Arctic

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Icy Ellesmere Island, whose northern coastline within the Canadian/Nunavut Arctic lies just 450 miles from the North Pole, serves as the desolate reference point for keyboardist/composer Michael Thomas Berkley's second album. Berkley's abstract sound designs, ornamented randomly with reeds, strings, subdued percussion, and electric violin, paint images of a frozen landscape whose peculiar beauty never really escapes the bleak clouds that cling to its topography. The clarinet that forlornly threads its way through the opening track of Arctic sets the recording's generally austere tone, one that takes repeatedly odd or mysterious turns. Artistically, if you drew a box that placed Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno, Harold Budd, and Jocelyn Pook at its corners, Berkley and his exploratory ambient instincts would hover somewhere within its borders. While not as consistently satisfying as Images from Earth, Berkley's debut disc, Arctic nevertheless yields some intriguing moments, notably three tracks that involve violinist Ari Langer: the softly pulsating "Ice Break," the foreboding "Dark Arctic," and the disc's shimmering closer. --Terry Wood

Arctic,Michael Thomas Berkley,The Orchard,Ambient,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Arctic

Tracks:

Brianstorm
Teddy Picker
D Is For Dangerous
Balaclava
Fluorescent Adolescent
Only Ones Who Know
Do Me A Favour
This House Is A Circus
If You Were There, Beware
The Bad Thing
Old Yellow Bricks
505

Amazon.com

Snarly and stone-sharpened, the Arctic Monkeys open their sophomore effort with "Brianstorm," a bracing blast of guitar fractures and rhythmic herky-jerks. Alex Turner's voice is the centerpiece, scoured the way the Streets' Mike Skinner's quick. Favourite Worst Nightmare moves from frontal blast quickly to the lean, mid-paced pop nugget, "Teddy Picker," which even with its clear guitars and straight rhythms still has Turner's tart intonation piercing the air. The tugging bass and guitar of "Fluorescent Adolescent" show shades of the retro-soul tip that drives Amy Winehouse (and Lily Allen), showing that the Arctic Monkeys have a taste for the dancefloor that spans generations, even if their guitars can cut across each other with relentless jaggedness while Turner's caustic pipes lasso the ears. Nightmare expands the band's reach, as when "Do Me a Favour" goes wonderfully haywire from tumbling rhythm, clear-guitar, and fluid narrative to a cresting blast of guitars--big and brawny and borne from the merely tumultuous, like the band itself. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Description

While this sophomore release is unmistakably Arctic Monkeys, everything's a little more muscular and aggressive. Each song is embedded with revelatory moments, as if some sort of critical mass is achieved through skillful song craft and sharp arrangements until an explosive release of energy or emotion is inevitable. Arctic Monkeys have exceeded expectations with this record.

Customer Reviews:

YES!!! Supremely rocking album!.......2007-08-02

These guys just rule. It's a tight, concise album, that thankfully avoids the sophomore slump of trying to make a "Big Artistic Statement" (*cough* bloc party *ahem* killers) and instead focuses on rocking hard. There are no wasted notes or time on this album - none! The album is filled with razor sharp hooks and terrific musicianship, particular the spectacular drumming of Matt Helders. The often cryptic, but snidely clever and evocative lyrics and singing of Alex Turner is a real asset as well. Those involved in the recording, mixing, producing etc. deserve kudos as well - the sound just jumps out of the speakers! I love this album! Since I have no life, I listen to a LOT of music and I usually burn through albums quickly, listening once or twice and moving on, but this one I keep coming back to again and again and again.

This album is easily the best of '07 so far, BY FAR.

Album Rocks.......2007-07-29

This is one way to top a first album, the Arctic Monkey's just go from strength to strength.

Arctic Monkeys Get Surreal.......2007-07-26

(3 1/2 *'s) UK's latest and greatest new sensation, The Arctic Monkeys, come up with a follow up to their smash debut, 'Whatever They Say I Am, I'm Not' with more experience under their belts. Overall, they add some texture and, as the title suggests, the darker aspects of their brain hemispheres for the lyrics. While I don't possess their heralded debut, I know by listening to the samplers that this album has more variety, but less of the immediacy of their first C.D.

