POPSCREEN: Arctic Monkeys

Skin-tight black leather. Partially-bared breasts. Exposed butt cheeks. Fishnet stockings. Stiletto pumps. Pole dancing. Have I gotten your attention? Or, rather, did Britney Spears get your attention with her recent video “Gimme More?” Even if she did, it’s likely she lost it after the first chorus of her mind-numbing drivel. The antidote: the recently-released video “Teddy Picker” by British indie rockers the Arctic Monkeys.

In this video, from their second album “Favourite Worst Nightmare,” the band expresses their utter disdain for the contemporary music video. The Monkeys break with slick mainstream productions and display a cavalier attitude. This pimples-and-all approach shows the boys in their street clothes, with bad haircuts and acne in full view. It also features some serious musicianship. The group is shown primarily in the studio as they set up and record the track, with cuts to walks in the park and visits to the pub.

To underscore the video’s intended rough edges, the band uses a less polished version of the song than appears on the album. The video is not destined for MTV, as it effectively thumbs its nose at the mainstream in both form and content. As frontman Alex Turner sings in the song’s final lines, “Assuming all things are equal / Who’d want to be men of the people / When there’s people like you?”

Despite the band’s rejection of polished production values, there is great appeal in its homespun honesty. The musicians like to relax and have a good time, but when it comes to their music, they work their asses off. And regardless of whether or not you like the video, the bottom line is that the Arctic Monkeys probably just don’t care.

—Edward F. Coleman