A blurb about Coo Coo Ca-choo:

Post-concert depression: it‰’s a real thing. We all know what it is, how it feels, and how it manifests itself. But why does it happen so frequently?

Live music is addictive, and for good reason. It transforms audio into a visual experience and evokes certain emotions that are otherwise buried. For this, I am focusing my column solely on music performed in a live setting. Whether it‰’s a video on YouTube, or an actual concert I attend, Coo Coo Ca-choo will cover all of the live music that ignites the sparks of creativity and passion within me.

Now onto the good stuff.

Courtesy of Consequence of Sound

This summer, I had the pleasure of attending the Outside Lands Music Festival in my hometown of San Francisco. Of the many live acts I witnessed, I was blown away‰ÛÓwhich is an understatement, most definitely‰ÛÓby the Arctic Monkeys performance. In fact, I was slightly concerned for my wellbeing after seeing Alex Turner and his band promote their latest album, AM, onstage. Turner‰’s provocative, tantalizing stage presence‰ÛÓcomplete with hip thrusts, hair flips, and body sways‰ÛÓleft the audience, and especially me, in a paralyzed state of disbelief.

Although the Arctic Monkeys have successfully promoted other albums, they have reached new musical heights with the making of AM, which has put them at the top of the rock charts. Heavily influenced by retro doo-wop and R&B, AM differs greatly from their previous albums, which tend to be more alternative-rock based. Perhaps the biggest change for the Sheffield band has been their new incorporation of prominent background vocals and vocal harmonies on nearly every track.

If there is one song to sum up these characteristics, it is definitely, “Knee Socks‰Û. Wonderfully seductive and positively groovy (yes, I just said groovy), “Knee Socks‰” stimulates the musical senses significantly and captivates the ears of the listener.

Enjoy!