Today, I’ve decided to feature a song I don’t know how I found, by an artist whose name I apparently don’t know how to spell.

It’s official. I’m losing my mind. It’s the real thing and I just have to accept it. Why do I say this, you ask? (And if you don’t…ouch.) Naturally, any good day starts with an unintentional search for a new song, and ends with the comfort of knowing that I found one. Going by that theory, today started about an hour ago. I didn’t have a chance to listen to music until then. While I don’t always describe the extent of my musical searches for HauteThought, I generally know how I made my musical discovery. Today, I was blind sided.

There’s something you should know about me. I tend to make a lot of…lists. And I like to write them on…post-its. Lists for the grocery store, lists of movies to watch, lists of things to do, lists of random things to remember. You name it, I’ve written it. Let’s revisit the “lists of random things to remember,” shall we? I stumbled across one of my many post-it lists today and discovered that I had a list blackout. I do not remember writing all of these things down, but I know for a fact I wrote one of these things yesterday. If all things were written yesterday, I truly am losing my mind.

But honestly. Look at that jumbled list of things! I do recognize 5/7 items. Unfortunately, today’s artist for song of the day isn’t one of them. Even more embarrassing…I spelled his name wrong. (Something else you should know: I hate grammatical errors and spelling blunders.) Please please please forgive me, Jamie. I meant nothing by it. I know your name isn’t Lamie. There is nothing lame about you!

With all of that said…once again, today, I’ve decided to feature a song I don’t know how I found, by an artist whose name I apparently don’t know how to spell. However, I’m thankful for this musical blackout. It took me to a great artist and absolutely adorable video. I’ve found the real thing with UK artist Jamie Lawson, and I have a feeling this is the beginning of a soon to be wonderful relationship.

Sometimes, when I am first introduced to an artist, I know immediately that a long term love affair is about to ensue. No matter how much I may want to fight it, I know darn well that within the next 24 hours, I will be buying his or her music, probably in CD form. Love makes people act in ridiculous ways, and it makes me kick the digital era to the curb. I’ll read the cover booklet for said CD from front to back, perform numerous Google searches on the artist and drive around the block when one of my favorite songs is playing…just so I can let it finish. I realize that I can always start it over the next time I’m in the car, but what can I say? I’m a girl in love and therefore slightly irrational. Just like any successful love affair, it should remain under wraps. Once my rendezvous with an artist begins, I tell only the people closest to me. I keep certain musical gems to myself because the thought of it being my secret makes me feel like I knew a good thing when I saw it and didn’t let it go. (Ugh, how hipster of me.)

This is different. I’m more mature now. Sure, initially I only gushed about him to my close friends and family but now I’m starting to get upset. Do you realize the English artist is a BRIT award-winner and he still hasn’t toured in the U.S? Come on, James! What about us across the pond? Quite frankly, I’m offended…either by his manager’s failure to get a US tour together, or by the collective sets of ears of those residing in this country. I mean…have you heard him? He creates that unique tone effortlessly. Swoon.

My not-so-secret-anymore love affair with James Morrison started in 2006. Since, he and I have created multiple memories together, and I can still listen to him on repeat for days. However, he released an album in 2011 and I have yet to get my hands on it. It’s not that the fire faded. It is still very much there. I just…haven’t done it, yet. So, when I thought of him today, I did a little digging and fell in love all over again. Initially, I wanted to feature In My Dreams just to show you all what natural talent truly sounds like. Then…I noticed he did a duet with Jessie J and thus Up was named today’s song of the day. Pairing with such a well known international artist will certainly boost his career in the US and since I’ve been waiting for awhile to see him in concert, I’m completely ok with this.

I could go on for days swooning over James Morrison, but I won’t do that to you. In fact, once you listen, I have a feeling you’ll be swooning right along with me.

Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t deprive you of this one, either.

Hearing that Etta James lost her battle with leukemia today left me with absolutely no choice but to feature one of her best as today’s song of the day.  Quite frankly, it’s not like I would have been capable of finding something with such a lasting quality, anyway.

For some reason, I remember the exact day I first heard about Etta James.  My mom teamed up with two neighborhood moms and their daughters (shout out to Mrs. McKay and Mrs. Pillsbury) so we could lunch like ladies at the finest restaurant in all the land: McDonald’s.  My gal pals and I were lucky enough to snag the bar stools (which was the coolest place to sit), so we were able to sit high in the air and spin our chairs as we dined and discussed haute couture.