Starting with "Brainstorm," we get a propulsive electrical storm that provides a cyclical effect reminiscent of the 'Pulp Fiction' soundtrack. In the fast forward vein they still deliver their best, fronted by Alex Turner's trajectory of images that sometimes seems like alternative's free association answer to rap. Never getting tongue tied, Alex's words, nevertheless, don't always integrate well into the mesmerizing mix. Following the "Brainstorm," "Teddy Picker" comes to the fore with arguably the album's best song. Proving that experience hasn't tarnished the band, anti-glam "Teddy..." is truly an intricate gem. Keeping in the third person, we get lines about women who make love go wrong. Included is that propulsive assertion for "D Is for Dangerous" with some scathing words for some wayward girl known as "Your favourite worst nightmare". Later, "Do Me a Favour" featuring Ventures'-like sounds, asks the lamented beloved to "Break my nose." And "Old Yellow Bricks" seals the bad deal, lamenting "You're a fugitive, but you don't know what you're running away from." The playful "This House Is a Circus" and the heavy "The Bad Thing" almost live up to the aforementioned, but new territory is achieved with the shimmering "Fluorescent Adolescent" and the Stray Cats-like "Only One Who Knows".

At their best, Arctic Monkeys gives us some new hooks and elaborations of what they've already accomplished. When they're effective, they connect well. Sometimes the trajectory flows like a dream; at other times the whole project is ordinary and stuck in idle. For those who remember The Undertones, this album reminds one of the transition when they went from the propulsive punk to the artiness of 'Positive Touch'. Hopefully, with gradual changes, The Arctic Monkeys won't undergo the Undertones' fate.

EXCELLENT!.......2007-07-18

This album's excellence makes me literally drool out of both pride and satisfaction.
Pride: For the simple fact that the band has truly grown since their previous musical triumph, topping it with a much darker, richer, and more
promising piece of modern Alt/Punk Rock.
Satisfaction: Frankly, I'm astounded by the songs, made so excited I can barely contain myself everytime I blast them through my small room.
The first album was fast and sharp, teeming with bounce, wit, and charm. They've lost none of that. They simply seemed to have channeled that youthful vigor into a more profound stream of thought, the lyrics now more thoughtful and sophisticated, almost so personal that they're difficult to decipher.
As for the sound, listeners are immediately forced with the urge to swiftly bob along, dance outright, even. The first album had this effect as well, but I feel that Favourite Worst Nightmare's strength generates more of a physical impression and reaction due to its profound uniqueness.
It's new and it's different and it boasts and overpowering sense of nuance, so noticably unique compared to today's endless spew of groups with similar sounds, lyrics, looks, and messages.
They are unlike any other, and I love them for it.

Not quite a Nightmare; Hardly a Favourite.......2007-07-04

Sure, the Arctics' debut wasn't that bad, but it felt a lot worse considering how much love the press and hype machines were throwing their way. They weren't rock and roll saviors; they were a decent but thoroughly middle of the road outfit with a couple of catchy tunes. Now that a year plus has passed, the world is already searching for the next big thing. The Arctics released a fame-is-killing-me EP (which I skipped) and now they might as well make a where-did-the-fame-go? record after this one.

Astonishingly, the Arctics come roaring out of the gates on the first track, "Brainstorm." A band that once seemed snide and snotty (a la Libertines) seems to actually care about grinding their guitars and pushing energy to its audience instead of sucking it away. There's a good and bad about that opening: thankfully, they don't try to repeat that notion again and again; unfortunately, that's the best song. Yes. The best. A driving punkish number that opens the album. After that, they coast through on mostly okay and better musical exercises, but for all the stuttering beats and post-punk flairs, they never reach that same mark again. Lucky for them that they're musically gifted enough so it's not immediately noticeable.

