Arctic Monkeys

小简介 去年年底，四个热爱音乐的英国少年组成了一支乐队，他们并没有通过与唱片公司签约这样的传统方式迈入乐坛，而是在互联网上建立了自己的网站进行自我宣传。现在，这支乐队已经成为了英国乐坛最炙手可热的新团体。   去年底，四个十多岁的英国少年组成了一支名叫北极猴的乐队，他们在互联网上创建了自己的网站，把乐队录制的歌曲放到网站上，供网友免费下载。乐队成员每天都会登陆网站的论坛，与歌迷们聊天。没过多久，他们便成为了互联网上风头最劲的网络乐队。尽管在过去的一年中他们只做了屈指可数的几次公开表演，但是随着北极猴在网络上的影响力越来越大，唱片公司终于发现了这支颇具市场潜力的乐队，并与之签约。于是，北极猴摇身一变，从一支网络乐队成功过渡为征战唱片市场的新团体。甚至有乐评人称他们是英国乐队中的未来之星。这支单曲《我猜你是舞林高手》便是北极猴乐队与唱片公司签约后发行的第一支单曲，前不久单曲刚一面世，便力压众多乐坛老将的得意力作，登上了英国单曲畅销金榜的榜首。同时，乐队也宣布他们将在不久以后举行世界巡演。这样的成就使北极猴乐队成为了英国迄今为止最成功的网络乐队。   2005年10月23日，英国音乐单曲排行榜上爆出了大冷门。连续3周蝉联冠军宝座的Sugababes的单曲“Push The Button”被一支叫做Arctic Monkeys（北极猴）的乐队挤到了第2名的位置。刚上榜就登顶确实让人对这个新晋的摇滚乐队刮目相看。   由4个小伙子组成的Arctic Monkeys乐队来自英格兰北部城市Sheffield 。成立于2002年，乐队成员包括：Alex Turner(主唱,吉他手和乐队创作核心),Matt Helders(鼓手,和声)，Andy Nicholson(贝斯手)和节奏吉他手Jamie Cook。他们的冠军单曲“I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor”发表于2005年10月17日，在此之前，他们仅仅在2005年初发行过一张名为Five Minutes With The Arctic Monkeys的限量版EP。而随着Arctic Monkeys乐队在英国人气渐盛，他们已经被NME杂志评为“目前全英最热门的乐队”，称其是流行乐坛上的一支生力军。 Citing influences such as the Jam, the Clash, and the Smiths, the Arctic Monkeys create a vibrant punk-inspired sound well suited for Britpop and alternative rock fans alike. Alex Turner (vocals/guitar), Jamie Cook (guitar), Andy Nicholson (bass), and Matt Helders (drums) formed the Arctic Monkeys in Sheffield, England, in 2003. A year prior, Turner and Cook received guitars for Christmas. From there, these teenagers made practicing an obsession, memorizing hits by the White Stripes and the Vines. A deal with Domino, the label home to Franz Ferdinand and Clinic, followed in spring 2004. Rambunctious first single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" debuted at number one on the U.K. singles chart in October 2005. Their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, was issued in January 2006; within a day of its release, the album sold 118,501 copies in the U.K. — and over 350,000 its first week — setting a record for more records sold than the rest of the Top 20 album chart combined. In America, the album scraped the bottom of the Top 40. The Arctic Monkeys wasted no time releasing new material, and that spring the EP Who the F**k Are Arctic Monkeys appeared. On their first North American tour, bassist Andy Nicholson sat out due to fatigue. Nick O'Malley temporarily stepped in to play the tour, and when the band announced that Nicholson was out of the group in June 2006, O'Malley was ultimately named a permanent member. The Arctic Monkeys' good fortune continued when that fall they were named the recipients of the 2006 Mercury Prize, the prize money from which they donated to an undisclosed charity. That same year, the guys also nabbed Best British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards and Best New Band and Best British Band at the NME Awards. (NME also made the bold assertion that the band's debut was one of the Top Five British albums ever released.) Weathering through the hype, the Arctic Monkeys kept working and their sophomore album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, surfaced in April 2007.