HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

First thing's first, imagine me opera singing this: "Happy New Year 2013 to all you wonderful people" Done that? Okay now cue the applause and the desperate hunt for a kleenex because my voice is just that beautiful. Oh yeah, you know it's true.

Now all that aside, it's a new year, wahey, so whack out the 7-up and Bombay mix and all that and let's get down to the matter at hand, the music.

The first Tee Pot post of the new year is not going to be about new artists or songs or albums or anything in that vein, nuh-uh, no today is going to be a little different. Today is all about the idea of home. Not my house or your house or your best mate's house, no this is a metaphorical home and it is the one you are transported to when you hear that one particular artist or that one particular song.

The music that possesses a peculiar and magical ability to make you feel like you have found where you belong. That music.

Now I began thinking of music feeling like home after reading an article on rookiemag.com.

The writer spoke about Bob Dylan in particular and how for her, discovering him felt like finding home and it diverted me on to this particular trail of thought. 

Why do certain artists feel like home to us? How can they make us feel this way? Who feels like home to me? What is home in this sense anyway?

Well to me, home is essentially the one place you truly belong.

And it isn't just a brick and mortar structure in the town you grew up, no home can be anywhere.

It can be your friends, your family, your boyfriend/ girlfriend, your favourite band, book, artist, football team, shop, hobby, city.

And I think you know it's home because you can almost feel it in your heart, your soul, your mind, that sense of 'this is right, this is where I belong'.

In this post, I wanted to follow the line of music feeling like home and so if it's alright with you, I wanted to talk about my experience with music feeling like home and how I knew I'd found it when I heard a certain song by a certain artist.

Hopefully you too will then start thinking about the artists that represent home to you and if you want to, you can tell me all about it because I want to know I'm not the only one, that I'm not crazy for thinking like this.

So here goes. For me, that artist, the makers of that special kind of music, are the Arctic Monkeys.

I briefly mentioned my adoration for them way back in April in one of my first postings but unfortunately due to 2012 being an unproductive year for the Monkeys, you didn't get to see quite how much I adore them.

And in that case, you were actually, probably, quite possibly very, very lucky.

But alas my friend, your luck has run out.

My love for the Arctic Monkeys began in Autumn 2011 and I guess you could say it was like love at first sight, except it was a song I heard and fell in love with. 

The more I think about it, the more I think it's kind of crazy how you can stumble across and fall in love with one song, one boring, average day, and within a matter of weeks, that song leads you to a whole body of equally amazing work that just sounds like perfection to you.

It's like you've found exactly what you didn't know you were looking for.

 It's like this music fits you like a perfectly crafted glove, it fits like a missing puzzle piece, it's like someone knew exactly what you wanted and needed to hear and made that music specifically for you. No-one else.

And as soon as you hear that one song, you just know in your heart that this is the music you've spent your whole life waiting to hear.

The first song I heard by the Monkeys was 'Suck It & See' off their fourth album of the same name, and seeing as this was their fourth album, not their first, I was pretty far behind in making this discovery.

They'd already cracked the music industry, in fact they were reveling in it, reigning kings, and everyone seemed to have jumped on the bandwagon five years previously.

Everyone except me.

Yet there I was in 2011, feeling like I'd just stumbled across something close to utter perfection and wondering how on Earth I hadn't taken notice of this utter perfection previously!

How did I miss this?!

Now swap the above song with the one that holds the same meaning to you and I'm sure you'll remember that first encounter like it was yesterday. And I'm sure that like me you'll remember what happened next.

For the fifteen year old me, it was jumping on You Tube thinking "I need to hear this again, I need to find this band and listen to every god damn song they've ever made!" and in this modern age, that lead to downloading song after song like I was catching drops of a sacred, holy potion in a vial.

Within two weeks I'd bought tickets for a gig the next month, which was absolutely amazing in case you wanted to know, and by new years I had every CD.

