Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not CD

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not buy CD music This Montreal ensemble's fiery debut is marked by surging guitars, soulful strings, driving drums, brilliant bass lines, and the quavering vocals of married couple Win Butler and Regine Chassagne. The group's song structures careen through a vast territory of musical and personal history, with lyrics warm with memories of childhood neighborhoods and deceased loved ones, resulting in an alternating current of joy and sadness. Favorably compared to the Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, and Broken Social Scene, the Arcade Fire's sound seems to come from a lifetime of listening to the Cure, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, and many others--even a dose of soul gets worked into these grand anthems. Chassagne delivers some spellbinding vocals on "Haiti," while the tinkling piano and strings on "Crown of Love" conjure up a heartbroken surfside prom. In 2004, this made many critics' year-end lists, and it's no wonder--the songs on FUNERAL are so packed with unique instrumentation, mesmerizing build-ups, and galvanizing tempo changes that they seem culled from some enigmatic, decade-spanning rock anthology. Recording information: Hotel 2 Tango (08/2003-??/2004); Win & Regine's Apartment, Montreal, Canada (08/2003-??/2004). Photographer: Hilary Treadwell. Arcade Fire: Will Butler (bass instrument); Richard Reed Parry (double bass); Win Butler (bass guitar); Régine Chassagne, Howard Bilerman. Personnel: Win Butler (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric 12-string guitar, piano, synthesizer); Régine Chassagne (vocals, accordion, recorder, piano, synthesizer, xylophone, drums, percussion); Howard Bilerman (guitar, drums); Timothy Kingsbury (acoustic guitar); Anita Fust (harp); Jessica Moss, Sophie Trudeau, Owen Pallett, Sarah Neufeld (violin); Genevieve Heistek (viola); Michael Olsen, Mike Olsen (cello); Richard Reed Parry (accordion, piano, organ, synthesizer, xylophone, upright bass, percussion); Pietro Amato (horns); Will Butler (synthesizer, xylophone, percussion); Arlen Thompson (drums).

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not CD music Recorded in James Mercer's Basement, Portland, Oregon and Avasti Studio, Seattle, Washington. When the Shins bowled over music fans and critics alike in 2001 seemingly out of nowhere (but actually out of Albuquerque and years of playing together) with OH, INVERTED WORLD, their stunningly beautiful debut, the comparisons came pouring in. Scribes likened their insistent, melodic sound and James Mercer's hyper-literate, oblique but mellifluous lyrics to many mostly anachronistic, all deeply revered sources, including everything from the Beach Boys to Love. The follow-up, CHUTES TOO NARROW, meets and often manages to exceed the tremendous, burgeoning buzz surrounding it. Mercer and co. retain all the elements that made their debut delectable, as the melodies flow hither and thither, a subtle rapture confident in its ability to entrance. Delicately crafted yet explosively poetic lines again abound (such as "secretly I want to bury in the yard the grey remains of a friendship scarred"), and by the time the sing-a-long of "So Says I" kicks in, the die is cast. Nestled near the end of the consistently captivating record is the countrified should-be classic "Gone for Good." With its riding-the-rails beat and irrefutable lyrical hook, it seems to sum up the pensive feel of the whole record, "I find a fatal flaw in the logic of love and go out of my head." Such ponderous musings rarely ever sounded so good. This is the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut full-length, Oh, Inverted World. With ten songs, clocking in at just over 30 minutes, the new record is a brief yet entirely scintillating glimpse at chiming, reflective, and perfectly skewed pop innovation. Sub Pop. 2003. Personnel: James Mercer (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Dave Yanul Hernandez (guitar); Anne Marie Ruljancich (violin); Marty Crandall (keyboards); Jesse Sandoval (drums). Audio Mixer: Phil Ek. Recording information: Avast! Studio, Seattle, WA (06/2003-07/2003); James Basement, Portland, OR (06/2003-07/2003). The Shins: James Mercer (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Marty Crandall (keyboards); Dave Hernandez (bass); Jesse Sandoval (drums). Additional personnel: Kevin Suggs (pedal steel guitar); Annemarie Ruljiancich (violin).

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not songs On this immensely appealing debut, SILENT ALARM, the London-based quartet Bloc Party fulfills the promise of their barnstorming 2004 singles "Banquet" and "She's Hearing Voices." Led by magnetic frontman Kele Okereke, the band extracts the most fascinating aspects of the previous 25 years of British indie rock and fuses them into a new entity--complete with smarts and heart--never delving into retro-kitsch or slavish imitation. Okerere's urgent yelp most often recalls a fired-up incarnation of the Cure's Robert Smith, but the sounds the group creates echo everything from Gang of Four's staccato militarism ("Banquet") to the reverberating guitars of the Chameleons ("Price of Gas"). At times, Bloc Party also recalls the ecstatic soundwashes of early-1990s cult pioneers like Ride ("Plans") and Slowdive ("Compliments"). Lyrically, Okerere tilts toward an endearing adolescent pessimism that, even when the music is less than mopey, gives him away as a goth at heart ("and the ravens are leaving the tower/make your peace"). However, at the end of "Price of Gas," when he proclaims "I can tell you how this ends/We're going to win this," one can hope that Okerere is expressing his confidence in a bright future for his extremely talented band. Audio Mixer: Rich Costey. Audio Remixer: Four Tet. Recording information: Detalab Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark (06/2004-07/2004); Miloco, Hoxton (06/2004-07/2004); The Exchange, London, England (06/2004-07/2004). Photographers: Paul Epworth; Matt Tong. Bloc Party: Kele Okereke (vocals, guitar); Russell Lissack (guitar); Gordon Moakes (bass guitar); Matt Tong (drums). Personnel: Paul Epworth (programming).

