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

[simonav]

I don't like the changes they've made just doesn't sound right now

[solum]

Seconded    The NME is utterly hopeless these days and their recommendation is more of a turn-off to me than recommendation. Their desperate need to create 'scenes' out of nothing depresses me beyond belief.

Plus, they didn't bother revireing the Slint reunion gigs last year. Can't forgive them for that. I expect babyshambles were playing at the Underworld though  . Idiots.

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WTF?

Here's a review of the Slint reunion: "Slint made a load of money."!!!

[Mk.]

There's a fucking suprise.

Though i'd care more if the NME was more relevant than a handbook on how to eat soup.

It's a rag for children who need direction in life.

And that's a shit quote-"more likely to make you form a band..."

What a dumb thing to say. If it's urgent and relevant why does it sound like the same rock and pop music the Beatles made 40 years ago? And why oh why would it make everyone reading the magazne want to go and form a band. Sweeping generalisation+lots of hyperbole+big fat review score=NME review.

Twats.

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Oh don't be so silly, NME does what it needs to do very well. Consider the target audience. If you're over 20 and still reading it you should be feeling a bit old.

Here's a new equation for you. Smash Hits + rock & indie music - girly stuff = NME.

And that's not meant as a criticism

[McNeillR]

I know. Was discussing this at the pub today- how did they manage to literally sit on the album so much? It's just squashed any of the vitriol that were in the demos and left very little to worth it after.

Not that that'll be noted with the bijillions of folk who buy it. Not that it'll make any real difference to their course.

One thing that struck me is- can they really fill the huge venues they're liable to be playing by Christmas with what's on offer in the album? I've never seen them in Academy sized venues so can't say for sure.

[McFly]

Its ok, not too keen on the singers voice. Only hear dteh first 4 songs.

[part]

It's alright if you try not to listen to the words and just let them pass over you. Frankly, some of the lyrcis are so pathetic and cringing it gets to the stage where you feel emabressed just by listening to them. The whole "wayward intellectuals who just like to get drunk" thing they seem to be going for doesn't really hold any water because everything else about them is so slick. Oh well, I guess it shows how powerful PR and marketing can be when done properly.

[Loik V credern]

It's alright if you try not to listen to the words and just let them pass over you. Frankly, some of the lyrcis are so pathetic and cringing it gets to the stage where you feel emabressed just by listening to them. The whole "wayward intellectuals who just like to get drunk" thing they seem to be going for doesn't really hold any water because everything else about them is so slick. Oh well, I guess it shows how powerful PR and marketing can be when done properly.

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What are you on about you lunatic?

[Bushby]

Ok I'm only three tracks into the album...

...And they've completely killed the riff to Fake Tales of San Francisco. It sounds like they were on diazepam when they recorded it.

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I'm going to carry on playing the demo version when I DJ.

[Guest]

I am probably too easily grabbed by the desire to fit in, but I like this record rather a lot. Seems to be the Libertines crossed with the Ramones. Going to see the scamps tomorrow in Belfast and will report back.

[Sng]

Shockingly, I quite like this album. I say shockingly because I first heard them on CD:UK at about 4am and thought it was a complete joke. Admittidly, I was on pills and had my mind on other things but at the time I wanted to slap them all across the face.

Buuuut, I've been listening to it quite a bit now. It's... consistent. Consistently alright... listenable... way too much hype though. It's preeetty good but let's not get carried away.

6/10 Edge.

[McFly]

Buuuut, I've been listening to it quite a bit now. It's... consistent. Consistently alright... listenable... way too much hype though. Let's not get carried away.

6/10 Edge.

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0/\0

I'm not sure why they've grabbed so much attention, seems completely unmainstream to me. The only song i really hate is When the sun goes down, its awful. But the rest is alright.

[DC Lemon]

I think if there's one thing worth celebrating about AM it's that I can now go and buy some dirt-cheap clothes from Tesco on Friday and look fashionable throughout February, and who knows, maybe right up to April.

[Guest]

Shockingly, I quite like this album. I say shockingly because I first heard them on CD:UK at about 4am and thought it was a complete joke. Admittidly, I was on pills and had my mind on other things but at the time I wanted to slap them all across the face.

Buuuut, I've been listening to it quite a bit now. It's... consistent. Consistently alright... listenable... way too much hype though. It's preeetty good but let's not get carried away.

6/10 Edge.

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You are SO not getting a xmas card from me this year.

[Sng]

Tee hee, I better not mention how much I like the Babyshamble's album.

[Guest]

Tee hee, I better not mention how much I like the Babyshamble's album.

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You are dead to me.

[Guest]

They were surprisingly good in Belfast last night, quite a tight band. Still an easy gig as the crowd went apeshit. Felt sorry for Maximo Park when loads of people left.