Looking back now, it sounds like one of those relationships you dive into without thinking, you rush into it giddy on love and it's like your running and you just can't stop,despite everyone thinking it won't last, it's just a silly phase, burned out within the year.

 I myself can't quite believe how quickly I did things. Normally it takes me at least a year to get round to seeing an act I love live in the flesh and for that full blown love to develop. Yet with the Monkeys I jumped right in there, giddy on that high, and even though I knew I was going too fast, I also knew that this band was 'the one', cheesy as that sounds. 

I knew that I had found that artist that sticks with you your whole life, the one you never tire of, the one you listen to when you're down, when you're happy, when you feel like an outcast, the one who's band tee you will most probably be buried in when you die. That artist.

The ones in your eyes never make a bad song, could never do any wrong, the ones you idolize, they are everything to you and you don't quite know why that may be.

I had found that artist, my beloved Monkeys, and I just wanted to run around everywhere proclaiming my love, showing everyone that I'd found that artist. 

It was awesome.

And one year later, I am convinced that I have every song by the Arctic Monkeys and related projects, such as The Lost Shadow Puppets, Submarine soundtrack, covers, EP's etc. on my I-Pods ( I have a lot of music...). It makes me sound as bad as those crazy 'Directioners' or 'Beliebers' (dammit) but in all honesty I just never tire of Alex Turner's croon, the crazy, metaphorical lyrics, the stunning guitar. I listen to these songs all the time and they never get old. My love and appreciation never dies, even when I'm also convinced that I have indeed overplayed those songs, so much so that I won't be able to stand them ever again in my whole entire life ever.

It's crazy, utterly, utterly crazy, and yet we call this craziness love.

Now I know that not everyone loves the Arctic Monkeys in the same way I do, just as I think other artists, for example The Wanted, are really, really, really bad, and I accept that. You yourself might be reading this post and be thinking the whole time about how crap the Monkeys are, or how I'm deluded for idolizing them like this, and again, fair play to you.

But when it all comes down to it, we each have an artist that means the world to us, and maybe more. 

We each have our own taste, view, opinion, ears, and so what's utter, undeniable perfection and amazing-ness to one person may be utter, undeniable crap to another.

But the important thing is what that music means to you, no-one else, how it makes you feel, and if to you, that music is your everything, don't let anyone take that away from you. Never be ashamed or embarrassed because finding a connection as powerful as that is a truly wonderful thing,

Even if it that connection is with One Direction....

hehe ;)

THE FORGOTTEN BEAUTIES

So I gave you a brand new playlist update yesterday, oh yes, and I think it's safe to say there were some corkers on there. Personally, I have been quite taken by Haim- what beautiful music!- and I think I'll be departing on a voyage of Haim's back catalogue within the next coming days and you're all free to join me.

Now the reason for this next post is because in the 24 hour period between this post and the last post, I have discovered a few more beauties/ corkers/ whatever adjective floats your rowing boat and I just couldn't wait till my usual update day to tell you about them.

I have the patience of an atomic bomb. ie, it really isn't that long.

So I'm going to get stuck in there....

1) FOREVER BY HAIM 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEwM6ERq0gc

I really don't know how it's possible not to like this song. It's so simple and laid back  constructed using a classic formula and yet it sounds so unique, new, original. 'Forever' has you questioning why there is such a strong force pushing music into dubstep/ electronica, why does a song need a dubstep influence in order for it to make an impact, in order for it to be classed as 'good', in order for it to sell. I understand that for some artists, it enhances their music and they have the ability to use dubstep and electronic mavericks well, but when it's used by a pop artist, on a pop song, you can't help question why? Was there any need?

Because the Haim sisters are showing that there's still life in the stripped back approach to music, where all you need are a guitar, a beat and a voice.

I for one am happy that somewhere out there, we have a complete polar opposite to the current dubstep/ electro/ techno reign. I fully support the new approach to music where we can achieve all these wonderful, unique, extra terrestrial sounds and mash them all together to create music that seems to be delivered from another stratosphere or existence. 

