VV Brown takes to the Road

Fashion icon, V V Brown whose beautiful debut album ”Travelling Like The Light” has just been released to huge critical acclaim is to take to the road on tour at the beginning of November

She will be performing at the following dates:   Buy Tickets                                                       

• Nov 4 Manchester Club Academy Manchester
• Nov 5 Sheffield Academy 2 Sheffield
• Nov 6 Northampton Roadmender Northampton
• Nov 9 Birmingham Academy 2 Birmingham
• Nov 10 Glasgow King Tuts Glasgow
• Nov 11 Newcastle Academy 2 Newcastle
• Nov 13 Leeds Cockpit Leeds
• Nov 14 Bristol Thekla Bristol
• Nov 16 Nottingham Rescue Rooms Nottingham
• Nov 18 Brighton Concorde 2 Brighton
• Nov 19 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff
• Nov 23 London ULU London

Frankmusik Tour Dates November and December

Frankmusik is a unique proposition in 2009, multi-talented, ferociously productive, a motor-mouth, thinking, making, doing at high speeds. In 09 Frankmusik is the future of pop futuristism. Which other male newcomer this year would have the drive to have written/produced a brilliant debut album, tracks for other Top 10 stars, remix The Pet Shop Boys and his whole album into a ‘night’ version. His creativity is all-night compulsive. In terms of raw talent Frankmusik is exceptional, his output prodigious. ‘Complete Me’ , available now is the debut album by Frankmusik and an introduction to a major new British pop star. - Buy Tickets

Frankmusik Tour November

• Monday 2nd  Phoenix   14+  Exeter
• Tuesday  3rd Thekla  14+  Bristol
• Wednesday 4th Rescue Rooms  14+  Nottingham
• Friday  6th  Cockpit 16+/14 acc Leeds
• Saturday 7th  Plug 14+  Sheffield
• Sunday 8th  Academy 2  16+/14 acc  Birmingham
• Monday  9th  Other Rooms  16+/U18 acc Newcastle
• Wednesday 11th Classic Grand 14+  Glasgow
• Thursday 12th Electric Circus  14+ Edinburgh

December

• Wednesday   2nd  Concorde 2   14+ Brighton
• Thursday  3rd   Water Front   16+/14 acc  Norwich
• Friday    4th    Koko   14+   London
• Saturday 5th Academy   U 14 acc  Oxford
• Tuesday 8th  Club Academy  14+ Manchester
• Monday 14th  Wedgwood Rooms 14+ Portsmouth

UK Tour for Codeine Velvet Club

Codeine Velvet Club is a new musical collaboration featuring Jon Lawler, lead singer and chief songwriter of The Fratellis and singer-songwriter Lou Hickey, that celebrates their shared love of ’60s girl-boy duets, dramatic orchestral pop, and dark post-war Hollywood and Las Vegas romanticism. “Soaring strings, biting brass, sweet as sugar guitar licks and a healthy dose of noir drama… Add the kind of retro glamour that conjures up late nights in Vegas or Hollywood, stir in the kind of songwriting that oozes class and sophistication then freight in a few world-beating pop hooks. That’s the recipe for the sensational new sound of Codeine Velvet Club” News Of The World, Scotland 13th Sept. ’09. Since their fantastically well reviewed debut headline shows in Glasgow at the Classic Grand and at London’s Bush Hall Codeine Velvet Club are heading out on a full UK tour throughout November and December to coincide with their releases. 

Debut single “Vanity Kills” – November 16th

Debut Album – “Codeine Velvet Club” – November 23rd 

Codeine Velvet Club rehearsal room performance of “Vanity Kills”

November

• 18 - Manchester, Ruby Lounge
• 19 - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
• 20 - Leeds, Cockpit
• 22 - Bristol, Thekla
• 23 - Brighton, Hanbury Ballroom
• 25 - London, 100 Club
• 26 - Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
• 28 - Glasgow, SECC - Homecoming Festival
• 29 - Dundee, Doghouse
• 30 - Aberdeen, Warehouse

December

• 02 - Inverness, Ironworks
• 03 - Off04 - Newcastle, Academy
• 06 - Sheffield, Steel Stage
• 07 -Birmingham, Glee Club
• 08 - Glasgow, TBA
• 09 - Glasgow, TBA

Back to Vintage Soul with Dionne Bromfield

London-born soul singer Dionne Bromfield releases her debut album on October 12 through Lioness Records/Island. “Introducing Dionne Bromfield” is the first album issued by Lioness, the new label created by Amy Winehouse. Amy is also godmother to 13 year-old Dionne and says of her protégée, “She’s so much better than I was at her age.” “Mama Said”, Dionne’s debut single, will be released on November 2nd. Introducing Dionne Bromfield features covers of 12 classic songs that reflect her love of vintage soul music and ‘60s girl groups. Tracks include “Mama Said”, Motown anthem “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, which Dionne has recorded as a duet with fellow Lioness artist Zalon, and “Foolish Little Girl”, originally a hit for The Shirelles in 1963. The full tracklisting is as follows :