Between bites of chicken nuggets, Allison asked us mature ladies what we wanted our wedding song to be.  Of course I can’t remember my response because that’s what would happen to me, but I do remember the other two.  Julia said something along the lines of “anything by Garth Brooks.”  We nodded approvingly because we knew he wore cowboy hats and sang country music.  That’s about all we knew.  Allison, on the other hand, had everything planned out.  She answered her own question with At Last by Etta James.  I didn’t know who that was at the time but I made sure to pretend like I was thoroughly impressed and commend her on the song choice.

Later that day I asked my mom about the song and she told me, “it’s very pretty!”  She looked impressed by Allison’s choice, so that was enough for me.  Even before hearing it, At Last was a great song to me.  Pretty, even!  Because if mom said it was pretty, it was pretty.

And wouldn’t you know it, she was right.  She didn’t go into details about how Etta James was an amazing musician and had a gorgeous voice.  She didn’t talk about how she hit notes perfectly and make any song soulful, whether it be a ballad or an uptempo song.  She didn’t tell me this because I was 5 or 6.  This is something I had to figure out for myself and, well, it didn’t take too long.

Take a minute to pay tribute to Etta James today.  I’ve decided to post a new favorite – Sunday Kind of Love as well as Allison’s future wedding song - At Last.

Well, if today isn’t a legitimate example of stumbling upon a song, I don’t know what is.  I’ll be honest.  I was planning on being lazy about finding today’s song of the day. I signed in to Spotify and hoped that the power of randomly clicking things under “What’s New” would lead me to a wonderful piece of music.  My dreams were squelched when Spotify wouldn’t connect to the internet.  Awesome, Spotify.  I have a song of the day to deliver and you are seriously hindering that.

Then it hit me.  Rolling Stone has a whole slew of reviews, and readers even have a chance to listen to a song from the album.  Since I cheated and used an artist I had heard of before for yesterday’s post, I sampled out quite a few until I ran across a song that actually made me stop what I was doing so I could fully listen.  That song was Montreal by The Weeknd (pronounced weakened, I didn’t make a typo).  The choral sounding voices in the beginning took me by surprise and left me intrigued.  As soon as Abel Tesfaye’s (The Weeknd’s) Michael Jackson-esque voice started singing in French, I was hooked.  (Which, if you know me at all, shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing as I’m a choir loving, Michael Jackson obsessed individual.)

In fact, during my current musical stalk of The Weeknd, I couldn’t find a single song I didn’t like.  Thank you, Spotify, for failing on me today.  I wouldn’t have found The Weeknd without your mistake.

Today’s song is brought to you by a “twin” friend of mine. People have confused us for twins on a few occasions so perhaps that’s why she took the time to suggest it to me. She liked it and thought it was lovely and probably thought I would, too. What do you know? I, too, like it and also find it to be lovely.

The second I started this song, I had a musical memory – an instance where a song begins to play and I’m immediately taken somewhere else. Luckily, this particular memory only dated a few days back, so I didn’t have to sit, dwell and try to put the jumbled pieces together.

Scene: A frigid Sunday afternoon. Me, on the couch, cuddled up in a blanket.
On the TV: an announcement from E! saying that (500) Days of Summer was about to start.
Action: tossing said blanket, flying off the couch, grabbing a glass of water and a snack so I can sit in undisturbed happiness for the next 95 minutes.
Truth of the matter: I fell asleep immediately. Condensation formed on the outside of my untouched glass, and my Lean Pockets got cold. (Please note, this result had nothing at all to do with the movie. It had everything to do with staying up way too late the night before.)

Regardless, this memory came to me because Regina Spektor’s “Us” is featured in the opening scene of (500) Days of Summer. It’s the only thing my sleep heavy eyes saw and my exhausted ears picked up for those 95 minutes of glory. Despite their groggy state, my senses did notice that this song was, in fact, lovely and should be shared. So here it is.

