A LITTLE BIT OF MONKEY MAGIC

*BIG DRUM ROLL & TRUMPETS ET AL.*

And why is that I hear you ask?

Well it's only because Turner & co are on the cusp of releasing

the hugely anticipated and phenomenal concoction 'AM'.

We've less than 24 hours to go until physical and digital copies of what could quite

possibly be the defining album of the decade  (big statement there), according to this week's NME,

which as a mega Monkeys fan I dutifully bought, as expected.

With streams of the album already online, it's safe to say a large chunk of

Britain and the rest of the world have 'got the goods' now, as Turner put it in the sublime 

'Do I Wanna Know'. So we can't exactly act surprised when we finally enlighten our lives with

some rather fookin' (they all say it in Sheffield) amazing tunes from a band that can never seem to put a foot wrong.

Even those of us who have resisted giving in to sneak previews of other album tracks,

for example the rather oddly named 'Knee Socks' or on the converse, the rather beautifully named

'Arabella' (a dedication to Arielle Vandenberg perhaps?), have still heard a good quarter of the

songs, with 'R U Mine', 'Do I Wanna Know' & 'Why'd Do You Only Call Me When You're High' (what a mouthful!) all having being released already.

Of course some of us, probably just me, have even restricted ourselves further.

It was only yesterday I gave in to the temptation of listening to 'Why'd You.....' after almost

a month's abstaining from it, which was quite painstaking as I had gone out and bought the single

the day of its release and had to turn down the radio every single time it was on.

That then involved subsequently forgetting to turn the radio back up, surely running up

huge electricity bills for my mother- a nice surprise for the end of the month when the bills come in.

I can only say I did it because I'm getting my copy of 'AM' at the start of this week,

and I will probably know all the words to all the songs by the end of the week.

And by the end of the month I will be completely and utterly satisfied.

By the time I see the Monkeys LIVE IN CONCERT AT SHEFFIELD in November ( I still can't believe

my luck, I really can't), I will be on the biggest high known to humanity.

But by January 2014, I will want more, like the greedy little madam I am.

So I need to drag out and relish 'AM' for as long as humanly possible, because we probably

won't be getting anything else till at least autumn 2015.

But that's okay, because judging by the raving 5 out of 5, 10 out of 10, reviews, we should be on track to be still be raving about 'AM' when we're all old pensioners in the nursing home way over in 2063.

So normally, I would  recommend you go buy this album,

but I'm not going to recommend it because I hope you've already got it on pre-order and are sitting at your letterbox waiting like the good little fans I know you are.

You don't need my word to know that 'AM' is truly one of the best things you will EVER HEAR,

and one of the best things you could ever spend 10 quid of your hard earned cash on.

So go, go on into the big wide world and get that Monkey Magic in your life!

STREAM IT HERE:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/id62820413

WATCH THE MONKEYS AT ITUNES AT 7:45PM HERE:

http://po.st/iTunesFestivalAM

DO I WANNA KNOW

WHY'D YOU ONLY CALL ME WHEN YOU'RE HIGH

BUY IT:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/AM-Arctic-Monkeys/dp/B00DKY4LBW

NEW SONGS (& MAD SOUNDS) FROM ARCTIC MONKEYS

Okay so it's time for yet another Monkeys update!

I'm sorry as it's all I seem to be writing about lately but this is rather important stuff, so it's getting pride of place. Now I'm writing today because over this weekend, the Monkeys have debuted another new song, 'Mad Sounds', at their two Scandinavian festival dates and I really urge you to take a listen to it.

Although the song only exists through fan footage at the moment, the song still shines through and it's good enough quality for you to be able to reach a valid conclusion on the song itself.

When I read that the Monkeys had debuted another song, as I conducted my daily NME stalk at college this morning, I literally jumped up and down in my seat- and I was in the library too (gasp!). 

And when I saw it was called 'Mad Sounds', I was expecting some crazy ass tune like 'Brick by Brick' or something related to the brash, loud, catchy little numbers on 'Favourite Worst Nightmare'.

I was wrong. 

Contrary to what the title suggests, this new tune is ironically probably the furthest away from a mad sound you could get. I don't quite know what Mr Turner means when he says 'Mad Sounds', as fan footage makes it difficult to depict his lyrics. But he certainly doesn't mean the song itself.

'Mad Sounds' is a little but slower with links to 'Suck It And See' here and there although it's still keeping in line with the sound heard on 'Do I Wanna Know'. In all honesty, it sounds great.
I for one was very impressed and enthusiastically tapped my foot along whilst nodding my head in a very approving manner indeed.