But deep down I'm a guitar and vocals kind of girl; I love the 'sit down with a guitar and let yourself go' approach, and that's what Haim embrace, it's what they're about, and they do it so well.

It's a familiar, nostalgic kind of pull and yet it's so new and refreshing.

So jump on the Haim bandwagon now because I promise you, you won't regret it.

2) STAY BY RIHANNA FT MIKKY EKKO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq6hKc2SHlo

Following on from what I said above, can you understand how excited and relieved  I was when I heard Rihanna's new song, 'Stay'? In this day and age, we are inclined to expect a new Rihanna track once a month, every month and I don't know about you but I can only take so many 'Only Girl In The World's or 'We Found Love's before I want to tear my hair out in frustration. It all sounds the same, it has no meaning, no soul, just manufactured pop that follows the same formula every single time. 

As Rihanna's success evolved to meteoric heights, her approach to music changed along with it.

We used to get a mixture of pop, soul, R & B, hits like 'Unfaithful', 'Umbrella', 'Take A Bow' and the pop records only dabbled in electronica and to great effect, as seen in records like 'Disturbia'.

But somewhere along the line, Rihanna lost the soul and R & B and embraced pop and that was when Rihanna the artist became Rihanna the brand. An individual to a creation that is shoved in front of your face wherever you may go, or blasted into your ear drums on an all too regular basis.
I missed the old Rihanna, the Rihanna with soul, self-respect, innocence, the Rihanna who didn't need the provocative clothing or over produced dance tracks to be successful.
Where did she go?
Well I'm pleased to say she's wasn't erased completely, no, that Rihanna was still there and I don't know if this is a one off but anyhow, we finally have that Rihanna back, at least for now.
Her new song 'Stay' is the epitome of soul, emotion, feeling, passion; a slow ballad with vocals that ache of experience, longing, truth. Each line has meaning and the slow tempo means the message is delivered to the full extent. This is a record you can take something away from, it strikes a chord within, it resonates with you.
Unlike 'SNM' where one can't really relate to being whipped with a chain, 'Stay' relates to anyone who has ever loved another, and I think almost everyone can hold their hand high to that.
  This is a song worth hearing.

3) KARMAGEDDON BY DOT ROTTEN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4RHabjap-s

Now here is an example of when dubstep and electronic/ techno is used properly.
In 'Karmageddon', artist Dot Rotten uses those beats as they were meant to be used, he adds to his vocals so that the message they are singing translates, he mixes in swirls and waves of electronic riffs to add power to the song. It just works so well. And it's refreshing to hear a rapper with vocals about world peace and honest love instead of the many Jag's and Lamborghini's in his crib or the 'hoes' he's got falling at his feet because he's just that cool, standing there with wearing a thick, luminous gold chain, trousers sliding down past his designer knick knacks.
'Karmageddon' is a fantastic song firstly for the musical technicality and the way it's used to build up the song in to something magnificent and secondly, for the lyrics that actually mean something.
Combine them together and you have a real corker of a song.
Dot Rotten isn't a well known rapper, he's best known for hits like 'Overload' and 'Are You Not Entertained' that were taken on board and broadcast by Radio One to successful acclaim, namely being hailed one of the best new artists in 2011.
He's talented in the way he can create a catchy hookline, match it with the perfect beats and accompany the two with lyrics of substance. Plus he has a name that plays on the infamous and beloved 'Dot Cotten' from classic soap EastEnders.
Dot Rotten hasn't had his true breakthrough moment yet, but with songs so good, surely it can only be just around the corner? Every song he releases is snapped up by Radio One, winning him a series of new fans every time, and each song is slightly different but with the same Dot Rotten blue print re-worked into something new. I for one don't know why he hasn't made the big time yet, but with every song being such a corker ( it's the word of the day), it can only be a matter of time before one of his fabulous creations blasts onto the bigger scene and sends seismic rolls across the land.
And like the title suggests, I think karma just might play in his favour.

