Tag Archives: arctic monkeys

My iPod #231: Arctic Monkeys – D Is for Dangerous

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It has been a year since I started doing this. Feels like it’s been a year too.

I did actually start posting on the 22nd February last year which I completely forgot about until I checked earlier on today, but it was two days later that I took on the challenge of writing about (almost) every song that I have on my iPod. Click on here to start all the way from the beginning.

Since I last posted, nothing much has gone on. Just living life and listening to a lot of music too.

So here is the return of ‘My iPod’ and the Ds. For how long, I don’t know. But I’ve seen the number of songs I have that begin with the letter ‘D’. There are many. A lot more than ‘C’ for sure.

But we begin with the third song from Arctic Monkeys’ second album “Favourite Worst Nightmare” – “D Is for Dangerous”.

I remember that this was the track when I first bought the album in 2007 that caught my ear straight away. “Brianstorm”- I had obviously heard many times before and “Teddy Picker” took me a few listens to get into, but it took me that first listen for “Dangerous” to sink in.

It probably isn’t even the best song on the album. It’s pretty short and quick, only 2 minutes and 20 seconds long if you round it up, but everything is delivered with such slick execution. Cool guitar playing, a great bass line by the then-new Monkey Nick O’Malley and vocals by both Alex Turner and Matt Helders. Pretty much all I can say.

Whether they thought of the name of the album before writing the song or vice versa, I’m not sure. But it is in there. Also watch out near the end, when it sounds like the track begins to skip. I thought something had gone wrong with my computer the first time that happened.

That album by the band is my favourite of theirs. It’s probably the last one they’ve released that I can listen to the whole way through and not become….. bored? I don’t think that’s the right word. Basically, I haven’t been as hyped for Arctic Monkey albums since then.

For many it just doesn’t compare to “Whatever” or possibly even “AM” now, knowing that a lot of people are liking that. But “Nightmare” is just really solid. Maybe it’s the production or something, but there’s something in all twelve tracks that makes we want to carry on listening to them. Can’t really say that for the albums that followed. Hate on me if you want.

Happy D-Day! The Offspring tomorrow.

My iPod #143: be your own PET – Bunk Trunk Skunk/Thoughts on "AM" and "Reflektor"

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I’m very bored. I’m a bit upset too. I’m currently at home by myself and you would think “what’s the matter with you, surely you could do anything you want?” Yes. I’m not that kind of person though. I have food in here, an eclectic choice of music on my iTunes library and a few games on my PS3. But it’s not enough. The weather isn’t great, and even if I wanted to go out there’s nothing in my area that interests me. I may sound like a grouch, but it’s true. This may be the sign that university will probably be the best thing I could have right now. Only ten more days to go.

–

For today’s song, it’s be your own PET again. I didn’t get a lot of views for yesterday’s post. be your own PET haven’t been a band for five years now which may play a part in that. It may have also been the way I outlined the song. There’s a range of possibilities.

“Bunk Trunk Skunk” is the second song on the band’s debut album. My sister had this on her Creative Zen Micro, but did not put it onto the Windows Media Player library that was on our old Windows XP computer. So when I snuck into her bedroom and took the Zen, I made sure that I listened to the song.

I realised why she may not have wanted me to listen to the song. Even though I was eleven at the time. It’s basically about prostitution, or some sort of activity which involves sex. My sis was very much against my knowledge of that subject.

The song is a real rocker. Every instrument is loud, Jemina Pearl shrieks that she is an ‘independent motherfucker with barely any effort. This track is definitely one to freak out to. Not dance. Just swing your arms around and lose control. Structurally, there isn’t really a chorus because everything that is said is repeated more than once, but it’s at the end when the band increase in tempo before not giving a shit what they’re playing. The cacophony of noise ends with a drum roll which collides into the next song. It’s better if you listen to both songs together just for that moment.

Jamie.

ARCTIC MONKEYS – “AM”

Oh, you thought I was finished? Oh, no. It was only the release of Arctic Monkeys’ new album on Monday! (Or yesterday, depending on where you live).

I haven’t bought it yet, but I listened to the exclusive stream on iTunes. I said in my “Brick by Brick” post that I haven’t been very excited for an Arctic Monkeys release for some time, and that was very much the same for “AM” too.

“R U Mine?” was supposed to be the non-album single that wouldn’t appear on another commercial release, but that ended up being the second track. I thought it was OK, when I first heard it. The song really relies on its scaly riff which plays throughout most of the track, and that applies to many other songs on “AM”, including the first proper single “Do I Wanna Know?”

The one thing that annoyed me on this album were the constant high-pitched backing vocals which appear on almost every song but apart from that the rest of the album is very solid. You’ve got more of those observational lyrics that everyone loves to hear from Alex Turner. Most of the tracks are riff oriented as I’ve already said. It’s an album to wear a leather jacket and sunglasses to, and then proceed to nod your head to the beat.

It is clear that these are not the same Arctic Monkeys from 2006. They have evolved into this new thing – I can’t explain it, they’ve developed this new sound. It’s a totally different band. It’s similar to The Strokes. People look to “Whatever People Say I Am” and automatically compare the rest of their work to it. But Arctic Monkeys have grown, Alex Turner’s voice has deepened into a smooth croon sufficient to make any lady weak at the knees. I think they’ve reached their stage of enlightenment.