But music isn't enough, and even the punchy rhythm of "Teddy Picker" is brought down by hypocritical rants, "This House Is a Circus" uses the "word" berserkus for a rhyme(!), and the laughable story of the trying-too-hard "Fluorescent Adolescent" turns a forgettable track into an awful one. On the other end of the spectrum, "Only Ones Who Knows" is relatively well-said but drags along with a sluggish melody that's more likely to put one to sleep than to make one feel something. If Arctic Monkeys hope to have any shot at earning the accolades they once drowned in, they'd better do it fast. Remember when everyone loved the Strokes? And how often do you hear people talking about them in the present tense? And hell, those guys actually DESERVED most of their attention back then.

Best cuts: "Brainstorm," "Do Me a Favour," "Old Yellow Bricks," "If You Were There, Beware," "D Is For Dangerous," "The Bad Thing"

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Average customer rating:

This blew me away
Perfectly decent.
A great fresh sound!
Great CD
Catchy

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Manufacturer: Domino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Favourite Worst Nightmare
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You Could Have It So Much Better
First Impressions of Earth

ASIN: B000E1155E
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Tracks:

View From The Afternoon, The
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Fake Tales Of San Francisco
Dancing Shoes
You Probably Couldn't See The Lights But You Were Looking Straight At Me
Still Take You Home
Riot Van
Red Light Indicates The Doors Are Secure
Mardy Bum
Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But...
When The Sun Goes Down
From The Ritz To The Rubble
Certain Romance, A

Album Description

Musically, there are bits of The Stone Roses, "What's The Story Morning Glory", and "Nevermind". As catchy as those reference points are, it's the songwriting that has won the band a fiercely dedicated following; a mix of the observational storytelling of Davies and Weller crossed with the harsher documentary eye of Mike Skinner of The Streets and "Ghost Town" era Specials. Two #1 UK singles. Press already lined up with Rolling Stone, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, and Interview, to name a few. Three more US/Canadian tours planned for this year, including headlining Domino's label showcase at SXSW.

From Amazon.co.uk

Hot on the heels of their shock UK No. 1 single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not confirms Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys as the UK underground's most proselytizing young preachers of the DIY gospel. Marrying nervy, caffeine-and-cigarettes indie clatter to conversational, pretense-free lyrics and the occasional burst of off-the-cuff eloquence ("No time for Montagues or Capulets/Just banging tunes and DJ sets," proffers "Dancefloor"), it's an instant, pulse-racing hit.

No question, the Monkeys are more sinners than saints. The opening "The View from the Afternoon" predicts a ruckus with a whole lot more grit than the Kaisers can muster, while on the mellow "Riot Van," a tale of underage drinking and cop-baiting culminates in a messy beating in the back of a station wagon. Look beyond the Arctics' bristly, laddish exterior, however, because it's actually affairs of the heart that comprise this album's secret core: see the sweaty-palmed "Dancing Shoes," bearing testament to the trial of nerves that is pulling in a suburban indie nightclub, or "Mardy Bum"--a tribute to a moody girlfriend that, for all its witty barbs ("I've seen your frown and it's like looking down the barrel of a gun"), is tinted with sweet affection. --Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews:

This blew me away.......2007-08-03

Fantastic. It is pretty much the only CD I play in my car since I bought it a month ago. This band is genious. The music is so tight. I have never heard anything like this. Lyrics spectacular. I am afraid any followup CDs will only dissapoint. I can't imagine them topping this one. Too bad America hasn't really discovered them ......I LOVE this band.

Perfectly decent........2007-07-17

Not a bad record, but nothing compared to slur-punk contemporaries, The Libertines. I find it funny how often people cite their lyrics as the selling point of the band, so "fresh", "witty" and "insightful." Frankly, I didn't hear anything the Velvet Underground hadn't already said. Let's hope Alex Turner takes up heroin; he might end up half the musician Pete Doherty is.

