The Tee Pot : new

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Wednesday, 16 October 2013

THE BIRTH OF NORTHERN SOUL

First things first, I would like to apologise for the lack of posts

this October. I've been a very busy girl what with my college work & uni applications

and yadda yadda yah.

Plus I haven't felt very inspired lately....

But, that changed today whilst I was scouring through the music channels this early
morning and I stumbled across one video, and then another, and then
that special thing called a brainwave took place
in the depths of my cranium and fused the two together and I came up with
this idea and it look very promising: the birth of white soul.

Now I hear you ask, what on earth are you on about,
what videos? Well I shall reveal all to you now.

_____________________________________________________________

The first video was:

JOHN NEWMAN
Cheating
________________________________________

The second was:

JAMES ARTHUR
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
________________________________________

At first these two new artists may seem completely unrelated to one another,

but in actual fact, they have many things in common

in regards to the kind of artists they are, their voices, their style, influences

and the kind of music they are spearheading into

the charts and the national radio waves.

We've known of John Newman's voice since Rudimental's 2012 chart smasher

'Feel The Love' and its successor 'Not Giving In', and therefore we

had a taste of his gravelly, soulful, rich tone before

he went out on his own, armed with some real gems

like number one hit 'Love Me Again'.

In all honesty, I genuinely thought he was a black man when I first

heard his voice. It was so derivative of the Motown era,

it had that gorgeous, enticing black soul that is so hard to replicate unless

you're truly blessed with the gift of having it yourself.

So it knocked me out of the water

when I found out he was a white kid from the depths of Yorkshire moors.

Now on to James Arthur,

king of X Factor 2012, we were again aware of a gravelly,

rich, soulful tone to his voice, like that of John Newman, and his take on

Shontelle's, 'Impossible' was utterly gorgeous.

He added a depth and

soul to it that wasn't there before -if you've heard his cover of

twerkaholic Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball' you'll see

what I mean- and he showed

some real promise of breaking the X Factor mold.

Everyone, whether they care to admit it or not,

wanted to hear just what he would come out with for his first single.

Would it be any good? Would he lose his style?

Would they strip away all he was and replace it with something

completely unoriginal?

Well the relieving result is no.

New single, 'You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You'

is nothing like the typical cheesy pop you would expect from an X Factor winner.

It's got substance, it's got some mean brass and beats and most

importantly: It's got soul, and not that cheap

manufactured crap.

No, no, no, it's the real stuff, the soul that money can't buy.

You've either got it or you've not.

And like John Newman, James Arthur certainly does.

And with one artist spearheading the idea of white soul,

a certain John Newman, that's all very exciting and commendable,

and you've got to hold your hands up to the man.

Look what he's managed to achieve off his own back.

He created a new genre

in which he was the only inhabitant, he took a risk,

he raised a bench mark, and went out there.

The public hadn't heard anything like him before,

yet they lapped him up like a cat pouncing on a dish of rich, silky cream.

A public so accustomed and tuned into rap,

r&b, dubstep, electronica, pop, got the soulful 'Love Me Again' and album

'Tribute' to number one.

John Newman has begun something.

A change in direction for the music industry.

But he can't do it alone, he needed people to start following

his example, holding up the torch for good old

rich soul, and lucky for him,

a certain X Factor winner has jumped on the bandwagon

and is following in his wake.

It's a very exciting time for the music industry.

As little as two years ago, the idea of bringing back soul and those

beautiful Motown vibes seemed impossible or at the least,

unlikely. It wasn't the right time, yet look at where we are now.

And like with r&b, hip hop et al,

could this be the start of a new genre taking the reigns and steering

the course of music?

Will we see more undiscovered soul stars emerging from the shadows,

will artists begin to incorporate elements of soul into

their music?

It seems like we're on the cusp of a new type of soul altogther:

it's white, it's British, it's modern, and it's so very, very cool.

Newman's doing it old school, Arthur's introducing it to the world of pop,

what will the artists of tomorrow be doing?

