Arctic Monkeys
Mar 4, 2014
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. The band consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, lead/rhythm guitar), Jamie Cook (rhythm/lead guitar), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, backing vocals). Former member Andy Nicholson (bass guitar, backing vocals) left the band in 2006 shortly after its debut album was released.
The band have released five studio albums: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006), Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), Humbug (2009), Suck It and See (2011) and AM (2013), as well as one live album At the Apollo (2008).
The band's debut album became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history, surpassing Elastica's self-titled album and remains the fastest-selling debut album by a group in the UK. The band have won seven Brit Awards-winning both Best British Group and Best British Album three times, and have twice been nominated for Grammy Awards. The band also won the Mercury Prize in 2006 for its debut album, in addition to receiving a nomination in 2007 and 2013.
The single "Do I Wanna Know?" and its B-side "2013" have been compared to the edgier sound of The Black Keys, with "2013" in particular being compared to their song "Sinister Kid".
According to the band, the fifth album AM is more hip-hop influenced. As Alex Turner stated in an interview with NME, it's "like a Dr Dre beat, but we've given it an Ike Turner bowl-cut and sent it galloping across the desert on a Stratocaster". He also cited Outkast, Aaliyah and Black Sabbath as influences for the album. It has steadier beats but an overall calm feeling, while also having heavier songs like R U Mine?, and softer songs like "Mad Sounds" or "No.1 Party Anthem".