1. Tell Him
2. Mama Said
3. Foolish Little Girl
4. My Boy Lollipop
5. Beachwood 45789
6. Two Can Have A Party
7. He’s So Fine
8. With A Child’s Heart
9. Until You Come Back To Me
10. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
11. Am I The Same Girl
12. Oh Henry                    

It was at the age of ten that Dionne started to think seriously about singing, after an aunt recognised her potential and referred her to a professional vocal coach. A year later she sang for Amy for the first time. “I said, ‘You’re an amazing singer’,” Amy recalls. “We also played guitar together, and the way she accompanies herself on guitar is amazing too". Speaking about the songs chosen for the album Dionne explains: “Mostly I listen to Motown – that’s proper music. And these songs I’ve chosen, I just grew up around them. My mum had lots of old Motown LPs, and when you’re brought up listening to something you start singing the way these people are singing. My favourite singer is Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin is amazing as well – she has such a big voice! I also like Ne-Yo very much, I like Beyonce, but I don’t want to go R&B or pop or anything like that. I want to keep it soul.” Amy put Dionne together with Jon Moon, the producer who worked on the deluxe edition of Amy’s ”Back To Black” album and whose credits also include N-Dubz, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens). Backed by Amy’s regular touring band, Dionne recorded a wide variety of songs from the 1960s and early ‘70s: early Tamla Motown favourite Beechwood 45789, a hit for The Marvelettes in 1962; “He’s So Fine”, a US number one for The Chiffons in 1964; “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)”, co-written and originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in ’67 and later covered by Aretha Franklin in 1973; and “My Boy Lollipop”, a UK number one for Millie in 1964, and a song first heard by Dionne when she saw the Spice Girls movie Spiceworld. “I thought it was a good song,” she says, “but when I heard Millie’s version I thought, this is the proper one." And Amy said, ‘You’ve got to do it – it’s my favourite tune!” This is a principle that Dionne is applying to her own song-writing, although she is saving her original songs for the future. Says Amy: “Dionne’s writing all the time. I want her to experience life so that she can write songs. But while she’s doing a covers album she’s not singing all her songs, she’s not so consumed by it. Singing songs that are very personal, it’s very deep. But she knows what she’s doing – to be honest, when I say Dionne’s like my sister, a lot of the time she’s like my older sister! I’m just so proud of her. I’m very lucky to have a record label. I’ve got all these people that I love, that are really talented – and Dionne is my number one.” “I’m really happy with my album,” Dionne says, “I love these songs, and I’m really excited about going out and singing them. Once you’re on a stage, it’s like you’re home."

Breaking News - Taio Cruz Still Number One

Taio Cruz, whose single “Break Your Heart” crashed into the UK singles chart this week at no. 1, firmly establishing the 26 year-old Londoner as a genuine solo artist in his own right, has his hugely anticipated second album, ”ROKSTARR”, released on October 12th through Universal Records. The album features the number 1 smash as well his Top 3 collaboration with Tinchy Stryder “Take You Back”. Special guests on the album will include superhot rising US star Ke$ha and Tinchy Stryder. Written, produced and arranged by the multi-talented Cruz the twelve track set also features “Dirty Picture”, “I’ll Never Love Again”, “Only You”, “Feel Again “and the UK Bonus track “The 11th Hour. Although “Break Your Heart” is his first solo release this year, Taio has already enjoyed an extremely productive and successful 2009. As well as completing work on “Rokstarr”, the follow up to the 150,000 selling debut “Departure”, Taio has been writing and producing for Cheryl Cole’s feverishly anticipated new record, has scored his second number 1 UK single having written the Tinchy Stryder/Amelle smash “Never Leave You”, as well as writing and performing on Tinchy’s earlier top 3 smash “Take You Back”. “Break Your Heart”  is Taio’s first solo release since exploding onto the UK scene with the massive chart smashes ”Come On Girl” and “I Can Be”, both taken from his Gold-selling debut album “Departure”. The critical and commercial success of the singles and album quickly established Cruz as one of the most exciting British artists to emerge in recent years. In the last two years Taio’s writing and production skills have been enlisted by among others the Sugababes, Leona Lewis, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Pussycat Dolls, JLS, Anastacia, Alexandra Burke and many more, while Simon Cowell  called Departure “one of the best albums of 2008”. Prior to the release and success of “Departure”, Taio was already a major player in the US with super producer Dallas Austin singling him out as “the new Babyface”. Living and working in the US he had cut his teeth writing and recording with the likes of Tricky Stewart, the man behind Rihanna’s “Umbrella”. In fact the song was originally earmarked for Taio to perform, until Jay-Z heard it, offered it to Rhianna and the rest as they say …. Taio’s transatlantic work continued with the London wunderkind writing & producing for a string of A list artists. Quickly recognised as THE go-to writer/producer in the UK, Taio has since worked with some of the UK’s biggest names while writing and recording aerial for his second album. The success of the number 1 single, whose video has now received an astonishing 1.3 million views on Youtube, and the imminent release of the new album, offers further proof, if proof were needed, that in Taio Cruz, the UK has its very own top–drawer artist/songwriter/producer who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best that American pop has to offer. Click here to buy Taio Cruz's New Album - Rockstarr