A great fresh sound!.......2007-07-05

They are not that popular in the US yet, but are huge over in Europe. If you listen to 2 of their songs you will be hooked. Its a new kind of sound and a breath of fresh air from a lot of the crap music now-a-days. I would recommend this CD to anyone who like music!

Great CD.......2007-06-26

This is an excellent catchy CD that rock and rolls pretty well. My favorite tracks are "Red light indicates doors are secure" and "marty bum" Also check out "The Redwalls" first CD "Universal Blues" if you liked this CD.

Catchy.......2007-06-09

If you like big names from the UK, no one's bigger. It doesn't live up to the hype completely, but it's catchy and entertaining. I find myself singing along with it all the time.

Arctic Tale (Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture)

Average customer rating:

Arctic Tale (Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture)
Original Soundtrack
Manufacturer: Bulletproof
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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Jersey Beat: Music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

ASIN: B000SQLCBC
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Tracks:

Aimee Mann and Zach Gill "At The Edge Of The World"
Brian Wilson "Live Let Live"
Sheryl Crow "Keep On Growing"
Grant-Lee Phillips "Song Of The North (Beneath The Sun)"
Pearl Jam "Whale Song"
The Shins "Black Wave"
All Too Much "Soar"
Grant-Lee Phillips "Itchin'"
Matt Costa "If You Took To Me"
Aimee Mann "The Great Beyond"
Barry Gibb "Underworld"
Sister Sledge "We Are Family"

Album Description

"ARCTIC TALE : MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE MOTION PICTURE" features new, exclusive tracks from legends Brian Wilson, Barry Gibb, Aimee Mann, Grant-Lee Phillips, Matt Costa and All Too Much; and hits from Pearl Jam, Sheryl Crow, The Shins and more!

From National Geographic Films, the people who brought you MARCH OF THE PENGUINS and Paramount Classics, the studio that brought you AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, ARCTIC TALE is an epic adventure that explores the vast world of the Great North. The film, narrated by Queen Latifah, follows the walrus, Seela and the polar bear, Nanu, on their journey from birth to adolescence to maturity and parenthood in the frozen Arctic wilderness. Once a perpetual winter wonderland of snow and ice, the walrus and the polar bear are losing their beautiful icebound world as it melts from underneath them."

Flurescent Adolescent
Average customer rating:
Flurescent Adolescent
Arctic Monkeys
Manufacturer: Domino Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Brianstorm

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor

Who the F**k Are Arctic Monkeys

When the Sun Goes Down

Leave Before the Lights Come On

ASIN: B000RMC6LW
Release Date: 2007-07-16

Tracks:

Fluorescent Adolescent
Bakery
Plastic Tramp
Too Much To Ask

Album Description

Second CD single pulled from their 2007 sophomore album Favourite Worst Nightmare. Features 'Fluorescent Adolescent' plus the non-album tracks 'The Bakery', 'Plastic Tramp' and 'Too Much To Ask'. Domino.

Album Details

2007 Release of the Second Single Taken Taken from the Band's Sophomore Album "Favourite Worst Nightmare" is a Real Pop Anthem. The Song is Backed by the NON-LP Songs "Bakery", "Plastic Tramp" and "Too Much to Ask".

Average customer rating:

A bit uneven
They Grow Up So Fast!
nuts

Who the F**k Are Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Manufacturer: Domino Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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Leave Before the Lights Come On
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I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
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I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor [CD-SINGLE] [IMPORT]

ASIN: B000EU1LOK
Release Date: 2006-05-01

Tracks:

View From The Afternoon
Cigarette Smoker Fiona
Despair In The Departure Lounge
No Buses
Who The F**K Are Arctic Monkeys

Album Description

UK five-track EP. The follow-up to their record-breaking UK #1 debut album 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' and includes 'View From The Afternoon' plus four exclusive recordings 'Cigarette Smoker Fiona', 'Despair In The Departure Lounge', 'No Buses' & 'Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys'. Domino. 2006.

