Arctic Monkeys

I think they're brilliant, one of the most exciting bands of the last few years. If I had to compare them with a group it would be Franz Ferdinand. AM is much better though, lyrically and musically.

Apparently they have a website where you can download some/all of their music. I've bought the LP.

Peter

Very good, raw, talent. Lyrics can be a bit 'chavvy' and 'immature' particularly when focussing on drinking or sex for example.....but then they are very young and I'm an old fart.

Don't get me wrong. I think they're great.

In a way its just what the music industry needs (ie a kick in the arse). Young lads happy to give away as much free music as the punters want, rise to fame with next to no publicity machine (just word of mouth and bloody good music), signed to a minor indie label and hey presto.....2 No. 1's and beating sales records set by the Beatles with their first album!

Downloading is killing music my arse. Bring it on!!!

Jonathan

Although I have heard all of them I can, I haven't bought their album yet. They are young and quite good - I enjoy their slower quieter renditions more so far. They have made people a bit of money, and have freely given pleasure.

Should be getting a copy this week.

going to go see them tonight, Nottingham - Rock City

I really like this album, but it sounds much better in the car than on the stereo.

Nigel

Nigel

Good album but a shite recording imo. I agree with Nigel it's better in the car, which is a shame as they show promise. Time will tell, but if they make another shite recording I will lose interest forever.

Spock

Oh and to qualify shite in this instance, it's as if someone had their finger wedged on the treble slider during mixing. It sounds too bright and thin.

Spock

quote:

Originally posted by hungryhalibut:
I really like this album, but it sounds much better in the car than on the stereo.

Ah, but this is so true of most modern pop; mixed to catch the ear of people who, at best, own $250 shelf systems or boomboxes. To paraphrase Pete Townshend (when asked about the sound of the early Who singles), he said something like "Mixed tinny to sound alright on Dansettes." When I was still in the recording biz (as a session player), mixing wasn't done until playback through a boombox or cruddy car stereo to make sure the WalMart set was being served*. Nobody really cared about the audiophile minority, as they generally weren't buying the grotty rock/pop confections I usually played on.

Put (What's The Story) Morning Glory, by Oasis on sometime; an eye-opener, sonically. Who the fook mixed that?

*Not sure if this is still the case, but back in the day every studio, in addition to the usual Westlake/Tannoy/JBL/Altec or whatever monitors, had a pair of Auratone speakers upon the meter bridge: one-way monitors consisting of a single 4" paper cone; all hashy midrange, they sounded worse than the average boombox speaker. The idea was, if the music still had any life after being played back through those, you were on the right track.

quote:

Originally posted by J0N:
going to go see them tonight, Nottingham - Rock City

How were they Jon?

First off it rocks which if it didn't would make the following academic.

It's great to hear vocals to the fore, in a normal accent singing about things they know (and are maybe obsessed about). I have cousins in Scunthorpe and I can hear so many of their phrases and voicings here.

I would disagree that the lyrics are immature. I think they have a realistic street poetry feel to them. The topics may be immature to us who are mature but I know what they mean from the songs and they are talking about a scene that this 40 year old fart left a long time ago and his eldest (11) has yet to join (thankfully)

A few of the songs muse on interesting things ( from a 40 year old farts perspective)
from the Ritz to the rubble about the difference between the night before and the morning after, eloquently put, no judgements made, just a musing.

a certain romance nicely alludes to something I've often lightly pondered - as in when in bed at night a crowd of drunken kids sing all the way down the road and I curse them and wonder what the world is coming to - only then to think that maybe the only difference was that in 1986 was the songs being sung.

I've been moving my speakers around as the new (s/h) 202 seems to have added a little bit too much bass for my liking so my opinion might need to be taken with a pinch of audiophile salt, but it sounds fine on my stereo, not too bright at all. Nice snappy near live sound with no studio scullduggery(?). I hate when reviewers say a band is a mix of x,y, and z but have to say I was reminded of The Undertones exuberance, Wedding presents anxt, The Fall's nonchalance and to a lesser degree HMHB's humour.

as said in a previous thread - The Kid's are Allright!

Rock City!

Aaah the waves of nostalgia! The Waterboys playing for 3 hours just for the hell of it, The Pogues sending the place into a frenzy. The large dent in the carpark barrier (and the roof of his car) after a mate of mine tried parking in it late one night and 'forgot' it was down.

I was a Nottingham student.

The cd & the LP both lack the bite of the original
Demo's try downloading the demo's from Limewire or their website site ,the are so much better ,& you hear there where songs that should have been on the album " Bigger Boy'S & Stolen Sweethearts " springs to mind & a completely different version of "Riot Van "

It is fantastic to have a great band coming out of Sheffield (where I live), the album is really very good and has enough variety to hint at future progression. When I first listened to it I thought that it might be a little too 'young' for me with all the distorted vocals etc but towards the end it really shows it's colours with some nice changes of pace. I was with some clients earlier in the week from out of town and they insisted that I showed them the pub in Sheffeild (the grapes) where they played their first gig! They really are something of a phenomonon.

Sounds great on my Naim hifi, well balanced, lively, with plenty of bass.
I would be somewhat disappointed if £600 worth of ICE outperformed my Naim system!

Ade

quote:

Originally posted by Ade Archer:
I would be somewhat disappointed if £600 worth of ICE outperformed my Naim system!

What's ICE? Integrated Circuit Electronics?

In-Car Entertainment!
i.e the Alpine hifi system in my car.

was awesome thanks , although they only played a fairly short set

Got around to listening to their album this week. Wow! I mean WOW! I've been waiting for a band like this for ages. Not heard a band with such drive and character since The Pixies (I know, The Pixies is a well worn analogy, but these guys are probably better than the Pixies).

Andrew