Well, it’s official. The first snow of the season has fallen and my wanderlust begins. Lust for where? Oh, you know. Anywhere that stays above freezing during the winter months. Anywhere I can take a stroll outside without a serious fear of my face freezing off. Or fingers. Or toes. Anywhere I can send a text or like a Facebook status during said stroll because my appendages have the body heat of a living human. Is that so much to ask?

Cue Debbie Downer: wah wah.

Now that I’ve successfully chilled all of your moods, let’s discuss today’s song of the day. As I mentioned, Chicago received its first snow fall of the season yesterday. Coincidentally, Jon McLaughlin and Sara Bareilles released “Summer is Over” on the very same day. Now, if I didn’t have such a profound respect and love for each of these artists, I might be so inclined to be angry with them for pouring salt in my ever growing wound. Instead, I chose to take the high road and feature it as song of the day. It’s therapeutic, really. It’s almost like I’m saying, “Annie. Get over it. Summer really is over. Move on.” Go ahead and listen. I’ll be over here…crying hoping you like it.

Truthfully though, there’s no way I would’ve been able to let this song slip by without a feature. With 2 amazingly talented musicians involved, it would be a selfish disservice to deprive you of this song, regardless of my feelings about the weather.

Let’s take a stroll down the musical resume of Monte Pittman.

-Age 24: Move to L.A.to pursue a career in music.  Worked at a Guitar Center and realized he should be teaching the instrument rather than selling it.

-Started teaching, and had Guy Ritchie (yes, the British director) as a student, since his famed beloved, Madonna, had given him a guitar as a gift.

-Began giving lessons to Madonna.

-Currently Madonna’s guitarist/co-writer.

-Past member of Prong.

-Adam Lambert’s guitarist/music director.

-Released his first solo album, “The Deepest Dark,” in November 2009 and his second, “Pain, Love & Destiny,” in October of 2011.

-2012: Jarrell guitars release a Monte Pittman Signature Guitar, putting him in a club with Kirk Hammett, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck.

While I realize making a generalization is always a bold move, I’d venture to say that most individuals with a pulse would be pretty impressed with Pittman’s list of musical activities.

Pittman immersed himself in music at a young age, though it was a slightly frustrating task.  He ventured into his older sister’s room and became mesmerized while listening to her Kiss albums on repeat.  A cousin of his played drums in a band and Pantera was his town’s local band while growing up.

“I was always the youngest and couldn’t go to concerts or see bands.  That just made me want it more,” Pittman said.

Well, Pittman’s got it.  With a new album out and a signature Jarrell guitar dedicated just to him, Pittman has the velocity to face 2012 head on.  Pittman’s latest album, Pain, Love & Destiny, made it to No. 1 Rock Album, No. 1 Pop Album, and the Top 10 albums chart in its debut week.  As if this wasn’t a blaring sign of success, Pain, Love & Destiny also climbed its way into the iTunes Top 200 in the same week, making it the only album by an independent artist to do so.

The album features vocals, acoustic guitar, drums, bass, electric guitar, keyboard, and piano as well as powerful guitar solos.  Its title, Pain, Love & Destiny, is from a lyric in the first song on the album: “About You.”  His musical inspiration? Playing music in general.  As an individual who creates music for a living, he’s surrounded by inspiration.

For Pittman, the songwriting process goes quickly.  He begins with the music portion and then delves into the melody and lyrics.  Currently working on the music for his third album, he is not the type of artist who mass produces albums for the sake of pushing music out into the world.

“I like to hang on to songs for years sometimes.  If I like it later down the road, I know I’ve got something,” he said.

Aside from promoting the new album and creating music for the third, Pittman continues to hold the position of Madonna’s co-writer and guitarist, and in the past, as Adam Lambert’s live guitarist and musical director.  Keeping up with these jobs doesn’t result in much downtime, but Pittman recognizes this is the life of a musician.

“It’s always a good time with everyone I’ve worked with.  It’s a lot of work, but that’s what we do,” he said.  “I started teaching Madonna how to play guitar and then she asked me to join her band.  I’ve been with her ever since.  Adam and I had a band together and were writing partners before he went on Idol. He was my singer and then I was his guitarist.”

With such an extensive list of music experience, thinking of a moment that made it all surreal and tops the chart as a favorite performance is an intimidating task.  It could easily take weeks to reflect upon years of experiences, full of personal achievements and the payoff of a solid group effort.  Or, one could perform with parody heavy metal band Spinal Tap during their “One Night Only World Tour” at Wembley Stadium and make this decision less daunting.  During the show, Pittman was placed between James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica, self proclaimed heroes of his.