Album Details

Features Album Opener 'view from the Afternoon' plus Four Exclusive B-sides.

Customer Reviews:

A bit uneven.......2006-07-01

I couldn't help but think this EP was really just thrown together to take advantage of the Arctic Monkey's sudden popularity. But that said, I still enjoyed it. The title song is the best on the album. Some nice, slower paced songs as well, but overall it pales in comparison to their debut album masterpiece.

They Grow Up So Fast!.......2006-05-25

"And there's a couple of hundred / Think they're Christopher Columbus / But the settlers had already settled" It's genius ***s that get booted a lot in the industry, and Alex Turne is one of those "genius ***s". Think about it; his lyrics are out of this world, this delivery matches anything Johnny Rebel could cook up baked, and his style touches a certain nerve or the UK. "Who the *** are the Arctic Monkeys" is no exception to those qualities of this young guitarist, and his four-some band.

The disk is based on an idea that could go wrong or right, depending on you perceive it. They're singing about success and fame, and the pressures the lifestyle brings to the table. It won't work most of the time, unless you have your style down to the grime. The Arctic Monkeys, once again delivering the fresh stereo sound, make this puppy work!

You want to know the reason? Pop hooks. Alex Turne knows how to grind a hook into any song. He finds the melody in two bar tunes that no one else could, and he then works around it, slowly piecing together the song. By the time the tune is stitched up, the audience is on their feet or dancing their asses off, or (more likely) both.

So, Turne does what he does best on the disk. However, here's the part where the album perhaps falls "flat" - if you call half decent songs that. Honestly, sometimes, we the people don't give a *** about the life on the road. We want to here the life on the street. Give us the low and dirty! We'll scream. It's when Turne tries to grind a pop hook into something that doesn't fit with the album, the original, "brilliant" idea falters.

But the songs themselves forgive any of the tense collapses we have about the content. They're just so bloody dirty. Most already know "The View from the Afternoon"; trust me, it's hot no matter which album it leads!

The band keeps the songs down and dirty, with a steady melody line to keep the listener tuned in. Check "Cigarette Smoker Fiona" for the rundown on how a cracking rock and roll song is made. Mixed in are two different melodies, both cringing for the dance floor - "Her brother's gone off to the stripper / to make up for all the lost time" - could you get more in tune with the street savvy people? Doubt it.

"Despair in the Departure Lounge" keeps up with the underground, dirty feel of this album. You're either going to love it or hate it, and that depends on how real the Arctic Monkeys portray it. But it is one of the songs that flaunt the idea of making a disk about fortune and fame - this one about leaving your girl at home while you're out touring. The track also shows Turne trying to connect to his inner hippie, trying out mellow lines that he's had down for a while now. It demonstrates the feel of the album brilliantly - a steady stream of words and phrases, some that make sense, and others that just sound 'bout right.

Most of those phrases are in "No Buses", a track that'll grow with you if you let it. The back beat is hot and cracking, because it relies on voice and not too much on other instruments. I can't figure out how Turne does it so nicely, but he sure knows how to paste a thousand words into a loop and make it fit like a puzzle piece.

But none of the tracks on this disk demonstrates the melody and rhythms that the Arctic Monkeys were hoping to get across than the title track. "Who the *** are the Arctic Monkeys" has a melody that carries out through the whole song. It shows Turne taking risks with his style, incorporating a kicking base line that'll drive you into the ground. It also shows the band really trying to hammer home a feeling with the audience. They know what it is. They've been doing it all through the mini masterpiece; you can hit us, but we'll keep on coming back up. You'll have to listen to it a bit more to catch it.