Stay tuned....

Sunday, 29 September 2013

HANKERING FOR HAIM: DAYS ARE GONE

As the title suggests, I've got a hankering for Haim.

I've had a hankering for them way back since I first heard them on Radio One mid 2012.

But let me explain to you why that is.

As a 17 year old girl who hails from Derby, England's go to place for well... nothing,

except a nice big lake, some rather large hills and perhaps the odd Bakewell tart, Haim are like goddesses to me, what with their long sun kissed manes, irresistible Californian quirk and undeniable cool girl auras.

They come from California, I come from Derby, they have sun spun tales of love

and heart break all set against the backdrop of west coast USA, and if I tried capturing the essence

of the Derbyshire Dales, we'd have abstract sheep noises fused with football chants and who wants to hear that?

You look at them, and you want to be them.

You want the hair, the cool girl swag, the talent, everything.

Heck, I've even suggested to my little sis that we do a Haim and make a band and grow our hair out and make some songs and just be quintessentially cool like them.

But alas, she said no.

And anyway, it's not like we would be much competition, would we?

Because these girls are utterly fabulous, they're a force to be reckoned with, and when you stop to think about it, just as I did on my early morning trek to college, it's actually rather incredible what

they've achieved and just how they've gone about it.

Now I'm not trying to go off on a feminist rant, but in the present day music industry, lets face it, if you're a woman, you aren't going to get very far without taking your kit off and doing a

spot of twerking or gyrating.

It has to be sexualised, it has to compromise on your dignity, your strength, your independence.

Your aesthetic is more important than your talent, it undermines it & overshadows it

to the point where people are talking about the dress you wore (or didn't) as opposed to your integrity as an artist.

You can claim all you like to be strong, fearless, feisty, but the reality is,

when you're standing on a stage in just your bra and pants or diamond encrusted swimming cozzie,

no matter how fabulous your body, who's really believing you?

I'm not criticizing female artists who do that, but it seems a shame that

in this day and age, female artists have to resort to these measures to even be heard, let alone taken seriously as an artist. It isn't right.

And now back to the whole point of this article, that's why I love Haim.

Because these are three girls who keep their clothes on, and through their sheer talent and feisty natures alone, have successfully managed to carve out a name for themselves and gain respect from the music industry's notorious top dogs.

For example in the predominantly male orientated NME, Haim, who are currently gracing the front

cover, more than hold their own against their male opposition and they are respected and revered by both NME and fellow artists, and that's really saying something.

No-one dares bad mouth them and why should they?

These girls are incredible at what they do. An all female rock band who make quality music without

taking their gear off and all whilst radiating that fearless, no bullshit vibe that challenges

anyone to mess with them and what they do so fantastically well.

They care about their music, they care about their craft and they've been harnessing their skills their whole lives, having played in their parents band for years.

It's all about the music, not the aesthetics, and surely that's how it's meant to be?

They're feisty females and loyal sisters who stand their ground in a male orientated world,

they've gone to town with the seemingly unachievable task of a being the first all woman band, not pop group, to be taken seriously by the music industry, and they've done it all with

a confidence and assurance that I wish I had myself, as well as a glorious long mane of hair pretty please.

And now, on the eve of the release, of the long awaited debut 'Days Are Gone', I hope that

we will be listening to and writing about these ladies for many years to come.

They're brilliant now, but as time goes on they're going to evolve and develop their sound and become even more of a force than they are right now.

They can only get better, and with that, here's to Haim.

Doing rock the right way, with long hair, snarls, epic guitar, Californian grace

and your sisters right by your side.

BUY THE ALBUM: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Days-Are-Gone-Standard-Haim/dp/B00BPQC1AK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380450798&sr=8-1&keywords=haim

DON'T SAVE ME

THE WIRE

FOREVER

Sunday, 8 September 2013

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

FISHING FOR GOOD MUSIC: DAN CROLL, NO NO NO, 21 PILOTS, TWO DOOR & MORE

I don't know if it's just me, but I am constantly on the look out for new music.

