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The Fratellis: Creeping Up The Backstairs
Have you had the misfortune to hear that Arctic Monkeys version of ‘Love Machine’ recorded for Radio 1? I’m not usually averse to the over-rated Sheffielders, but their take on the Girls Aloud and Homebase-promoting hit, (this is the true DiY, Fugazi), forced me to fake smiles of interest to mates before I’d have to dismiss the apparently random punches landed on nearby doors, tables, bus stops, pets... Something about it – perhaps its similarity in blood type to a Chris Moyles ‘sketch’ – annoyed every last laugh from my guts. And yes, I know it’s supposed to be “just a bit of fun, LAA” but NO it isn’t. I’m tired of people shouting at me because their new favourite band’s latest tossed-off attempt at a single doesn’t happen to meet with my idea of fun.
I was going to say that this debut single by The Fratellis sounded like The Monkeys, but it doesn’t, really – it just sounds like their cover of ‘Love Machine’. A stripped down, cartoon-version of a band – like the last bit of withered doner on a skewered kebab-spit at 4am on a Sunday morning. ‘Creeping Up The Backstairs’ rolls along with rapid-fire vocals and jangles with the goonish, skeletal grin of Funnybones, or some other, less menacing, kid’s TV program. But what is immediately obvious is that - despite the lyrics about creeping through windows late at night to chief your brother's car - this doesn’t sound anywhere near teenage. And one look at the band reveals why: they aren’t. I’m not sure if the singer is the one that looks like Gary Glitter or the one that looks like Pearce Quigley, but even their Glaswegian burr is sacrificed on the Yorkshire alter of Ape. Oh, and there’s a bit of Dogs thrown into the mix too, just for good measure.
I know that I’m being too harsh on The Fratellis, but this has to end here. It is probably hi-tempo enough to make the live show vaguely entertaining, but imagine a world flooded with these sub-Arctic chancers. I’m certain the real thing is vexing enough for many of you already, and it’s not Alex Turner’s fault that his band’s sound is already going stale - the media and bands like The Fratellis (major deal, formed last year) should foot the bill for that.
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meh
alright so they do sound like arctic monkey reincarnate, but I like this song, it would make a corpse dance and the deepest depressive smile...
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"goonish"
pun intended?
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red army
...
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I like it a bit more than you did
...but could they possibly have tried harder to sound like The Libertines?
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On Saturday I listened to...
about 10 singles that were out the following week, and this was the best one. I would have given it 6 though, just a rubbish week for good songs.
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Oddly I downloaded this last week...
...without knowing anything about them.
It's no masterpiece but, to be frank, after months of bands that sound like a shite version of the Libertines, it's good to at least find bands that sound like a good version of the Libertines.
And the number of words fitted into a short space of time is mildly impressive.
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I'm with those guys ^^^
It sounds way more Libertines than Arctic Monkeys
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whatever
actic monkeys also sound like a libertines rip off, just with accents, fratellis are awful - another major label following suit - boring
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infact...
they are crap live. really crap.
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at last
someone who agrees that the arctic monkey's love machine cover was shit shit shit.
i couldn't understnad why my friends liked it. iyt was boring and unoriginal.
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Frats
I quite like this single. I admit it is VERY libertines by numbers as has already been stated. I hoped there would be a bit more to the band after hearing 'Creeping...' but all their myspace and website audio was blaaaaaaaand
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Some bloke working in HMV
was REALLY insistent I buy this on Saturday. I didn't, 'cos I was a tad suspicious of his motives. Still, that's what I get for going in HMV
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It's great
i just can't remember when in Bugsy Malone they sing it ;)
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Yawn...another unoriginal review...
I'm pretty bored by the poor comparisons. To be honest I know the band and they haven't got the slightest interest in sounding 'like' anyone. The music was being written LONG before Arctic Monkeys blasted into the limelight. The lead-singer who writes both the melodies and the music isn't a born-again-libertines fan and has only every written music because he loves it. Throw away your comparisons...think for yourself. I CANNOT for the life of me get the comparison with the Artctic's at all. They sound nothing like them, unless you want to tar them with sounding a bit different at least from all the usual crap on TOTP etc..and surely that's nothing to be derided for.
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Muppet!!
Saw the comments whilst searching for some tabs on Google- have you ever actually listened to music for the purpose of enjoying it Kev, or do you just sit there with your clipboard taking notes?! Sound like the Monkeys??! Ok, the voice may sound a little similar - pretty sure the singer isn't just doing an impression, some people just sound the same - but musically similar?!? Lyrically similar?!! Harmonically similar??? Ever considered a career outside of Music 'Journalism'?
They're rough around the edges but at the end of the day a whole lot of fun, as is this single. I've not spoken to one person who's been to either of the gigs i've seen them at who's said otherwise.
Alright, having re-read all that, Perhaps 'Music Journalist' Is A Bit Strong, But... I just think you've missed the point completely!
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all i know
is that artwork is simply horrible. aborent -is that a word? it should be, and this artwork is.
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I wholeheartedly agree!
Ok... I'll come clean straight out of the box... I know 3 Fratellis Songs... Favourite being Creepin' and the others being Henrietta and Chelsea Dagger... However I have done a fair bit of research and it is quite obvious that this band has been going longer than The Arctic Monkeys. hell without the invention of Myspace, noone would know of either band so there is no copying of sound or style going on.
Isn't conceivable that two bands can coincidentally have different styles? People say that they sound like The Libertines... because the Libertines are one of the favoured bands at the moment despite their split... Why because Libertines were out before The Fratellis? In that light, then the Libertines must have copied their style from someone... and whoever that way copied their style from some on else... and them someone else before them and so on... Everyone has copied styles from other bands so when someone makes posts like "Can they try to sound any more like the Libertines" I wonder don't these people realise that The Libertines copied from someone they admired.
So what if they took inspiration from an excellent band like Libertines... Be thankful that they didn't copy Hear'Say , McFly or Steps... I can't lay down the same claim as Jade7 does in that she knows the band... whether that be true or not... fact is we're in 2006, The libertines are gone and Pete Doherty's too busy getting himself in Hello Magazine for his antics with Moss every week than actually caring about Babyshambles. The Fratellis have a good sound that can but put on my Ipod on the same level as Libertines.
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The Fratellis are great
You lot scare me and confuse me. You all just seem to be trying to better each other with your witticisms and music knowledge! It's music! It's there to be listened to, and if you don't like it, it doesn't matter, it's not a personal affront to you. i think this (and their album) is the best thing i've heard in ages by the way
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What?
This is a great, catchy song and these guys don't know what they're talking about. Quite frankly, I don't know what the hell they're talking about either, apparently backbeat and melodic hooks aren't enough, and I'm still have trouble figuring out how their criticisms make it a bad song. Who gives a crap if they're not teenagers? Were Husker Du when they made Zen Arcade? How old was Rivers Cuomo in 1994?
This review is worse than Pitchfork.
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Plus...
I know you're only talking trash about them because their song's in an iPod commercial.
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Music is music is mucis
As far as music goes, the Fratellis have made some fairly catchy pop tunes. That's all. They were my favourite band for about a minute but now they're not. It was a good debut album, difficult to get through in the end, kinda repetitive, but those singles are just outrageous aren't they? There isn't too much that's incredibly original about them except that they have the guts to sing la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la. Simple tunes done fast. I don't know how anyone can not like it.
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