For the past few years, our artist of the week has been gaining a good bit of fame. Coming from the UK, Arctic Monkeys are on a world tour in support of their upcoming fourth album, Suck it and See, to be released on June fifth. If you weren’t lucky enough to see them perform at the Fox Theater in Pomona last night, perhaps you can catch their gritty rock tonight at the Hollywood Palladium.
Formed in 2001 as two high school friends
, Arctic Monkeys broke into the London music scene with their hard-edged, fast-paced sound. They recorded and released their first EP themselves and marketed it on BBC radio and offered it online to anyone who was interested in giving them a listen. After four years of laboring and doing their time in the underground circuit, they acquired the fame they’d been looking for and in 2005 signed with Domino Records. Their first two singles, “I bet you Look Good on the Dancefloor” and “When the Sun Goes Down,” immediately became UK chart-toppers and began their rocket ship to celebrity. The release of their first studio album Whatever People Say I am, that’s what I’m Not sold more than 350,000 copies in its first week alone, and allowed their invasion of North American airwaves.
Arctic Monkeys is Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Nick O’Malley, and Matt Helders. Since their debut album, the band has diligent in the studio, releasing 2 more full-length albums with another on the way as well as multiple singles and EP’s. the band have come under fire from some critics saying they don’t focus enough on the song-writing and care only about the monetary aspects of recording. Though some may agree with this statement, the band attribute their rapid recording process to not wanting to tour for too long on one album. However you look at it, Arctic Monkeys put out fun, fast, often humorous music that listeners everywhere enjoy.
Maintaining an average of an album every two years since 2005, Arctic Monkeys continue to produce hit albums. In 2009 they released Humbug which reached platinum status despite not having a number one single associated with the album. The band’s strategy in the timing of their releases (intentional or otherwise) with EP’s and tours/shows between gives listeners just enough of the taste they need to stay pumped and retain more than a waning interest in the band without them flickering out of existence like so many indie bands that achieve international success with hit records. Whether they’re doing it for the money or out of impatience, they’re doing something right.
Arctic Monkeys have earned a spot on the world stage and are taking advantage of their time to shine. They don’t look like they’re about to quit either. Though they’ve been topping charts and winning hearts, the band are still in that gray area of success where they’re in danger of fading away and need support, but are on the way to supreme stardom. What’s that mean? It means (for the most part) cozy venues and ticket prices that are still affordable even after being reamed by online ticketing agencies. This won’t last much longer though, so if you have the opportunity, see them as soon as you can. If you miss your chance now (if you’re in the LA area), your next opportunity is in September at the Hollywood Bowl with TV on the Radio. Not as cozy as the Fox, is it? Until then, follow the links below to get your fix of these frigid primates and keep checking back every Thursday for your clues and Fridays for your answers.
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