It doesn't matter if it's by someone completely new and totally unheard of, or whether

it's a good old established name with a gazillion grammy winning records under their belt already.

All that matters is number one: I really, really like it, and number two: it's new, because let's not

deny it, we all love discovering someone or something before everyone else does.

And that good reader, is exactly what I've been up to this week.

As the title suggests, I've been fishing for good music and I've laid it out in a concise,

to the point style, none of the normal waffling.

For brand new artists, I've gone for a lay out which allows you to see who the artist is,

what they're making, recommendations, whether they're your kind of thing and how to find out more.

Pretty cool huh?

And for the others, well, I don't think any of that is needed.

We all know how brilliant they are.

1) DAN CROLL- IN/OUT

NAME: Dan Croll

GUILTY OF: Making glorious, original, unique electro-pop fusions.

LISTEN TO: 'In/Out', 'Compliment Your Soul', 'From Nowhere'

FOR FANS OF: Little Comets, Crystal Fighters, Andy Burrows

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/dancrollmusic

WEBSITE: http://www.dancroll.com/Dan_Croll/HOME.html

YOUTUBE BOX:

IN/ OUT

FROM NOWHERE

COMPLIMENT YOUR SOUL

2) NO NO NO

NAME: NONONO

GUILTY OF: Being Swedish and making unique, uplifting, quirky tunes that scream

'FUTURE APPLE ADVERT' (and that's not a bad thing...)

LISTEN TO: 'Pumpin Blood', 'Down Under', 'Like The Wind'

FOR FANS OF: Cider Sky, Passion Pit

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/nononoofficial

WEBSITE: http://www.nononoofficial.com/?frontpage=true

PUMPIN BLOOD

(ACOUSTIC BEAUTIES)

DOWN UNDER

LIKE THE WIND

3) TWENTY ONE PILOTS

NAME: TWENTY ONE PILOTS

GUILTY OF: Being cool, original, having great fashion sense, making quirky, awesome music and

having Zane Lowe's approval, something many of us can only dream of *sigh*.

LISTEN TO: 'House Of Gold', 'Car Radio', 'Holding On To You'

FOR FANS OF: Darwin Deez, Never Shout Never, Eminem

(these are hard to compare to another artist, but if you like Eminem & indie, this is for you)

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/twentyonepilots

WEBSITE: http://www.twentyonepilots.com/

HOLDING ON TO YOU

CAR RADIO

HOUSE OF GOLD

__________________________________________________________________________

OTHER NEWBIES TO GET LISTENING TO:

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB

Changing of The Seasons

DRAKE

Hold On We're Going Home

ARCTIC MONKEYS

Knee Socks

JASON DERULO FT 2 CHAINZ

Talk Dirty

THE 1975

Girls

JOHN NEWMAN

Cheating

ENJOY!

Leave us your feedback below or message on twitter at @teepotmusic!

SOUNDBITE: CATCHING COLDPLAY- THE NEW SONG

COLDPLAY- ATLAS

Been suffering from Coldplay withdrawal symptoms?

The Mylo Xyloto blues?

Well my dear readers, Chris & co. are back, at least for now anyway,

and they've brought with them an exciting new record to keep us all satisfied

until the highly anticipated follow up to 2011's phenomenal worldwide success 'Mylo Xyloto',

which many expect to be released sometime in 2014.

And this little beauty is called 'Atlas'.

It's the first soundtrack to be released from Novemeber's second installment of the

incredibly succesful Hunger Games series, 'Catching Fire' and co-incidentally

it's also the first song Coldplay have ever written for a film soundtrack.

Pretty cool huh?

The song itself is pure Coldplay but as we all know, that's exactly

what they do best. It's beautiful, it's haunting yet uplifting, it's stunning and

absolutely captures the whole feel and essence of the 'Hunger Games'.

