Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
No contest. I listened more to the Monkeys than any other artist in 2006. I love everything about this concept album.
Arctic Monkeys are a four-piece indie rock/post-punk revival band from High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, England. Their first two singles, “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” and “When The Sun Goes Down”, both went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. …
Unlike many of their contemporaries, who were marketed and advertised extensively by record labels, Arctic Monkeys achieved their success through fan-made demo tapes and online file-sharing, with fans singing along at gigs of songs which had never been officially released, leading media commentators to discuss the possibility of a sea change in the way in which new bands are promoted and marketed.
The band resisted signing to a major record label, even banning talent scouts from gigs. Eventually, the band signed to independent record label Domino Records, releasing their first album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, which charted at number one and broke the record for the largest first week sales of a debut album in UK history. The band subsequently won several major music prizes for the album, including the 2006 Mercury Prize, “Best New Act” at the 2006 Brit Awards and “Best New Band” and “Best British Band” at the NME Awards.
The overnight success of the band and the gritty, realistic nature of the lyrics of songs such as “When The Sun Goes Down” has led to the band being described as the “yardstick for all that is current and cool”.
Rick McCharles 