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!

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.

I listened to some Arctic Monkeys Songs and was very impressed. They have a Hot Hot Heat type melody but their sound is still all there own. Thier lyrics are also very cleverly written and it doesn't hurt that they have found thier own style and revel in it. I can't wait for the full album to come out. I just missed them when they played in L.A. is the only sad thing.

No doubt this band will be hyped in Filter and Spin over the next 12 months, but for once the hype will be justified. The best single of 2005 by miles and THE best new band in Britain. From Sheffield so forget any prententious London aires and graces, better hooks than Franz Ferdinand, more focused than the Libertines and are set to give Oasis a run for their (vast sums)of money. Coldplay - forget it!

I gave this EP five stars on first listen, but it hasn't aged well. The band can rock, no doubt. But the lyrics don't seem particularly inspired, and the singer's voice hasn't worn well on me. I'd demote it to three or four stars, but I can't figure out how!

Give the AM's a listen, but don't hitch rock's future to this band-wagon. With all the hype their first CD received, they'll be lucky to survive the sophomore jinx.