'Atlas' could easily stand for a single in it's own right,

and you can't help but speculate if this indicative of what is to come.

It bares no relation to hits such as 'Paradise' or 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall',

in fact it's probably a relative of 2002's 'A Rush of Blood To The Head' or 2005's 'X&Y',

but it's still very original and I don't know about you but I love the entwinement between

haunting and uplifting.

It shouldn't work, but it does.

It really, really does.

Judge for yourself right here....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh3TokLzzmw&hd=1

Tuesday, 20 August 2013

SOUNDBITE: BRAND SPANKING NEW AND WELL WORTH A LISTEN.

Now this little quicky is centered around three artists who are still relatively underground

and who I want to point you towards.

Each included on this 'Brand Spanking New' list is well worth a listen, and trust me

I wouldn't put something on this list that is just mediocre.

Nuh-uh. These guys are brilliant, so go revel in the fact that you're

ten steps ahead of the crowd.

Unfortunately I can't provide you with much information, as there isn't bucket loads available,

so it's predominantly key tracks to listen to, just to give you a flavour of each artist and the music they produce.

1) CHURCHILL

Although this five piece have apparently split and are now defunct, they're

still definitely worth checking out, what with brilliant tunes like 'Change' and 'The War Within'.

Slightly Civil Wars-esque, gentle, folky yet powerful, their music is really quite beautiful.

CHANGE

THE WAR WITHIN

___________________________________________________________________

2) OAK TREE SUITE

An up and coming young Australian four piece with a truly fantastic debut track,

'Not Far Away' and more reportedly to come. I really advice you to keep an eye out for these guys.

NOT FAR AWAY

___________________________________________________________________

3) SHEPPARD

The second Aussie band to feature on this list, six piece Sheppard hail from Brisbane

and there brand new single 'Let Me Down Easy' has already gone platinum in Austrailia.

So when I say 'underground', with this band, it's more, 'we're yet to here them in the UK', and judging by the success in their native land, it seems inevitable that we'll be seeing Sheppard sweep upon our shores in the not too distant future.

Their music is summery, retro-esque, very gorgeous and refreshing too.

Nothing out there quite like it, so take a listen...

LET ME DOWN EASY

___________________________________________________________________

4) TWENTY ONE PILOTS

An American duo making poetic, unaplogetic, quirky, unique, catchy music that takes

rap and pushes it in a completely new direction that could be name indie-electro rap, if it were to have

a name. Slightly reminiscent of Darwin Deez, they're heading to Reading & Leeds this weekend and I'd definitely recommend checking them out if you have the chance. These guys are good.

HOLDING ON TO YOU

GUNS FOR HANDS

___________________________________________________________________

5) TWIN WAVE

A Brooklyn based synth and pyschadelia loving quintet with a new brand

of electro-synth sound that is strangely relaxing and chilled and very catchy.

Really nice guys, good music, indie-esque image, what's not to like?

RELAPSE

___________________________________________________________________

SPECTOR MEETS JOY DIVISION WITH NEW TRACK 'DECADE OF DECAY'

Spector are back.

But as the title of their new tour states 'Five Tours, Four Survivors', the five piece has downsized to a compact quartet as former member Christopher Burman has left to pursue other projects.

So that leaves us with Jed, Tom, Danny and the don himself, bespectacled lead singer Fred Machpherson.

Humorously addressing themselves as Spector 2.0, it seems that the band has undergone

a transformation of sorts, what with the line-up and sound, which as the title hints,

seems to have dived head first into a pot full of Joy Division. And you know what? It works.

I can't lie, it is different to what we saw on 2012's 'Enjoy It While It Lasts', but it still retains the core

Spector essence, that unique, refreshing sound which defined their debut record.

The difference appears to lie in the fact that 1) their sound has slinked it's way further into the world of 80's pop, what with the synthesizers etc, and 2) it's darker.

It isn't made of the glorious, upbeat, summer fuelled goodness that 'Enjoy It While It Lasts' contained.

Oh no.