EPIC AMERICAN ANTHEMS

This week, the topic is American Anthems. Yes I know that as soon as you see those words, your mind automatically time travels back to the 80's when America ruled the rock anthem roost and it was all about those slick guitar riffs and powerhouse vocals and songs that seemed to have a life of their own. 

Yeah I get that, because trust me, I am exactly the same.

This is the exact scene I see in my mind (just imagine me in that car...)

If I close my eyes, I can see skies the colour of the Caribbean sea and I am driving a monster of a car down a highway that takes me through desert, towns, landscapes with those epic American Anthems blasting out of the car and my screeching voice accompanying them. 

That's what these Anthems do to you, they transport you to a place better than the reality you're living in.

Even as a teenager in today's day and age, I can fully appreciate the sheer brilliance and magic of these American Anthems. These songs are everything that is and was good about music and they have the power to ignite a spark within you, making you feel alive and invigorating that desire to go out and live.

Now who could say that about a Nikki Minaj song?

I know I wasn't even around to witness the era itself, but with my parents being very much into this genre, I have grown up with these songs and being a guitar player myself, I'm almost hypnotised by those guitar riffs that are almost compulsory in an American Rock Anthem.

I want to be able to whack out my guitar and spin those riffs and licks in the same ferocious and arrogant manner that those American Guitar Gods possess. I want to wow people in the same way they do, I want to put on one of those electrifying shows too, I basically want to be a rock star playing before a humongous 10,000 crowd like all the American greats.

And when I play just one of those anthems, I can imagine that, if only for a minute or two.

For the duration of those songs, I am on top of the world and I love it.

When I think of American Anthems and who was at the forefront, spearheading the songs that championed the era, I think of ACDC, Bon Jovi, Guns'N'Roses, Meat Loaf, Boston, Journey, Aerosmith, Poison, Alice Cooper as well as many more legends to whom I will always be grateful to. I've seen videos of those performances and these bands, they were masters of their art; they knew how to convey that power, they knew how to put on a show and they had the whole world eating out of their hands.

The artists who produced those American Anthems we still adore today possessed a type of talent that artists today rarely know how to access. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but lets face it, you don't see many bands who have the capability to make an anthem, not just a song. 

We hear booming bass beats instead of spectacular guitar riffs, we hear auto tune instead of the majestic power of a well attuned and magical voice, we hear lyrics that make us want to live for the weekend and not for a lifetime. 

I'm not saying all artists are like this, gosh no, but the majority are, and it makes me sad to see that the magic of decades past just gets glossed over and packed into boxes to be stored in the depths of an attic, destined to be forgotten forever more. It's as if people have forgotten how to make music like this. 

 So I'm dedicating this article to the music of a time long gone.

This is for all those artists who made music that could only ever be described as EPIC in every sense and way possible

 These bands and artists, they make me believe that music was once something indescribable, it had an ingredient that you don't tend to see so much these days and it had the ability to create goosebumps and ignite sparks of life.

Those Epic American Anthems, they are like a lifeline to someone like me, growing up in this day and  age. Of course I adore some of the artists around today and I appreciate that the direction of music had to change and will continue to change for ever more, but I wish I had been able to witness these American Anthems for myself. I wish I had been around to be a part of the era, the moment, when these songs were dominating the radio airwaves, when they were released on vinyl, not CD's or downloads, when these artists were the ones with tour dates and crazy fans. 

If only I could go back and witness this epic moment of music history....

Oh well, at least music lives on forever.

American Anthem Play List:
http://teepotmusic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/playlist-three-epic-american-anthems.html

AMERICAN ANTHEMS YOUTUBE PLAYLIST:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7OgIMMRc4&list=PLJJ2XVSdsukzSAgkNLv1iVzE_OSrpRGOW&feature=plpp_play_all