If you guys think they're crap you should try living in a country where they're already massive.
I've got to agree, I seriously don't get all the excitement about these guys. Their music is typical UK pop rock with maybe slightly above average lyrics and a strong regional accent to make them sound more "for real". If you're an Oasis fan this may sound familiar.
It's kinda sickening to see another so-so band get thrown into the limelight ahead of many more deserving bands exactly the way that Oasis did about 10 years back (although it's nice to see American's seeing through the hype and not giving a shit just like they did with Oasis).
Overall I'd say the Artic Monkeys are crap. Not really really offensively crap but just plain ordinary crap.
To be fair if you're looking for a good quality band then checking out any band hyped into the top ten is probably going to be a mistake.

I heard the new single on the raido the other day, and it was alright. A hella lot better than most shit I hear on the radio too.

When comparing the most popular of all the "indie" (whatever that term means) bands, I think I prefer the Arctic Monkeys to the Arcade Fire and Interpol, both of whom I find very dreary.

All in all, I'm not prepared to vote NOT CRAP, but I would like to recall my CRAP vote from a year and a half ago.

Skronk wrote:Garbage. No one will remember them down the road. A year from now, "arctic who?"

Yeah, I heard people saying that last year.

Not Crap, but not great either. Yep, somewhere in between.

Absolutely phoney obnoxious crap.

big_dave wrote:Absolutely phoney obnoxious crap.

Why are they phoney?

I still don't really have an opinion on the Arctic Monkeys, however, I did (for my sins) watch the Mercury Music Prize last year, when they gave a pretty good insouciant display of telling the Mercury prize and the London music industry to go fuck a duck. Which I found amusing, at least, and pretty cool, considering the general craven rubbish that modern bands seem to spout.

So tell me, why are they phoney? I am prepared to change my mind.

My record store has a new catgory called "British Invasion", which I am very thankful for.

I had the misfortune of seeing these gents at a music festival in Austin this past weekend.

Jesus H Christ they were horrible from where I was standing. People seemed to dig them though. (?!)

I checked out some clips of them on Youtube just to make sure they were bad. Yup, they were bad. Like 15 year olds given their first instruments and told to come up with a song in 15 minutes.

This band is the fucking Benny Hill of music. Of recorded sound. The only way they would sound better is if Albini recorded them playing directly in the pathway of a speeding CTA bus. Jesus.

Favourite Worst Nightmare is a great record; haven't heard the first one yet.

Not crap.

I like Whatever People Say I Am..., I will be checking out more from these guys.

NC.

I agree with whoever said they're the best of a bad bunch.

On the rare occasion I find myself in some stupid indie bar (none of my friends have good taste) this band is like a breath of fresh air after all the other shit that's popular with the kids/morons.

I still wouldn't listen to them of my own accord though.