The two key differences I mentioned are the very reason why brand new single 'Decade of Decay' seems to be inviting comparisons to 1980's classic Joy Division.

Now I don't know if this was intentional, or if via experimenting and tampering with their sound they arrived at this result, but it's hard to deny that it is very Joy Division-esque.

But then again, their debut was essentially Joy Division on high; how Joy Division might've

sounded minus the foreboding, ominous, darker influence.

So you could question whether this direction was inevitable?

But I really can't stress to you enough that what Spector are producing now,

regardless of the eighties and Joy Division references, is genuinely good stuff. It really is.

'Decade of Decay' is a quick little number, reminiscent of Joy Division but it has Spector written

all over it. If you're a fan of Spector like I am, you'll hear that, and realise that both the band and their music are still very much made up of all those key components.

It's just a bit of a twist is all. The beginnings of a venture down a different road.

And yes at first, it takes a bit of getting used to, you'll need time to adjust, but I can tell you now

that I've been listening to it repeatedly for the last half an hour.

There's an almost hypnotizing quality to it, and although initially I was unsure about

'Decade of Decay', I can assure you now that I really do like this song.

Very much so.

And I would definitely recommend a listen.

So all you Spector fans out there, don't flop dramatically on the floor in pre-conceived despair.

There is no need. Spector are back on fine form, albeit a little different yes, but still the Spector

you know and love, with Hawaiian shirts and turtle necks aplenty.

LISTEN HERE:

TOUR DATES AUTUMN 2013

SOUND BITE: BIRDY SPREADS HER WINGS

BIRDY-WINGS

The 17 year old English-Flemish beauty is back with her second album, 'Fire Within', expected

for release on 23rd of September, and the first single she has chosen to release is the

irrefutable gem 'Wings'.

After seeing much success with her debut self titled album back in Autumn 2011, Birdy rose

to fame with her series of utterly beautiful covers and a number of self written tracks.

You'll remember her most for her stunning cover of Bon Iver's 'Skinny Love' or Cherry Ghost's

'People Help The People', both of which went down a storm on UK radio stations,

particularly Radio One, helping Birdy to, dare I make the pun, fly, even further.

And now with album number two, Birdy is able to really flex her wings (cheesy pun I know),

and she has progressed to writing more of her own material.

With her debut 'Birdy', it was apparent that this girl had talent by the bucket load.

An emotive, rich, beautiful voice that when put to music and to good use, can bring any lyrics

or material to life and help it to resonate even further with the listening audience.

However a decision was made, either by the record company or Birdie herself, to demonstate

her amazing abilities via a cover album. An indeed 'Birdy' is a truly stunning offer yes, but

I think many of us wanted to see Birdy combine her voice with her own material.

Because an artist instantly increases in credibility when they can both sing and produce their

own material that is equally good.

So the question was with Birdy, could she do it?

Well the answer is a definite yes, as her new single 'Wings' shows.

And judging by this, her new album is going to be a real beauty.

Birdy's own material is strong, well made, passionate, emotive, and of course compliments

her gorgeous voice even better than before.

She is also an artist who is accessible to people of all ages, and although obviously

a younger audience is probably better suited as she is only seventeen herself, there's no doubt

that a Birdy gig will contain older, maturer fans who relate to the wise-beyond-her-years element

that is present in her music.

I suppose in some respects, you could hail Birdy as the new Taylor Swift.

I personally, as a seventeen year girl, can relate to her music in that sense, especially as the music

resonates more when the artist is similar in age to yourself or singing about topics in a way you can relate to.

However as Taylor ventures further into the world of country-pop and global super stardom,

Birdy is a breath of fresh air, adopting a similar approach -young adult/teen trying to make sense of love, life etc.- but from a completely different perspective.

And the result is something genuinely commendable, stunning and unique.

So as Birdy soars to the next stage of her blossoming music career, you

may just want to be flying along behind her, because this is a young woman who really is quite something.

And I mean that in the absolute best way possible.