Originally reviewed for Sputnikmusic Reviews.

nuts.......2006-05-08

just like everything these guys have released, simply put, its tight, its clean, it definitly shows signs of these guys maturing not only with their playing, but their lyrics. theres a pretty big change from the "town life" feel of w.p.s.i.a.t.w.i.n., who the F*** are arctic monkeys shows the bands feelings after hitting so big, dealing with critics and fans alike. cig. smoker fionna is an old song cig smoke re-recorded with fresh new lyrics, probably showing their biggest sign of lyrically growing. despair and no buses are slower, a bit of a change other than riot van, showing the monkeys can play slower mellow songs as well as if not better than the usual british indie. fantastic, not to mention it has view from the afternoon, probably one of the top 3 songs on the first album. definitly worth the money, these lads have some major things happening for them, if this is a sign of their second album to come, we are in for something very special
cheers

Average customer rating:

Much Bigger Boys
Great, great songs...Bad price.
Amazed!!!...
Nice b-sides
lighting the fuse might result in in a bang, with a bang, GO!

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Arctic Monkeys
Manufacturer: Domino Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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When the Sun Goes Down
Who the F**k Are Arctic Monkeys
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Favourite Worst Nightmare
Brianstorm

ASIN: B000ATJZK2
Release Date: 2005-10-24

Tracks:

I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Bigger Boys & Stolen Sweethearts
Chun Li's Spinning Bird Kick

Album Description

3-track UK single backed with 'Bigger Boys And Stolen Sweaters' & 'Chun Li's Spinning Bird Kick'. Domino. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Much Bigger Boys.......2006-07-27

Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweathearts is one of their all time best songs. It should have been on the album. The other b-side is pretty good, the opening line of which is stuck in my head...

Saw them in Atlanta in 06 and they were great. I surely hope they stick around for awhile and don't lose the magic.

Great, great songs...Bad price........2006-02-27

These are three great tracks, but it is way too pricey for anyone but a collector. You can buy it on iTunes for only $3 or download live versions of these songs for free off of www.mardy-bum.com. But anyways, 4 stars for the great tracks and go buy the entire album!

Amazed!!!..........2006-02-19

I was first introduced to this record by a friend.. who was talking so much about this band. Then I download the full album, and I was really pleased.. Yes, it is in the mood of a lot of the recent bands (eaning: bloc party, franz ferdinand, we are scientists, etc). However, it also has a special indie vibe, very english style of singing!. The first 4 songs really rocks!, you can't hear them without start headbanging and moving ur feet.. If u want to download a song to start hearing about the I recommend "The view from the afternoon" and the live performance they had on KCRW podcast@itunes. And yes be prepared to hear about them for the rest of the year, to appear of the NME,Spin, and rolling stone covers all around the world....

Nice b-sides.......2006-02-13

I haven't heard the Arctic Monkeys' debut album yet, but judging by the quality of the b-sides, this band may actually justify the hype. "Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts" is an absolute gem, with Alex Turner playing the wry outsider in the grand lyrical tradition of Ray Davies and Paul Weller. Maybe even better than "Dancefloor," but in a completely different gear. "Chun Li's Spinning Bird Kick" is a fun (love the geeky Street Fighter reference), tossed-off instrumental. Pick this up for the stellar first two tracks. The album's right around the corner!

lighting the fuse might result in in a bang, with a bang, GO!.......2006-01-10

i put this single on my annual 'best of' mix i give to all my friends for xmas because let's face it, this songs kicks trash--pounding drums, what grabs you more than anything is the sheer energy, enthusiasm, and unabashed exuberance. yeah, it's loud. yeah, it's a bit ramshackled. yeah, but it's still got a great melody, a great hook, and clever lyrics and wordplay. i'm sure this one's going to be a staple at danceclubs -- it's just so much FUN. it makes you wanna jump on your bed, throw your hands in the air, play air guitar and air drums, do the splits, etc (and it doesn't hurt to drop montague and capulet references).

i heard the 'official' single on XM the other day and I have to confess, i didn't care for it as much as the demo version i, ahem, 'downloaded' a few months back. if you can find the original, i think you might prefer it a tad to the 'official' single version. it's got more energy and passion, less polished production.

the artic monkeys will probably break big this year, as well they should. get the cd now so you can say 'artic monkeys? i've been listening to them for ages.' you'll impress your friends.

with any luck, in 2006 we'll all be bopping like robots from 1984.