The Monkeys have currently upgraded previous newbie 'Do I Wanna Know' to top of the bill whilst 'Mad Sounds' has been slotted between 'Suck It and See' and 'R U Mine'. The positioning of 'Mad Sounds' in the setlist seems to be deliberate as it does provide a perfect transition between the two songs.

When listening to 'Mad Songs' you can hear distinct elements from both songs, as I noted in particular some Suck It & See-esque riffs and sounds that seemed to have an 'R U Mine'-esque overlay. 

If this is the direction the AM's are choosing to head in then I can definitely agree that they've chosen a fabulous route to go down. It's just fantastic, it really is.

Their sound has evolved in the sense that it's more mature and as Alex and co. edge nearer their thirties, this was only inevitable. The relief is that like a good piece of cheese or wine, time is doing wonders for their sound, it really is. It's mellower, maturer and almost wiser, as if they are completely in control. 

It's self assured and we all know Alex is a fan of a good croon, especially as his covers tend to be of softer, richer, accoustic led records that clearly suit his versatile voice. 

But don't you worry, I'm pretty certain that album number five will have a couple of 'Brick by Brick' like bangers here and there. 

It is the Arctic Monkeys after all.

And finally as for the Arctic Monkeys timeline, I have to make a few amendments:

'Do I Wanna Know' now has an official video on You Tube and as of today can be bought
officially on iTunes! It's sounding absolutely fantastic and with the proper sound quality
you'll find you can appreciate the record a whole lot more.

So it seems that the Monkeys are taking advantage of the Glasto platform after all.

If anything, it will build up hype for the new album as Glasto is such a major festival both here in the UK and worldwide. Obviously 'Do I Wanna Know' and 'Mad Sounds' are going to be on the bill, and I would think another newbie or two will probably be added as well.

It's likely a major music magazine, probably NME, will do some sort of feature on Glasto and the Monkeys, within the next few weeks too so keep your eyes open!

From what I can tell, this album will probably be the one to propel the Monkeys to that last step of being the  best British band out there. They've practically there anyway, but I'm positive that this album will be the one to cement that status for definite. 

I ain't monkeying around.

(Bad pun, but I don't think you 'wanna know')

Ha.

MAD SOUNDS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dS6GtoJNks
OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR 'DO I WANNA KNOW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpOSxM0rNPM
BUY THE SONG: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/do-i-wanna-know-single/id660331528?affId=1930871
OTHER ARCTIC MONKEYS INFO: http://teepotmusic.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/new-arctic-monkeys-tune-monkeys-are-back.html
WEBSITE: http://www.arcticmonkeys.com/
NME: http://www.nme.com/news/arctic-monkeys/70884

NEW ARCTIC MONKEYS: THE FIRST TUNE AND MYSTERIOUS FIFTH ALBUM...

-JUST A WARNING, THIS IS TURNING INTO AN ARCTIC MONKEYS MEGA POST-

I am a very happy bunny (or should that be monkey...?). Very happy indeed. Because after almost nine months of weekly googling 'Arctic Monkeys new album 2013' and 'Arctic Monkeys new song 2013' we finally have something. The Monkeys have temporarily satisfied our insatiable and ever growing appetite for new music with the debut of new tune 'Do I Wanna Know', at the first of a long run of festival dates starting in Ventura, California, on May 22nd.

Of course you can appreciate my frustration when I first found out the date of this gig, as it was the day before my birthday, and regardless of the fact that I don't live anywhere near the mighty U S of A (make that a whole ocean apart), let alone California, I still wanted to go. 

And of course that wasn't going to happen.

However the upside of this is that the new music, which here at the Tee Pot we rightly (hallelujah) predicted to leak at the end of May (this concert in particular), flooded the world wide web on the day of my birthday.

And that was good enough for me.

Because as an Arctic Monkeys fan, it really doesn't get much better than having a track out on your birthday.

So yesterday footage poured on to You Tube from the lucky little mite's who had the privilege of attending this concert and the luck of living in Ventura, CA. It wasn't long before newspapers and magazines got wind of the new material and soon footage of Wednesday's gig was reaching an even larger audience. 

And from what I can see, the release of a new Arctic Monkeys track is most definitely newsworthy and correctly appears to be something worth creating hype over. 

It just goes to show the pride and love the UK has for the Monkeys, as well as the scope of the audience they have managed to accumulate over the last ten years. 

When the Monkeys release a song, everyone wants to know.

Now so far, 'Do I Wanna Know' is the only new material we've heard and appears to be the selected opener of all upcoming Arctic Monkeys shows. Before Ventura we didn't know just what the Monkeys would be playing on this long string of festival dates, because with Suck It And See having been released way back in spring 2011, and no sign of any new material, they couldn't really get away with playing just  their greatest hits, no matter how good they may be.