WINGS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJTXDCh2YiA

ALL YOU NEVER SAY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iB5MLmmgyE

BOTH OFF OF 'FIRE WITHIN' OUT SEPTEMBER 23RD

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/fire-within/id673276899

Monday, 19 August 2013

KATY PERRY AND LADY GAGA COMEBACK CLASH

Two Queens of Pop. Two comebacks. Two fierce new songs.

Two leaks in the same week.

Uh-oh....

So who comes out victorious?

KATY PERRY- ROAR

First up we have Miss Perry.

A firm favourite for her sharp sense of humour, lovable personality and fun, fierce, flirty brand

of pop, Katy's comeback after the huge success of 2011's 'Teenage Dream' has been long awaited.

She's weathered a divorce and found a new romance in the shape of a certain

John Mayer, she's made movies, she's won awards...

Yet as the 'Teenage Dream' phase was coming to and end, it's fair to say that Katy was in vulnerable and emotional place, as her brilliant and much deserved success was marred by a difficult and public divorce

from comedian and actor Russell Brand.

As she put it herself, she was 'falling from cloud nine', and it was this time in her life that inspired hits such as

'Part of Me' and 'Wide Awake'.

However it's 2013 now, and having been able to close the previous chapter of her life and start afresh, pursuing a new romance and channeling her emotions and feelings into music, Katy, it appears, has never felt stronger. And that's exactly the stance she has chosen to adopt for album number three, 'Prism'.

Katy isn't the damaged, broken, vulnerable women anymore,

Oh no.

New single 'Roar' proudly declares the exact opposite.

It's a fierce, strong, defiant single that empowers anyone who listens to it.

It's written by a woman who's gone through the worst and come out at her very best.

She may be in a steady relationship, but 'Roar' suggests a woman who is independent, wise, brave

and with a steadfast refusal to be beaten, knocked down.

It's all very inspiring stuff and I am genuinely pleased for Katy.

I really do believe that this could be the most successful phase of her career, eclipsing the huge success of 'Teenage Dream' and why?

Because the music Katy is making now is personal, it's powerful, it's inspiring, and there is no doubt

that Katy will be reaching out to an even bigger audience who can relate to and take

something away from Katy's music.

She's an inspiring woman. She's taken the worst of her life and made it into something that will surely produce the best of her life. She's survived and as she rightly declares, she's back with an almighty roar.

LISTEN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9SeJIgWRPk

___________________________________________________________________

LADY GAGA- APPLAUSE

And next up we have a certain Gaga.

After exploding onto the pop scene in 2008 with 'Just Dance', Gaga has been creating

a humongous stir, what with her insane, wacky, imaginative outfits and consistent stream of pop hits, many of which will most likely evolve to become true classics, for the last five years.

2008's debut 'The Fame' quickly gave way to 2011's 'Born This Way' and it seemed as though

Gaga rarely had time to pause for breath. If she wasn't decked out in her Kermit collection or wrapped up

in meat like a human sausage roll, she was releasing hit after hit, releasing award after award and making sure her presence on the music scene could not be forgotten.

And of course it wasn't, how could it be?

It takes a lot to forget a woman who's idea of casual is to go out in her undies, and whose preferred

evening look is that of a bacon rasher.

However it has to be said that in this fifteen minutes of fame society, once the spotlight had shifted to the next biggest star, Gaga moved to the back of the queue and speculation began to build regarding how she could

top the incredible achievements she'd made with her first two albums.

Yet over the last couple of years, Gaga has taken a step back from the limelight and toned

herself down. She's fallen in love, she's found an identity that seems to sit just right- unique, different, slightly strange yet beautiful, strong, feminine- and she's been working away on

a new album, 'ARTPOP', which seems to be the album she's felt most passionately about.

Gaga's undergone a transformation whilst retaining her key, core elements.

And the buzz is building once more.

Like Katy Perry, Gaga's new offering, 'Applause', leaked before it's release date,

with many genuinely curious to see just what Gaga had to pull out the hat this time.

