10 Mainstream Acts That The 'Real Music Fans' Need To Check Out

9. Arctic Monkeys

Alex Turner's embarrassing John Cooper Clarke impersonation at this year's BRIT Awards may have rolled more than a few eyeballs, but that doesn't stop the Arctic Monkeys from being a phenomenal band. Catapulted from the unlikely success of their 2006 debut 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not', the Sheffield lads have pitched up a scrappy, slightly dilapidated tent in the mainstream for the better part of eight years now. Which is good, because they're a proper band. The same kind of 'proper band' that you'd find at the Purple Turtle in Camden playing to two wasted nutters looking for a scrap. They're just four guys, who like to make music. Constantly experimenting over the course of their time in the spotlight, they've musically deviated between fierce indie punk, psychedelic dreaminess and recently, grimy, whiskey-drenched rock 'n' roll. All of this is approached with just as much sleazy, distinctive character as is needed to elevate them above hoards of Strokes imitators, without fading into a void of boredom. Sure Alex Turner can be a bit of a runt, but in the Arctic Monkey's case, isn't that half of the appeal? To be honest, any 'real music fans' are bound to already enjoy the first album. It was unique for it's time, holding a place as one of the defining artefacts of the mid noughties. But if these same people can pluck up enough courage to venture further than that, they'll discover the band's latest opus 'AM', which is smoother, darker and maybe - just maybe €“ a little bit better.