and I admire the fact that a rock album can debut at #1 in the UK without much more than a strong word-of-mouth.
Posts: 3875 | Location: ATL, GA | Registered: 25 May 2004
While we're speaking of Britain, a release I am quite excited about is The Streets, coming out April 11. I just found out and can't believe I did not know sooner!
Posts: 3130 | Location: FoCo | Registered: 07 January 2005
Heres some food for thought: NME just released a top 100 british albums of all-time list with Arctic Monkeys in at #5. The record also sold over 100k copies in one day in the UK (keep in mind this is a TON for England).
Anyways, I think it's a decent album. I think the major problem most Americans will have with it is the inherent "Britishness" of the lyrics. He sings in a thick accent about being a teenager in England, which the kids over there are eating up, but doesn't do a whole lot for me. Same problem Pulp, Blur, and most other Britpop bands had in the 90s.