And she's got a good'un alright.

In comparison to her previous work, 'Applause' is perhaps not as strong, but it's catchy, it's

well made pop, and hopefully it is only a taste of what is to come.

Because knowing Gaga, this is probably not the best she has, oh no, she probably has

a magical array of incredible songs up her sleeve just waiting to be released to the world.

With 'Applause', you can't help but think that she has released it to satisfy the growing appetite of her fans and public for new music. And the leak was something she couldn't ignore, so she has been forced to release it and use the generated publicity to her advantage.

Had she had the choice, I don't think she would've made 'Applause' her first single, but seeing as the choice was taken out of her hands, she's done well to ride the waves and I cannot wait to see what she has yet to show us.

LISTEN TO IT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ld9cZ7d_2A

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SO WHO WINS?

Well there's absolutely no doubt that both will be greeted to much success with their respective releases,

however personally, based on their first singles, I believe it's a victory for Miss Perry in terms of her music.

She's entering what I believe will be one of the most successful phases of her career and I really do admire Katy for coming out the other side fighting strong. That will resonate with people most definitely.

So it's a victory for Katy right now.

But Gaga is most likely to sell a landslide, shedload and tsunami of albums and she will do incredibly well, of course. She deserves it. As does Katy, because ultimately, they are both strong, independent, admirable women who live and breathe their craft and each deserves every bit of success that comes their way.

PRISM- OUT 22ND OCTOBER 2013

ARTPOP- OUT 11TH NOVEMBER 2013

SOUND BITE: KINGS OF LEON NEW

-I've come up with a new feature called 'Sound Bite' which is going to be quick snippet on a new song that you need to listen to, so you can get your music fix quick and whilst simultaneously being one step ahead of the crowd. How cool is that?! And the first soundbite is dedicated to.... Kings of Leon!-

KINGS OF LEON- SUPERSOAKER

So Kings of Leon are back with new release 'Supersoaker', off of eagerly anticipated upcoming album

number six, 'Mechanical Bull', which is due for release on the 24th of September.

It's patriotic, it's got Caleb's croon, it's got heart, beats, guitars, the catchy hook line...it's everything you could want from Nashville's finest.

'Supersoaker' makes for a truly brilliant comeback for the quartet, who've taken a detour from the music scene after 2010's 'Come Around Sundown', which succeeded the euphoric success of 2008's 'Only By The Night' which produced hits such as 'Sex on Fire' and 'Use Somebody'.

After initial doubt that 'Come Around...' could be their last album, after dispute and arguments within the band, KOL are back on fine form, and judging by 'Supersoaker', we're in for a real treat with 'Mechanical Bull', with the Followill family back on track, making the fantastic music that we've been enjoying for the last 10 years or so.

YOUTUBE IT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izzY55ACUQo

SUMMER SOUNDTRACK 2013

-WARNING, THIS IS A LONG POST! ( But it's interactive now, so I think that makes up for it)-

Hola my lovelies.

I'm back, having indulged in a cute little two week break (finally) that has temporarily satisfied

my need for travel, sun, hot weather, swimming pools and complete and utter relaxation.

Needless to say, I only got back on Saturday and I'm already craving a holiday

(preferably the beautiful Barcelona or basically anywhere in Europe will do just fine).

But never the less, I'm thankful I got the chance to go and now my fun is over,

the hard work shall begin...

So today's post is aptly called 'SUMMER SOUNDTRACK 2013' and it's basically

my ideal soundtrack for this summer, which I would like to share with you.

And don't you worry, the idea for this post was not conceived on a dull, oppressive, thunderous day

up/down (depends where you live) here in the land locked confines of Derby.

No, no, the idea came about whilst cruising down a gorgeous tree lined road

on a bright, sun streamed, summers day in Devon, on route to the beach.

Perfect.

So with that inspiration in mind, let the soundtrack begin...

