Music Matters

Under-the-radar Arctic Monkeys still trying to figure out how to make it inAmerica

How under-the-radar have British indie rock sensations Arctic Monkeys flown since hitting pay dirt with 2005 debut single, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor," from debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not ?

As I was prepping to write this story I was all prepared to prattle on about how the group had avoided the dreaded sophomore slump. I was going to advise the quartet not to fall into the trap of making songs on new album Suck It And See sound like cut-rate copies of past single successes in effort to re-captialize on that success (in other words, don't pull a Smashmouth).

Then I started doing some research and realized that Suck It And See was the fourth album by the Arctic Monkeys!

Huh? How did that happen?

While the Arctic Monkeys have done a steady business across the pond with quick, jangly hits like "Leave Before the Lights Come On," "Brainstorm" and "Flourescent Adolescent," they have made less of a mark on the American charts than Rebecca Black did with that silly "It's Friday" ditty.

The last time I heard from lead singer Alex Turner and the rest of the Monkeys they were the toast of SXSW in Austin back in 2006. (Wow, it doesn't seem that long ago.) Since then the band has released a second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), and a third album Humbug (2009) before the June release of Suck It And See.

At first I assumed I had fallen down on my journalistic duties. How could these British darlings release two albums without so much as making a blip on the radar of a guy who follows music for a living? Then I started looking at the charts and realized that the key word in that question was British.

These same singles were regularly racing to Top 10 position on the British charts which harkens back to a time before the Internet and TV when England would find out about bands like The Kinks and the Rolling Stones a year before the U.S. teenagers had a clue.

It also means that either the Arctic Monkeys are a great band and that U.S. indie-rock listeners have tin ears, or that the Arctic Monkeys (and their PR handlers) haven't figured out a way to penetrate this market. With that in mind, I would like to propose a new strategy for them: Get heard.

The only thing worse than plagiarizing your own singles for Smashmouth-like deja vu is not being heard at all. If you have to make another "I Hope You Look Good On The Dancefloor," so be it. And if you have to play that song three times during the show at the House of Blues on Wednesday to keep momentum... do it.

Suck It And See is a good start. Not only is it the greatest album title of the year so far, but the American entertainment morality police are sticking covers over the title in certain markets to ensure that every kid is drawn to it like its a forbidden cigarette or one of dad's "Don't touch those!" beers in the fridge.

Now all that's left is to land a hit with new singles "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair" or "The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala."

Arctic Monkeys, Wednesday 8 p.m. at House of Blues

Tickets: $22.50-$38.00

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In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

As with many local legends, it's hard to tease out what specifically made Ely's time in Austin so great; Austin treasures its live music staples, so being around and staying authentic from the early days is often the most important thing an artist can do.

Ely got his local start at One Knight Tavern, which later became Stubb's BBQ — the artist and the famous venue share a hometown of Lubbock. He alternated nights with emerging guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughn. He built his own recording studio in Dripping Springs, and kept close relationships with other Texas musicians. Later in his career, Ely brought fans into the live music experience, publishing excerpts from his journal and musings on the road in Bonfire of Roadmaps (2010), and was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022. Austin blues icon Marcia Ball was among Ely's friends who played the induction show.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings. [...]"

Read the full story at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added two paragraphs of context about the Austin portion of Ely's career.

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