[Bushby]

They were surprisingly good in Belfast last night, quite a tight band. Still an easy gig as the crowd went apeshit. Felt sorry for Maximo Park when loads of people left.

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They left?

My God. They deserve to be shot.

[McFly]

Those who left are obviously trendoids, only a fashionista or complete rich twat would pay for a ticket and see 1 band. And if they did that they're cocks.

[McNeillR]

We Are Scientists are worth two tickets alone mind. I'm going to stand at the back and punch every cunt who walks out after Arctic Monkeys tommorow night.

[Timmo]

We Are Scientists?

We Are The Same Song Over And Over, more like.

Haha, how DO I think them up? I'm wasted here. WASTED.

[McNeillR]

Yeah, anywho.

Last night a good 300 folk easy left after the Arctic Monkeys. We were at the frontish for Mystery Jets and We Are Scientists then retired to about middleyback. Chants started for them before the roadies came on after WAS.

They were distinctly average. Maybe even the dictionary definition. First time I saw them was in a dark/dank/dingy nightclub and they seemed alright and the crowd didn't have to fill in the gaps for them, unlike last night.

I was shocked that so many people left. We were able to stroll right up to a handful of bodies from the front after, it was appauling. Even my drunken shouts of telling people there were another band left didn't get me punched.

Overall everyone said it was between We Are Scientists and Maximo Park for the band of the night, no one thought the Arctic Monkeys were special- and this is coming from people who go to a gig everytime Oasis do a tour.

[ngchol]

It'll sell, at the very most, a quarter mill in week one.

Yes, they're huge for an NME band, but if X and Y did't get close to the Oasis figures, then the Arctic Monkeys won't.

Trust me.

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363,735 copies in one week!!! An amazing achievement, to give them their due.

[McFly]

It is an achievement to sell that many copies of a not particularly good album, not bad just not amazing. Coffee table music imo.

[Sardan]

Well it ISN'T coffe table music, that's for sure.

The album isn't as good as the demos. That is a shame. They also left some great songs off the album 9 "Bigger boys...")

But The more I have listened to it the more I think it is a good record. It good have been better it isn't 10/10 but so what? In a world where the charts are dominated by shite it is good to see this band doing so well.

[McFly]

Its too dull for that i suppose.

[Sardan]

Well I saw them last night and the Arctic Monkeys were very very good. Much better than I expected really and much better live than on the album. I'll definitrely try to get tickets for the April tour.

Everyone i have spoken to about the gig also thought they were very good.

We are Scientists (I'd agree that all the songs sound the same, but I like them anyway). They were as good as the Artctic Monkeys I would say.

Lots of people left before Maximo Park which was a shame. They were good and I was really looking forward to them as out of the albums I rate theirs the most. However despite trying very hard, no doubt because they were on after Arctic Monkeys, they just didn't quite cut it. I think they may have been let down by the sound which wasn't as good as the previous two bands for some reason.

Mystery Jets - well bit of a mystery really.

[Blue Owl]

I mentioned that I know Alex, the lead singer/guitarist, in the other thread but yesterday morning on the bus to Uni I saw one of my best mates from school on his way to work. We got chatting and I find out that he's just got back from touring around Europe with the Monkeys and even went on stage in front of 15,000 people in Glasgow!

He could have taken me as well

The Monkeys are apparently going to Canada later in the year to do a gig with Oasis, no idea if that's news already. Maybe it's a rllmuk exclusive!

[Loik V credern]

The new EP is out today.

Anyone grab it yet?

Oh yeah, and the demo track Waitin' For the Bus or Train is fantastic. I can't believe it didn't make the album cut.

Bought it today after finally finding it perched on a special Arctic Monkeys stand in HMV. Said stand containing everything 'Monkeys had previously passed me by on the day of it's release, as it's right at the front of the store...and, and...

...it's okay, I suppose. Glad to see Cigarette Smoke re-emerge, improved too. ( )

I also liked the Waitin' For the Bus or Train demo, and expected the song "Buses" to be an enhanced version of it after you mentioned it DiscoStu. How disappointed I was.

And I HATE any album/EP without a book with lyrics. Yes, the artwork is nice, but I may as well download the songs if I'm not going to be given lyrics. It saves searching the net for them, and when they're as good as this, searching is what you want to do. Always intrigued by the "Who the Fuck are Arctic Monkeys" track, but it's - like every almost every song on this EP - not too slow, not too quick just...right. The lyrics about paronia and such was predictable too, but maybe that's what makes them great. Or not.

Will give it more listens of course, but they're planning on releasing their second album a year after their debut, and, on evidence of this, I really can't see it being that different. And when you think their guitars often sound samey, generic and soulless, that's definitely a bad thing. The reason I'd previously said their demos were "great" was because the expectation was so low. But now, everything they do seems a bit tired.

Or maybe I've just 'moved on'.