1) ARCADE FIRE

So first up is Arcade Fire, who I've been listening to a lot lately and as with the Arctic Monkeys, I've found myself jumping on the bandwagon five years after it's left the station.

But oh well, who cares, they're great, and the euphoric essence of three key tracks led me to purchase

2011's 'The Suburbs' within the week, which is very unlike me.

I can't tell you how impressed I am by this band, and I can't deny that a secret part of me wishes I was a part of it all, the eighth member.

Their music is perfect all year round of course, but I've found that summer especially suits their energetic, powerful, hypnotic, beautiful sound, especially when you're jetting down the road with the sun in the sky or soaring across the world in an aeroplane.

Get Arcade Fire blasting out your speakers, it's what their music was made for.

My three key tracks are:

1) READY TO START

2) REBELLION

3) WAKE UP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zdNdjF-htY

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2) VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Next is NYC's own Vampire Weekend, a band whose music could quite possibly be the audio representation of summer. If you're in the mood for indulging in music that seems to have been dipped into a pot full of summer, Vampire Weekend are your go to band.
Recent release 'Modern Vampire of The City' is jam packed full of summery tunes that will take you from the early surf mornings when the sun is beginning to rise to nights spent parting on the beach below the moonlight.
Of course 2010's 'Contra' is also full of some true classics, so for ultimate Vampire Weekend appreciation, make sure both these albums are prominent features in your music collection this summer.

My five key tracks are:

1) DIANE YOUNG

2) COUSINS

3) UNBELIEVERS

4) WHITE SKY

5) STEP

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3) THE BEACH BOYS

These cheeky American chappies make up one of the most universally known and adored quintets,

enjoying years of success due to their effortless harmonizing striking a chord amongst millions worldwide.

Of course one of the major reasons behind their success is the fact that these guys,

as the name suggests, literally promote summer. No forget that, they are summer.

Mention The Beach Boys and you instantly think of sunshine, ice cream, surfboards and of course,

the beach. And who doesn't want to think of all those things.

So to inject a dash of old school summers and the nostalgia it brings with it, make sure to

get some Beach Boys classics.

My four key tracks are:

1) SURFIN' USA

2) CALIFORNIA GIRLS

3) GOOD VIBRATIONS

4) I GET AROUND

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4) BEN HOWARD

If you're in the mood for a summe sound that is quintessentially English and has the connotations of a quintessentially English summer, Ben Howard is your man. Hailing from the south west shores of Devon, Ben's folk-esque, laid back beauties are what you want to be listening to, especially if you're

spending your summer upon UK soil. This winner of two BRIT awards is a musician you can put your trust into- he knows what he is doing, and if you haven't been able to escape to the sea, Ben's music will bring the beauty and freedom of Devonshire beaches and seas to you.

My three key tracks are:

1) OLD PINE

2) ONLY LOVE

3) THE WOLVES

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5) KINGS OF LEON

The American quartet are hot on the heels of a new album release, 'Mechanical Bull', and although they may not be an obvious band to relate to summer, these guys do have a knack at producing and crafting classic, summer infused anthemic records that have been defining summer for millions for at least the last five years.

Their music really does seem to go hand in hand with summer.

It's like a musical memory card, with people attaching Kings of Leon songs to key summer moments in an attempt to remember them in a deserving and nostalgic way. A way that will generate and match the memory and the feelings that go along with it.

So with that being said, here are some suggestions...

My five key tracks are:

1) SEX IS ON FIRE

2) RADIOACTIVE

3) SUPERSOAKER

4) BACK DOWN SOUTH

5) FANS

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6) JACK JOHNSON

Jack Johnson is a man who seems to live and breathe summer.

A talented surfer (of course) and Hawaii born, his idyllic beach dwellings seem to have proved very inspirational in terms of his music making, and his gentle, relaxed yet upbeat tunes

are more than essential in any summer soundtrack. Although less active in the music scene over the latter years, Jack has made some real summer gems that will go down as classics for years to come.

My four key tracks are: