The media hype that proceeded the Arctic Monkeys' first record was one of the most annoying things ever, and rendered all the more annoying by the fact that I liked-but-didn't-love the album. About the second album, however, I heard no hype whatsoever before listening to it for the first time today, and on one listen I like it, but don't love it, except this time in a completely non-annoying way.
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2007/06/-em-favourite-worst-nightmare-em/40752/