Average customer rating:

Great song
Great songs, but not worth the price

Leave Before the Lights Come On
Arctic Monkeys
Manufacturer: Domino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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4-for-3 Alternative Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B000GPI2QS
Release Date: 2006-08-21

Tracks:

Leave Before the Lights Come On
Put Your Dukes Up John
Baby I'm Yours

Album Description

2006 CD single, a brand new studio recording unavailable on their debut album, shows Alex Turner and gang further honing their songwriting craft with a track which could well turn out to be one of their finest. Features the title track plus two exclusive B sides, one of which is a cover of Little Flames `Put Your Dukes Up, John' and the other a cover of a long lost soul classic from Barbara Lewis called `Baby I'm Yours'. Domino. 2006.

Album Details

2006 Intermediate Cdep Studio Recording of a Highlighted Song that Became a Concert Favorite of Fans that Didn't Appear on their Debut Album. The Backing Tracks Are Cover Versions of the Little Flames "Put Your Dukes Up, John" and Barbara Lewis' Classic "Baby I'm Yours".

Customer Reviews:

Great song.......2007-03-01

the title track is one of their best songs, and i don't know why they left it off their debut. the rest of the songs just shows their versitility and what they can do with different musical styles, but all in all good album, but great song.

Great songs, but not worth the price.......2006-12-25

Amazing new songs! All three of these songs are great in their own respective ways, but the whole product is not worth such a price. I highly recommend getting these songs, including "Baby I'm Yours" (which is a great cover), but go buy these songs off iTunes and save yourself a few dollars.

American Beauties: The Rags of Joseph Lamb

Average customer rating:

American Sorta-Beauties
Good, but not great
good
Exquisite!
Excellent Rags Played with Gusto

American Beauties: The Rags of Joseph Lamb
Virginia Eskin
Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00004SC17
Release Date: 2000-05-23

Tracks:

Walper House Rag
The Alaskan Rag
Ragtime Reverie
Brown Derbie No.2
Alabama Rag
Arctic Sunset
Bird-Brain Rag
Cottontail Rag
Hot Cinders
Ragtime Bobolink
The Old Home Rag
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Thouroughbred Rag
Toad Stool Rag
Sensation
Ethiopia
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American Beauty Rag
Patricia Rag
Nightingale Rag

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Joseph Lamb, a white musician who lived from 1887 to 1960, was considered one of the major ragtime composers of his era. By the end of his life, he had fallen into total obscurity, and even the ragtime revival hasn't made him a household name. His rags are different in style from Scott Joplin's, generally briefer and simpler in construction but still filled with lovely melodies and unaffected charm. The "American Beauty Rag," from which this disc takes its name, is only one of Lamb's many delicious miniatures (most of them under three minutes). Virginia Eskin has the style of this music down perfectly. She plays with just the right tempos (a trifle faster than would be appropriate for most of Joplin) and a lyrical sensitivity that doesn't prevent her from showing rhythmic drive. We're used to more than 49 minutes of music on most CDs, but 20 of Lamb's rags in a row are enough for one listening session. Don't give up before you reach the last one, though; "Nightingale Rag" is one of Lamb's best. A fascinating byway in American music is effectively explored and presented in realistic sound. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

American Sorta-Beauties.......2007-05-06

Ms. Eskin certainly can play piano. She can certainly read music. And she can combine the two well enough. What I found most distracting about this album, however, isn't the fact that she doesn't repeat many of the measures. It's that she tends occasionally to hit clinkers. After the first one or two, I found myself listening more closely for mistakes than actually enjoying the music. Another problem with this album is that her renditions are too bulky and heavy. I've heard much cleaner-sounding performances of Lamb's work.

I paid the money so I don't intend to return the CD. But it'll play well enough in my noisy car driving to and from work.

