Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys are English indie rock band from High Green. Formed in 2002, the band currently consists of Alex Turner on lead vocals and guitar, Jamie Cook on guitar, Matt Helders on drums and backing vocals, and Nick O'Malley on bass guitar.Arctic Monkeys achieved chart success with their singles, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor and When the Sun Goes Down. Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history and received critical acclaim, winning the 2006 Mercury Prize.

Musical style
Lyrics
The lyrics of Arctic Monkeys' singles often feature social realism and observations of working class life. Based on their lyrical style the Arctic Monkeys have been compared to acts such as the British rapper Mike Skinner, from The Streets and earlier artists such as Morrissey and Jarvis Cocker.

Live appearances:
The band are better known for their sing-along nature at concerts, and fan participation than for excessive lighting effects, pyrotechnics or other effects, in a similar style to that of Oasis. However, their shows have sometimes been criticised by reviewers. NME compared their performance at the 2006 Reading Festival unfavorably to that of Muse,

History:
Emergence:
In 2001, Alex Turner and Jamie Cook asked for instruments as Christmas presents and both received guitars. After teaching themselves to play, the pair formed a band with Turner's friends Andy Nicholson and Matt Helders. Nicholson already played bass, so Helders ended up on drums.

Record deals
The band resisted signing to a record label, refusing to change their songs to suit the industry ? Before the hysteria started, the labels would say, 'I like you, but I'm not sure about this bit, and that song could do with this changing...' We never listened. Their pessimism with the industry was such that record company scouts were refused guaranteed guest list entry for their gigs.

Initial releases
Their first single after signing to Domino, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, was released on 17 October 2005 and went straight to #1 on the UK Singles Chart. Three days later, they made their first appearance on the cover of NME. Their second single, When the Sun Goes Down was released in 2006 and also went straight to #1 on the UK Singles Chart. The band's success in reaching the #1 spot without marketing or advertising led some to suggest that it could signal a change in how new bands achieve recognition.

Nicholson departure; Mercury Prize
Similarly like Oasis and The Smiths, Arctic Monkeys wasted no time in recording new material, and released a 5-track EP in April 2006, entitled Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys. The EP was ineligible to chart as a UK single or album due to its length. Furthermore, the record's bad language has resulted in significantly less radio airplay than previous records, although this was not a reported concern.

Criticism and controversy:
The band has received criticism. Critics described them as one in a long line of largely over-hyped NME bands, while the release of the EP Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys just three months after their record-breaking debut album has been criticized. However, the band countered that they regularly release new music not to make money, but to avoid the monotony of spending three years touring on one album.

Band logo:
Arctic Monkeys' original band logo is featured on releases before Favourite Worst Nightmare. Up until February 2007 the band's distinguishing logo from their first release, Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys, was used by the band on their releases as well as their website. On February 13, 2007, the logo on their official site changed to Brianstorm and Favourite Worst Nightmare as well as subsequent releases from the album.