The Strokes Vs. Arctic Monkeys

                                                       BATTLE OF THE BANDS!
                                                                        PART 2

We are back for the final round of this exciting entry of BATTLE OF THE BANDS! For this post I will be facing off two of my favorite bands, The Strokes and the Arctic Monkeys. Both bands have gotten very popular over the years and I hold a special place in my heart for both of them, but in this battle only one band can come out on top! Read on, grab a weapon and join the battle to see who will be victorious!

                                                              Round 1 - The Band 

Starting off with The Strokes, the band was formed by lead singer, Julian Casablancas, as well as their bassist and drummer when they were only 13 years old. To help improve his studies Julian was sent studying abroad where he met future lead guitarist, Albert Hammand Jr. where they would eventually go to New York and start playing shows. The band sent demos of their music to a few record labels which ignited a war between record labels to see who could get them. In 2001 they released one of my all time favorite albums, Is This It, the album would go on to great critical acclaim and see them touring all over the world. The album is a perfect example of the best kind of garage rock to come out in the 2000's. Julian is a big sex symbol for the band and it shows through his incredibly unique vocals and clothing attire. He has somewhat of a rough voice, but it shines through with their music and sets them apart from the bands out there. Their music is great to singalong with, my roommates know this all too well from how much I sing in the shower! If a band gets me singing their music in the shower, they should be extremely flattered!

The Arctic Monkeys were one of the first indie bands I really got into! Alex Turner is a very talented musician, and the same can be said about the rest of the band. Their drummer, Matt Helder, drums away to almost a point that seems like he is destroying his drumset. The Arctic Monkeys have been around for a little while now and saw their popularity increase from each of their album releases. Their album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, is one of my favorite albums. They sound so young and new on this album, as it was their first album, but in my opinion it's their best. I personally saw them play at Coachella, 2 years ago and it was quite the experience! They were easily one of my favorite bands that I saw play at the music festival. My roommate and I like to play their song, "Mardy Bum", together whenever we feel like jamming. The Arctic Monkeys are also one of my girlfriend's favorite bands, as she was obsessed with the singer for years and years. She helped to get me into them.

                                                            ROUND 2 - LIVE SHOWS

The Strokes garage rock vibe brings about an interesting live show. As they enter you can expect many girls shrieking over Julian, shouting how much they love him. I'm not ashamed to say I am one of those people! One of my favorite things that the band does is that they play most of their older songs, something which a lot of bands frown upon. Most bands like to highlight their newer music but The Strokes seem to like playing their oldies. The only thing I think that could be improved on for them is having a little more energy. Julian, their lead singer kind of just sings, he needs to feel the vibe more! Below I will post an older video of their song "Last Night".

The Arctic Monkeys have showmanship down to a note, as they come out and rock every show. Alex Turner really knows how to put on a show and frequently interacts with the crowd, showing he cares about his fans. When I saw them at Coachella they came out and played their very fast paced song, "Brianstorm", which got everyone moshing and jumping around. The only thing I was disappointed  in by them was their lack of playing fan favorites and older songs. They like to focus on their newer music which I respect, but it is nice to hear some of their classics like "Mardy Bum" and "When the Sun Goes Down". Just like for The Strokes I will put my favorite Arctic Monkey's live performance down below.

                                            WHO IS THE WINNER OF THIS ROUND?

I really hate choosing a winner for these because it's so hard for me to choose between two bands I hold dear. Both bands would be amazing to see live and I sincerely recommend everyone to listen to their music. But alas, I told you I would choose a winner so I will! The winner of this heated battle has to be the Arctic Monkeys! Personally I believe The Strokes earliest albums are some of the best albums ever released but the Arctic Monkey's matured into one of the best bands out there. This will be my last battle of the bands for the time being, but feel free to leave some bands for me to review!