Good, but not great.......2005-10-10

I have owned this album since June 2000, and it inspired me at the time to find out more online and even to compose some rags of my own. It turns out that many of the melodies are made more "logical" by Eskin. However, she does use too much pedal, and she also does not take most of the repeats. It is unfortunate that she repeats only the first strain of "Ragtime Reverie," for there are no on-demand recordings of that work over the Internet.

good.......2005-07-31

its a good album but not very good
first of all in several rags virgina doesn't repeat where it says it must. second she plays several rags way to fast. Joe lamb was just like the others that ragtime must not be played fast the feeling get lost in the a rag that is played to fast like ragtime nightingale. I have the sheetmusic myself and it says "slow march tempo" not fast like virginia it plays.
but its a good album she plays with flair and style

Exquisite!.......2002-12-29

Joseph F. Lamb is generally thought of as one of the three greatest of the classical ragtime composers, the others being Scott Joplin and James Scott. It's a matter of taste, but many rank him almost as highly as Joplin, and this exquisite album shows why. Lamb's rags typically soar with wonderful, reverie-evoking melodies, unmatched in the ragtime canon. These melodies are offset by original, exciting, brisk passages. Virginia Eskin executes these gems wonderfully. She presents them always at the proper tempo and as written, without the filigrees that are so common in ragtime playing (Lamb doesn't need them!). The only drawback -- and it is a very minor one -- is that she sometimes treads a little too heavily on the pedal. This album is essential in even a small ragtime collection. In my large collection, it is one of my favorite and oft-played treasures.

Excellent Rags Played with Gusto.......2002-08-04

Up until Joseph Lamb, the only ragtime composer who could satisfy me was Scott Joplin. These rags are excellent and distinctly different from Joplin's, although both composers are obviously from the same genre. According to the liner notes, they even knew each other.

The pianist has a great love of the material, and it shows in her playing.

I highly recommend this CD to all fans of ragtime.

Brianstorm
Average customer rating:

Something About This Band

Pleasantly Surprised

Brianstorm
Arctic Monkeys
Manufacturer: Domino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000NA2UM8
Release Date: 2007-04-17

Tracks:

If You Found This It's Probably Too Late
Brianstorm
Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend
What If You Were Right the First Time?

Album Description

Brand new single taken from the bands forthcoming studio album 'Favourite worst nightmare'. Following the fastest selling debut UK album of all time, Arctic Moneys return with a more mature sound mixing indie riffs, punk anthems and dance floor hits. This single is fast loud and brash, one of the strongest songs the band have written to date. Produced by James Ford and mixed by Alan Moulder (NIN, My Bloody Valentine,Curve, Depeche Mode,etc) 'Brianstorm' features guest vocals from UK Rapper Dizzee Rascal. CDSingle (4 tracks) in embossed Digi-pak. 10 inch vinyl (4 tracks) and limited heavy weight vinyl 7 inch presssing. Domino 2007

Album Details

The First Single to Be Taken from their 2007 'favourite Worst Nightmare' Full Length. The First Single to Be Taken from their Album 'favourite Worst Nightmare'. The CD Single Will Come in a Very Appealing Embossed Digipack with Spot Gloss.

Customer Reviews:

Something About This Band.......2007-04-19

Yes, Brianstorm rocks but Temptation Greets You Like... is also a gem. They have definitely taken a heavier path. Hope these guys stay around for a long time and continue evolving.

Also, seek out the B-Side to Bet You Look Good...: Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweathearts. Fantastic...

Pleasantly Surprised.......2007-04-13

I was highly sceptical of the Arctic Monkeys sophmore effort, for a band that has had so much hype built around them they sure have kept their heads well. Considering how badly this single could have gone I was twitching with hope that Alex Turner would be able to keep the pace up from the first album.

Brianstorm is probably their fastest and hardest song to date it initiallly blew me away. The riff is fantastic and exhilerating.

Overhyped? maybe, dissapointing? never