As far as we know, the set list is beginning with 'Do I Wanna Know', followed by the next most recent hit 'R U Mine', before launching into a mixture of all the most known and well loved hits from all four albums, including 'Fluorescent Adolescent', 'Crying Lightning', 'Fake Tales of San Francisco' and '505', 

just to name a few.

Meanwhile Alex is said to have donned a silver tuxedo for the appearance, similar to the Louis Vuitton he wore for his appearance in 'Another Man' magazine. Now while Mr Turner's clothing preference may have changed, we can all rest easy because the quiff, however, still remains.
( JUST TO CONFIRM- IT WAS THE LOUIS VUITTON)

So now we can breathe a sigh of relief because after almost a year and a half of nothing, the domino effect has begun. It starts with a song, just one little preview of what is to come, and slowly more songs are released, the artists emerge from the little cave they've been hiding in and tentatively step back in to the limelight, the media interest grows and finally it cumulates with the release of a much anticipated and eagerly awaited album. 

Here at the Tee Pot we've devised a time line of what we think the Monkeys will do over the next few months in terms of new material, appearances and album releases...

So from now until Glasto, we're thinking the Monkeys will stick to this current set list, with the only new material being 'Do I Wanna Know'. At Glasto, we think they'll add a couple more new songs to the mix to test the crowd's reaction. 

'Do I Wanna Know' will probably get it's official release in the middle of June to coincide with the Monkeys highly anticipated Glasto appearance, because what better launching platform than Glasto?

Around the time of Glasto you should also expect more press and media appearances, NME for sure and maybe Radio One. 

The rest of the summer will see the new releases become a fixture in the set list with probably another official single release in August, followed by a run up of press in preparation for a late September/ early October album release date.
Exciting stuff eh?

So yes, that's all your Arctic Monkeys news for now. 

Oh and if that wasn't enough, there's a biography out too.

Boom.

And that's how it's done.

UPDATE NUMBER ONE:
As of today (19th June) 'Do I Wanna Know' has been officially released on iTunes and an accompanying You Tube video has been made, as well as new graphics appearing on the Monkeys Facebook page which seem to indicate the artwork we should be expecting to see on the new album later this year.


UPDATE NUMBER TWO:
Today (24th June), as sneakily as always, The Monkeys have posted all the details about album number five
on Facebook and I can tell you now it looks AWESOME.
Whereas album number four kept it minimal with the artwork, album number five is keeping it
minimal with the title 'AM' and the complementary photo is just stunning.
The Monkeys are suited and booted and looking mighty fine, as our friends across the pond might say.
'AM' is to be released on Monday 9th September and the tracklist is as follows:
1. Do I Wanna Know?
2. R U Mine?
3. One For The Road
4. Arabella
5. I Want It All
6. No. 1 Party Anthem
7. Mad Sounds
8. Fireside
9. Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?
10. Snap Out Of It
11. Knee Socks
12. I Wanna Be Yours

TOUR DATES: 
Newcastle Metro Radio Arena (October 22)
Manchester Arena (23)
London Earls Court Arena (25)
Liverpool Echo Arena (28)
Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (29)
Birmingham LG Arena (31)
Glasgow Hydro Arena (November 1)
Sheffield Motorpoint Arena (2)

TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY 5TH JUNE.
PRE-SALE EXPECTED TO BE TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY.

It's looking like it's going to be a stunner/corker/banger of an album and
I'll leave you now as I'm off to pre-order yaaaaaaaayy! ^_^

UPDATE NUMBER THREE:
So.... who managed to bag tickets? Right now I'm on knees praising God for the wonder that is pre-sale, because I swear that if it weren't for that, I would not have gotten tickets, so THANK YOU.
I'm still in a state of disbelief; I swear I had a miracle happen to me on Wednesday because it looked so unlikely I'd get any tickets until some magically appeared and I acted faster than Usain Bolt to bag 'em.
I'm going to be at Sheffield on November 2nd dying of happiness and screaming elatedly.
Who's joining me?

WATCH THE OFFICIAL VID: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpOSxM0rNPM

BUY THE SINGLE: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/do-i-wanna-know-single/id660331528?affId=1930871

MORE INFO:
http://teepotmusic.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/mad-sounds-from-arctic-monkeys.html

HOME PAGE

http://www.arcticmonkeys.com/

'DO I WANNA KNOW'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpY41BAvPHI

NME LINK

http://www.nme.com/news/arctic-monkeys/70459

BIOGRAPHY

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Arctic-Monkeys-Whatever-People/dp/1780386699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369408666&sr=8-1&keywords=arctic+monkeys+biography