Monday, June 13, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Top of the Park to you too, Ann Arbor 40 4 COURTESY OF DOMINO An album so perfect for afternoon drives that they're listening to it in their own car. Arctic Monkeys album breeds a sinister charm 'Suck It and See' swaps tongue- twisting melodies for mellow sound By PROMA KHOSLA Senior Arts Editor This may come as a shock, but most musicians don't enjoy the luxury of albums that debut at number one. But the Arctic Mon- keys have experienced **** that joy with four out of Arctic four efforts. Monkeys Their most recent full- Suck It length album, And See Suck It and See, shot to Domino the top of the U.K. charts this month, as the band continues its tour of the globe to insatiable crowds in packed theaters. And by the way, they're only 25 years old. It seems that the fabulous foursome from Northern Eng- land can do no wrong. James Ford, who produced all of Favou- rite Worst Nightmare (2007) and select tracks on the slightly underwhelming Humbug (2009), returns in full for the fourth album. Suck It and See isn't quite where the first two albums are, but it hints at the unique sound the boys brought to the indie rock scene in 2006 and inte- grates it into their repertoire for the new decade. Opening track "She's Thun- derstorms" starts with charac- teristically creepy guitar chords, but in under 20 seconds, takes a surprising turn toward the world of love songs. The lyrics depict both frustration and awe. Turn- er describes a girl as turbulent and untamable as the weather - she's not just a thunderstorm. She's the freaking plural. The tone has been set both lyrically and melodically for the rest of the album. "Black Treacle," "The Hellcat Spangled Shalala," "Reckless Serenade," "Piledriver Waltz," "Love Is a Laserquest" and title track "Suck It and See" all fall categorically into the same type of romantic and relaxed rock song. The above songs run the risk of sounding the same, just like the track list of Humbug, but after a few listens, the songs develop their individual charm. "Brick By Brick" and "Library Pictures" are the most reminis- cent of the Monkeys' first album. Nonsense lyrics return in the latter and also in the playfully titled "Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair," which includes such gems as "Do the Macarena in the devil's lair." The melody is unusually sinister, but the ease with which Turner eerily croons it makes you won- der how you didn't see it coming. Gone are the diabolically British tongue-twisters of the first three albums. Gone is the garage-band feel and the uncer- tainty of what genre you're lis- tening to. Suck It and See is more indie than punk rock. It refines the musical the evolution hinted at in Humbug. Though it may not be Arctic Monkeys as you know them, it's a shamelessly appro- priate album for summer after- noon drives. The band's naysayers can just 'Suck It and See.' With unprecedented success and no dearth of creativity, the Arctic Monkeys have made clear that they're here to stay. Suck It and See may not be their best album, but it is by no means their last. They live to practice and perfect their craft, and we're just lucky enough to listen. Summer Festival returns with an interactive new season By ANNA SADOVSKAYA For theDaily As summer nears its peak, Ann Arbor Summer Festival lights up Ingalls Mall for its 28th annual celebration. As usual, the FestivalA is broken into out- Aim Arbor door and indoor Summer events, respec- Festival tively known as Top of the Park June17- and Mainstage. July 10 "Top of the Park is the heart and soul of the Summer Festival," said Robb Woulfe, executive direc- tor and all-around enthusiast of Ann Arbor Summer Festival. "It's more social and allows for people to throw their blankets on the lawn and relax with family and friends, solidifying our event." Top of the Park offers free admis- sion to 62 musical acts, 13 feature films and 8 guest DJs, and will also be host to performances such as the acrobatic dances of Strange Fruit and attractions like Architects of Airs' "Amococo." "This year we're bringing back one of our most popular attrac- tions, called Strange Fruit," Woulfe said. "A lot of people know it as 'the pole people,' because it features performers on 15-foot poles doing remarkable things." Strange Fruit, originatingin Mel- bourne, Australia, fuses acrobat- ics and dance to deliver a striking and innovative presentation. For the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Strange Fruit is bringing its show "The Three Belles," which show- cases a trio of women circling and swinging to music while balancing precariously. "Our other really big attraction is 'Amococo' by Architects of Air, and that's a 10,000-foot inflatable vinyl structure landing at Palmer Field," Woulfe added. The luminarium, or sculpture of light and color, will be interactive - allowing visitors to explore its 10,000 square foot expanse. Along with Top of the Park's outdoor events, Ann Arbor Sum- mer Festival's Mainstage features indoor concerts and performances by visiting artists. "Our indoor season is amaz- ing. So many people love Top of the Park that they don't even know that someone like K. D. Lang is right next door, at the Mainstage," Woulfe said. "We have a circus troop this year called Tom Tom Crew, and they are phenomenal. It's a hip-hop crew that meets circus artistry and it's very exciting," he explained. "This is onlytheir second time inAmerica - the last time they were here they were in a sold-out show on Broad- way." The Mainstage events also include performances by Steve Martin, Los Lonely Boys and 0 Andrew Bird, among others. "We're really thrilled to present this group of artists on our stage this year," Woulfe added. 62 musical acts, 13 films, 8 DJs. 0 In order to sort through the high number of events, the Summer Fes- tival website, annarborsummer- festival.org, has added a calendar feature where users can select the movies and bands they wantto see. "We're also encouraging folks to share their experiences, and send us emails and photos and videos, so we can put all that up on the website throughout the festival," Woulfe said. "It's probably the best resource to get the most from your festival experience." Whether you wish to explore the * hip sounds of Monsieur Guillaume & His Zydeco Hepcats, folk out to Hannah Winkler or swing to the tunes of Delilah DeWylde and The Lost Boys, there's something for everyone at Top of the Park. "There's something really 0 romantic about being on the lawn, hanging out with friends and watching a classic movie or fun band," Woulfe said. "The whole sea- son is filled with great nights, with a little bit of everything."