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not album for sale Emerging in an era rife with New Wave rip-off artists, the Kaiser Chiefs ran the risk of their sharp suits, angular haircuts, and early-1980s influences being taken the wrong way. While many of their peers shamelessly aped the most obvious aspects of the Cure, New Order, et al, Kaiser Chiefs (the name comes from a South African soccer team) much more subtly incorporated the sensibilities of their influences. Though one can hear traces of everything from Madness to XTC and Adam & the Ants on the Chiefs 2005 debut album, EMPLOYMENT, these Brits are no one's slavish imitators. Their undeniably catchy melodies, sarcastically witty lyrics, and often-sophisticated song structures bespeak a band that has developed its own style. Thus, the record finds Kaiser Chiefs standing head and shoulders above the mid-2000s neo-New Wave pack, brimming with energy, smarts, and promise. Audio Mixers: Stephen Harris; Stephen Street; Cenzo Townshend. Recording information: Olympic Studios, Barnes, London, England; Town House Studios, London, England. Editor: Tom Stanley. Photographers: Jason Kelvin; Andy Melchior. Kaiser Chiefs: Ricky Wilson (vocals); Andrew White (guitar); Peanut (keyboards); Simon Rix, Nick Hodgson. Personnel: Nick Hodgson (vocals, drums); Adey Wilson (vocals); Simon Rix (bass guitar).

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not CD music SHOW YOUR BONES, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's 2006 sophomore full-length, was one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The band's fiery, unhinged 2003 major-label debut, FEVER TO TELL, yanked the band out of NYC clubs and onto the world stage, and while most of the musical cognoscente anticipated a sonic shake-up of some sort for the sequel, in exactly what direction the YYYs would head was a source of much speculation. Would they follow Liars into the murky depths of willfully alienating avant noise, or would they Liz-Phair themselves right into glossy commercial irrelevance? In fact, it's neither of the above. As tracks like "Gold Lion," "Honeybear," and "Cheated Hearts" show, the band clearly isn't out to ruffle any feathers, but they're also not forsaking the infectious, art-tinged punk that got them where they are. Guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase are spot-on as usual, and Karen O is in lovely, if somewhat restrained, voice throughout. The production is bright and full, and enhances the glammy, anthemic underpinnings of the band's sound. And although it's not going to inspire any future prom themes a la "Maps," SHOW YOUR BONES has strengthened the YYYs claim to being that rarest of animals--a legitimate Top 40 rock band with a genuine artistic sensibility. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Karen O (vocals); Nick Zinner (guitar); Brian Chase (drums). Additional personnel: Money Mark (keyboards); David Andrew Sitek (sampler).

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not buy CD music On 2007's FAVOURITE WORST NIGHTMARE, Arctic Monkeys follow up their excessively hyped and undeniably catchy debut (WHATEVER PEOPLE SAY I AM, THAT'S WHAT I'M NOT) with another round of fiery post-punk-influenced tunes. Given the Sheffield, England quartet's newfound status as full-blown rock stars in their homeland, they wisely avoid the working-class-bloke-isms that rang true on their first album, and instead opt for a broader lyrical scope and a significantly weightier approach. The Monkeys' Mark II aesthetic is best embodied by the lead single "Brianstorm," a pounding track (about a friend, hence the deliberate misspelling) that kicks off the outing with rapid-fire guitar riffs and pummeling percussion. NIGHTMARE also finds the band looking good on the dancefloor with songs such as "Teddy Picker" and "D Is for Dangerous," which combine inescapably funky rhythms with frontman Alex Turner's raspy howl. To his credit, Turner turns his Yorkshire-accented voice into a comforting croon on the surprisingly atmospheric "Only Ones Who Know," imbuing the record with the dynamism that was somewhat lacking on WHATEVER. A sure sign that the Monkeys aren't fading away after their big bang, FAVOURITE WORST NIGHTMARE is the sound of a tough young band playing for keeps. Recording information: Eastcote Studios, London, England; Konk Studios, London, England; Miloco Garden, London, England; Motor Museum, Liverpool. Illustrators: Juno; Al Heighton; Joseph Bramhall; Anne Marie Moore; Drew Millward. Photographer: Juno. Personnel: Miles Kane, James Ford (guitar). Audio Mixers: Mike Crossey; James Ford ; Alan Moulder.