“I Wanna Be Yours” is my highlight, it incorporates lyrics from a poem by John Cooper Clarke. It has a very dreamlike atmosphere about it. That’s all I say. Get the album if you’re interested.

ARCADE FIRE – REFLEKTOR

Goodness me. Arcade Fire too?

Uh-huh. Arcade Fire release their fourth album “Reflektor” this October, and this is the video for the title track.

One thing to notice is how bloody long it is. It’s almost eight minutes! Don’t let that stop you from listening. A lot of things happen in it. I can’t remember enough to tell you everything, the word “Reflektor” is sung a fair amount of times and the legend that is David Bowie is in there!

It has a relentless disco 4/4 beat, similar to Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) and there may be a lot of fans who hate that. It is produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. I’m not sure but maybe that could have had something to do with it. We’ll just have to wait and see how the rest of the album sounds.

This is a very promising release though. It’s very adventurous.

Jamie.

My iPod #134: Arctic Monkeys – Brick by Brick

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Are all you Arctic Monkeys fans out there excited? Well, I can’t blame you if you’re waiting in anticipation for their new album “AM” which comes out next week! Yes, it is another Arctic Monkeys song. This wasn’t deliberate, “Brick by Brick” just happened to be after “Brianstorm”.

Can you remember when you were waiting for “Suck It and See” to be released? I do. It wasn’t a very exciting time. GCSEs were going on and everything. Furthermore, the thought of a new Arctic Monkeys album just didn’t matter to me anymore. “Humbug” was alriiight. It was a bit moody, darker and very mature compared to their first two albums. So when ‘their new song called “Brick by Brick” appeared on the front page of the NME website, I was curious but wasn’t expecting anything amazing.

It was the first song to be revealed from “Suck It and See” but was more of a teaser than anything. It has its own video too, which you can obviously see above. I didn’t pay much attention to it, because nothing much happens in it. Personally, “Brick by Brick” is my favourite song from the album. It’s a standard 3 minute rock song, the lyrics are easy to remember and the lead vocals are shared between Alex and Matt. I remember doing my Spanish GCSE in 2011, finishing it and knowing that I aced it and “Brick by Brick” just came into my head on the bus home. I felt so good.

I did end up downloading “Suck It and See”, but wasn’t very impressed by it. “Brick by Brick” is the only song from it that I have on my iPod. Oh, well. “AM” should be better. Right?

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #133: Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm

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I’ve said enough about “Favourite Worst Nightmare”, I talked about it in previous posts. This was the Arctic Monkeys’ burst back into the limelight, even though they really hadn’t been far from it for any long period of time.

They had released “Leave Before the Lights Come On” in early 2006, they played at the Reading and Leeds Festivals too and everyone ranging from the public to the NME were so excited about the band from Sheffield that they didn’t stop talking about them. “Oh, that Alex Turner is some lyricist.” “That band is so cool”. It never ended.

Then came 2007 and the news that the band’s next album would be ready. Would they sound the same? Would their songs still be about nights out and drinking at the weekend? “Brianstorm” answered both questions with a firm ‘no’. The band sounded bolder, it packed more of punch, the drumming during the introduction was crazy and the guitars delivered at full force but it was still those same four guys who gave us “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” a year before. Except the big-boned bassist who left, he was replaced.

“Brianstorm” is not a misspelling of the word ‘brainstorm’. The guys actually wrote the song about a person called Brian, who they met on tour one time and didn’t really like. It’s not my favourite song on “Favourite Worst Nightmare”, but that’s only because I’d heard it and seen the video so many times before the album was released to the public that it wasn’t as exciting anymore. However, it was the perfect song to get pumped up to as the release date came closer.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

My iPod #67: Arctic Monkeys – Balaclava

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To be honest… this is my least favourite song on “Favourite Worst Nightmare”.

Yes, it’s another Arctic Monkeys song today. I can only type what comes up alphabetically on my iPod, this is not some sort of conspiracy or anything.

In things of an unrelated matter, I went to Westfield in Stratford to watch “Fast & Furious 6”. How was it? Not much different from any of the other Fast & Furious films I’ve seen. Vin Diesel’s still there, he doesn’t die. The other main character’s there, he doesn’t die. Ludacris and the other black guy are portrayed as the joke characters, they’re not very important. And there’s definitely going to be ANOTHER film in the series. I won’t say why if you care that much about it.

Back to the song – yeah, “Balaclava” in my opinion is not that great. I’m not sure what it is about it, whether it’s the key the song is in or if it’s the melody. It’s just not my thing, it’s the same as “Brianstorm” in that it doesn’t have a verse-chorus-verse structure, but “Brianstorm” is much better in that it’s fast, catchy and has a good riff. “Balaclava” doesn’t have any of those. I don’t know why I still have it on my iPod actually. I’m sorry for the people who like this song, but this is my blog. I say what I want to.

Will I change my mind?

Probably not.*

Until tomorrow.

Jamie.

*07/01/2021 – Yeesh. Well, this is probably one of my worst posts on here. An edgy 18-year-old I was when I wrote this. I still don’t hold that song in that high regard, but I could have gone about it in a better way back in 2013.