So here is the gushing post about Arctic Monkeys as promised. I know all of you are just dying to know how I got into them and what makes them so ~*~special~*~. Well, the Beatles led me to The Last Shadow Puppets (expect a post about them as well), and I discovered that Puppet Alex was first Monkey Alex. I listened to Fake Tales of San Francisco and I Bet You Look Good On the Dance Floor, wasn't really that impressed but made a mental note to check them out more thoroughly later (I was in the midst of a passionate love affair with the Beatles you see, and I had no time for other bands). Time passed, I vaguely remember the hubbub about Humbug, I listened to Crying Lighting, was impressed with how Alex Turner played with words, went back to listen to Fluorescent Adolescent ( fun fact: that's the song where I got my blog title from) and Teddy Picker, made another mental note to really get into their music as soon as I was finished with my passionate love affair with the rest of "classic rock". Fast forward to Summer 2011 and the release of Suck It and See. And see I did, my jaw dropped when I saw Alex debut his post-break up, teddy-boy look during the summer music festivals. And I listened too because well, I'm not all about looks people, and I was so severely overwhelmed with the perfection that is Suck It and See. This time I really went back and listened to Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, Favourite Worst Nightmare, and Humbug, plus all the amazing b-sides and covers. The only other band I think that has amazing b-sides and covers are the Beatles. And that is what impressed me about Arctic Monkeys; they sound old and new at the same time, Alex is a lyrical genius, the perfect combination of rock and roll and poetry, Matt, Jamie, and Nick provide the perfect musical backdrop to Alex's words, plus, the boys are funny, charming, and all around wonderful.
Early NME shots of the band, with first bassist Andy (who reminds me of Pete Best).
By Favourite Worst Nightmare, Nick joined the band (yay!).
After a brief hiatus that resulted in The Age of the Understatement, Arctic Monkeys returned with a darker, sexier sound in the form of Humbug. As you can see, different sound, different look, and a giant step in the right direction.
Suck It and See, they just keep getting better and better.
