Beneath the Boardwalk — Arctic Monkeys

Mardy BumStandout

2:56

Still Take You Home

3:12

Fake Tales of San Francisco

3:06

Choo Choo

3:09

Cigarette SmokeStandout

2:57

A Certain RomanceStandout

5:27

Dancing Shoes

2:28

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor

2:55

Knock a Door Run

4:25

Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts

2:54

On the Run From the MI5

1:45

Riot Van

2:15

When the Sun Goes Down

3:25

Wavin’ Bye to the Train or the Bus

3:05

Stickin’ to the Floor

1:52

Space Invaders

2:45

Curtains Closed

2:10

Ravey Ravey Ravey Club

2:21

It's the sound of four kids from Sheffield accidentally starting a revolution in a basement.

A high-octane blend of youthful arrogance and sharp-eyed local observation.

Beneath the Boardwalk is the legendary unofficial demo collection that fueled the Arctic Monkeys' meteoric rise via internet file-sharing in 2004. Recorded at 2fly Studios in Sheffield and distributed for free on CDs at their early shows, these tracks were eventually compiled by fans and shared on the internet, creating a viral groundswell that predated modern streaming culture. Sonically, it is a document of the band's garage rock roots, characterized by Matt Helders' hyperactive drumming and Alex Turner’s rapid-fire observational lyrics. Many of these tracks, such as 'Mardy Bum' and 'A Certain Romance', would be re-recorded for their record-breaking debut, but the versions here possess a 'demo-itis' charm - rawer, faster, and more aggressive. The collection also includes rarities like 'Choo Choo' and 'Space Invaders' that never made it to a formal LP, making it a vital piece of the UK indie rock canon.

Put this on for

pre-drinking in a kitchen with cheap cider last bus home through a rainy industrial estate sweaty basement floor with no room to breathe that specific argument about whose turn it is to pay leaning against a brick wall outside the club pacing a small bedroom with too much caffeine watching the sun rise over a grey skyline

Moments worth waiting for

The frantic, unpolished drum fill that kicks off I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor with more grit than the studio version.

The sudden transition from the acoustic strumming to the full-band explosion in When the Sun Goes Down.

The way the bassline carries the tension in Cigarette Smoke before the guitars descend into a chaotic, scratchy solo.

Sounds like

2004s production with a 2000s soul

Sits beside

Up the Bracket - The Libertines, Employment - Kaiser Chiefs, Wait for Me - The Pigeon Detectives, The Back Room - Editors

Lyrical territory

storytelling, social_commentary, nostalgia