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I'm sure that whoever you are reading this, whatever side of the atlantic you're from, you will have heard of the Arctic Monkeys. Those four young guys from Sheffield, England who have taken the music scene by storm by simply telling life how it is. The unseen benefits of their being discovered go as deep into society as a hundred new bands a day being formed, because they've seen that it doesn't matter how technically skilled you are on your instrument (although in The Arctic Monkeys' case a talented lyricist comes in handy!). One of the main beneficiaries of their recent rise to success is the music scene in Sheffield. Since they "made it", music executives from all over the globe are descending upon Sheffield, desperately trying to make millions by unearthing, "The Next Arctic Monkeys". The fact is, they won't. No matter how hard they try, or for how long. There are no bands in Sheffield who sound like The Arctic Monkeys. Although, obviously, there are plenty of bands who have singers with Sheffield accents. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there are no good bands left in Sheffield, in fact I'm trying to say the opposite. The swarm of music exec's has opened the door for these bands to follow "The Monkeys" into the spotlight. There's Little Man Tate, Milburn, Tiny Dancers, Richard Hawley and many, many more. The main point the critics throw at these bands is that, "they sound like The Arctic Monkeys". Out of those bands I have just listed, none sound at all like the Arctic Monkeys. Once again, I would like to point out that the only similarity between the bands is the presence of a pronounced Sheffield accent, and surely sharing an accent can't make two bands the same? Who would dare to say that The Beatles are the same as Cilla Black? The Jam sound like Duran Duran? As you can see, it's a preposterous idea. All these bands have their own individual selling points, for instance, the wonderfully multi-tonal voice of Jon Windle from Little Man Tate, the breakneck drum rolls of Louis Carnell from Milburn or the croaky, laid back songs of Richard Hawley. Have a listen and you'll see for yourself.

So don't get pulled in by the critics nonsense, give these fresh, raw, impressive Sheffield bands a chance.
Trust me, it'll be worth it

Learn more about this author, Ciaron Elm.
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