Arctic Monkeys Pull Plug On Last Album With New Song That Blows It Out Of The Water

Having scored the #4 position on my personal Top Albums of 2011, Arctic Monkeys earned the year off frontman Alex Turner had been talking up in interviews late in the year. The single cycle for Suck It And See was starting to wind down, with fourth single Black Treacle released in late January.

Well, apparently, they decided to abort the usual three month run that most singles get, because this week they posted up a brand new song that has no apparent ties to Suck It And See at all.

R U Mine?, despite its emo and/or Prince leaning title, is a bombastic riff-fest that leaves the smooth rock that dominated much of their last album in its rough and tumble wake. It's a perfect appetizer for their tour with the Black Keys (which, incidentally, starts tonight), a rambunctious competitor for the Keys' dirty blues and soul.

R U Mine? was released on iTunes today as a standalone single; whether or not it sees future release as part of something bigger is something only time will tell.

Comments

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2014: And the Winners Are...

It's been a long year, and another great one for rock n' roll. While the pop charts were overrun with barely legals obsessed with their asses, rock soldiered on undeterred even as pundits (hell, in some cases even rockers themselves) mourned the genre. Sure, rock didn't dominate the money game in 2014, but that shouldn't evoke sad nostalgia and eulogies. Even for as little perceived impact rock music made, a hell of a lot happened if people had only paid attention. From grizzled vets adding jewels to their crown (Springsteen, Petty) to new beginnings (Against Me!, Antemasque) to happy returns (Faith No More, The Tea Party) and all points in between, rock continued to thrive, evolve and thrill in 2014. Enough talk. It's winning time. Your Year in Rock winners for 2014 are...

Hear Me Out: Why Do A Greatest Hits Album?

So, Silversun Pickups announced a "singles collection" today. Now, I'm no expert on "singles" or "hits" compilations; even so, I've got to say this announcement threw me for a loop for a couple of reasons. For starters, isn't it a bit early for a band like Silversun Pickups to be given the "greatest hits" treatment? I know, I know, it's a "singles collection". But, come on; it looks like a greatest hits album, it smells like a greatest hits album, so on so forth. More importantly, though, are these really necessary entities in 2014? I mean, who is this album for? Casual fans who've already downloaded the singles they like or established fans who are expected to shill out $15 for one new song?

SOUND BITES

Search This Blog