“Robert Trujillo [of Metallica] and I both did bass solos and I played Nigel Tufnel’s [Spinal Tap] guitar solo on the bass.  The amps were all set up to where we had ‘Spinal Tap moments,’ he said.  “It was really funny and a lot of fun.  I will never, ever forget having James to my left and Kirk to my right…all of us jamming out and looking at a sold out Wembley Stadium that was being broadcast to the whole planet.”

Click here to learn more about Monte Pittman.

“Close Your Eyes” – from Pain, Love & Destiny

I fell in love with “I Am the Black Rabbit” from the newest album and wanted to post.  Be sure to listen through, it’s the second song, starting at 6:00.  The sound quality on this recording isn’t the best for vocals, but it was one of the few I could find. Try not to be impressed during the solo.  I dare you.

Wondering where you can catch a glimpse of Monte Pittman for yourself?  Be sure to check him out onstage at this year’s Super Bowl halftime performance.

Every once in awhile, I stumble across a group that makes me giddy. A smile creeps across my face and I am filled with the same amount of happiness as a child who is given free reign of a candy store. I can’t sit still, I’m smiling more than Buddy the Elf, I want to tell EVERYONE – you know, all the usual symptoms. Well guess what, children? This is so much better than your sugar encrusted merriment. My supply never runs out and listening to said group on repeat doesn’t make me nauseous.

I came across the name “The Civil Wars” on Facebook the other day. I remembered the group name because, well, look at it. While I would love to give credit where credit is due, I cannot for the life of me remember who decided to make things Facebook official with The Civil Wars. Whoever it was, thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s this kind of raw talent that keeps my faith in music alive.

Joy Williams and John-Paul White, also known as The Civil Wars, met during a songwriting session in Nashville, TN in 2008. The duo has since been featured on Jay Leno, in multiple magazines, and nominated for this little dust collecting statue called a Grammy. While their sound is a bit more folk driven than the groups I usually fall in love with, the grit and down beat won me over. Oh, how my knees weaken at the sound of a driven downbeat. You’ll hear it easily in Barton Hollow.

I battled with myself for a bit in terms of which song to post as song of the day. In one corner, we have Barton Hollow, a gritty sounding folk song. In the other, Poison and Wine, a song with a beautiful marriage of piano and guitar. Which to choose? Which to choose? I don’t do well when faced with decisions!

Then, it hit me. This is my blog. I make the rules. Today, I give you two songs. Because just like that kid in the candy store won’t take just one piece of a newly discovered favorite, I won’t battle with myself on which one I like better. I love both.  So there.

One positive side to being incapable of going to bed before midnight is that I get to embrace late night talk shows in all their glory. I’ve seen Betty White beat Jimmy Fallon in beer pong, a comeback by Hanson and last night, I was introduced to Chris Cornell by the one and only Jay Leno. He sang The Keeper, which truly is the epitome of an easy listening piece. The guitar line is simple, but done well enough to drive the song when coupled with Cornell’s croon.

Speaking of his voice…it sounds eerily similar to that of Michael Bolton (MB), simply because of the guttural tone. As a child who used to belt Michael Bolton songs to and from preschool, I mean this as a compliment, and a huge one at that. The combination of the MB (that’s what I’m going to call him) tone and easy listening composition comes together perfectly in The Keeper.

[Note: If you recognize the name Chris Cornell, it may be because he was a member and lead singer of both Audioslave and Soundgarden. Not 2 groups that show up under the keywords "easy listening," but credit should be given to Cornell for being diverse.]

Great news, music fans.  A new Jason Mraz song is out!  Seeing as his last album dropped in 2008, I think it’s safe to say we deserve this.

But, did he deliver?

In the beginning of I Won’t Give Up, Mraz toys with his middle and lower ranges, something not too many fans can be used to, giving his voice a tone reminiscent of Rob Thomas.  Known for his high voice and ability to sing at Busta Rhymes speeds (please reference “The Remedy”), Mraz can’t hold out on eager ears for the entirety of the song.  Soon enough, his belts in his usual range and makes us fall in love with his voice all over again.