Focus Music Notes. "Out of the Blues". Popular music through the decades

PJ Harvey's eighth studio album ‘ Let England Shake ’ is set to be released on the 14.02.2011 through Island Records . Recorded in a 19th Century church in Dorset with long time collaborator Flood who co-produced the album with PJ Harvey, John Parish and Mick Harvey. ‘ Let England Shake ’ was also mixed by Flood. The album will be supported by a run of sold out live shows early next year, with dates in Brussels, Berlin, Paris, and London’s Troxy on February 27th and 28th. 2011 will also see Harvey return to the festival-stage, with more details to be announced. PJ Harvey will perform with a live band which includes Mick Harvey, John Parish and Jean-Marc Butty.

As The Drums begin their inaugural tour of their homeland in September, they’re delighted to announce they will return to the UK this winter with a headline tour, and release double A-side single featuring live favourite, ‘Me and the Moon’ and ‘Down By The Water’ on December 13th. The single and nearly sold out UK tour, look set to cap a remarkable 12 months for The Drums. Last week the band was nominated for “Best New Act” at the Q Awards 2010, which followed the news the band were voted NME’s “Best New Festival Band” (polling 25% of their readers’ votes) – the latter coming after a succession of thrilling UK festival shows including Glastonbury, Reading/Leeds, T in the Park, Oxegen and their support slot with Kings of Leon at Hyde Park, London. After selling out their first London Forum show almost immediately, a second show has been announced on Wednesday 24th November. UK headline tour dates: Wednesday 24th November - London HMV Forum ** SOLD OUT ** Thursday 25th November - Lon...

With a 14 album box set, 16 albums total, and the entire stream of Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964, iTunes brings you The Beatles. Each album comes with iTunes LP, which features lyrics, photos, and more. The Beatles Box Set includes the band's entire catalog, plus mini-documentary features on each album, and the bands' first performance in the US. DOWNLOAD THE BEATLES NOW

‘Body Talk’ is the third and final album in Robyn’s unique trilogy for 2010. Released on November 29 it will feature 5 of the best tracks from Pt 1 & 2 plus 5 extra brand-spanking new songs from the ridiculously prolific pop star. Releasing music in this way has been an almighty success for Robyn, as she explains: "I’m going to keep mixing up my tours with studio time and am hoping to stick to this new way of releasing music next year. This is the third, last part and completion of the Body Talk album. It was never my goal to break some kind of a world record in how many songs I could release in a year. Although I think it would count as a pretty good attempt, it’s been about the process for me. It’s been very interesting to try and figure out a more organic way of making music. A way that is unbiased and has it’s starting point in what feels logical to me, but also to the listeners. Even though it was never a conceptual idea, but a practical solution to the problem of getting...

Separated for 15 years, Take That and Robbie Williams are back together and releasing what could potentially be the biggest single of Take That's career. The Flood is out now. It is taken from the forthcoming album Progress, which is due out on November 15. 'Progress Live 2011' is billed as a feast for the imagination charting the evolution and the progress of Take That and Robbie Williams through their extraordinary 20-year history. 1 million tickets were sold in a day! iTunes bundled The Flood single and music video for 99p.

Last year The Prince of Grime scored two number one singles, (‘Number 1’and ‘Never Leave You’), released a critically acclaimed chart topping album, (‘Catch 22’), and notched up enough sales to make him the biggest selling British solo male artist of 2009 . He also performed at all the major festivals of the summer, supported Akon on tour, embarked on his own 18 date sold out nationwide headline tour, developed his Star in The Hood merchandise from T-shirts sold on eBay to a fully developed clothing range, and graduate with a degree in Digital Arts and Moving Imagery from The University of East London. This year has seen Tinchy Stryder complete a second sold out headline tour in the UK, open the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury, expand his clothing range from online to in store (it is now stocked in over 60 stores nationwide) and start up a Joint Venture 360 music entertainment company with Jay Z (Takeover Roc Nation). All while writing and recording his third album ‘Third Strike’. Followi...

The Drums began their inaugural tour of their homeland in September and are now delighted to announce they will return to the UK this winter with a headline tour, and release double A-sided single featuring live favourite, ‘Me and the Moon’ and ‘Down By The Water’ on December 13th . The single and nearly sold out UK tour, look set to cap a remarkable 12 months for The Drums. Last week the band was nominated for “Best New Act” at the Q Awards 2010, which followed the news the band were voted NME’s “Best New Festival Band” (polling 25% of their readers’ votes) – the latter coming after a succession of thrilling UK festival shows including Glastonbury, Reading/Leeds, T in the Park, Oxegen and their support slot with Kings of Leon at Hyde Park, London. After selling out their first London Forum show almost immediately, a second show has been announced on Wednesday 24th November. UK headline tour dates: Wednesday 24th November - London HMV Forum ** SOLD OUT ** Thursday 25th November...

Fresh from a show stopping performance and fourth award win at the recent MOBOS, urban pop super-group N-Dubz triumphantly return with their new single ‘ Girls ’, released via their new musical home, All Around The World & Island Records on 13th December 2010. ‘Girls’ is the second single from their highly anticipated new album ‘ Love, Live, Life ’ (released November 29th) quickly following their recent Top 10 smash ‘Best Behaviour’. Written by the band and Jim Jonson (Beyonce, Usher. Lil Wayne), ‘Girls’ is a slick celebration of the female form, showcasing edgy beats and tough lyrics reminiscent of early N-Dubz hits. Representing a universal love for women, ‘ Girls ’ features a contagious hook that flows over the band’s trademark electronic synths and gritty urban beats. The N-Dubz furore continues this winter with the release of their third album, ‘Love, Live, Life’. In May 2010, N-Dubz signed a five-album deal with Island Def Jam records in the U.S. Recorded in LA and Miami an...

Jonathan Jeremiah, whose timeless songs and soulful voice have marked him out as a songwriter with a rare talent, previews his highly anticipated 2011 debut album “Solitary Man” with the release on December 13th of his new single “See”. In addition Jonathan was one of the guests, alongside Kings of Leon, M.I.A. and Eric Clapton, on this week’s Later With Jools, which transmitted on BBC2 at 11.50 on Friday November 5th. (performance available on BBC iPlayer). The public will have a chance to hear Jonathan perform this beautiful string-drenched song and other tracks from the new album during his forthcoming residency at London's Borderline. The shows kicked off on October 27th, with further appearances on November 10th, 23rd and December 6th. Jeremiah recently guested with Rumer at her sell-out Bloomsbury Theatre show. Jeremiah was born and raised in London to an Anglo-Indian father and a Tipperary born Irish Catholic mother. From an early age he listened to songs from his parent’s ...

As the third and final album in Robyn’s unique trilogy for 2010 approaches, the exquisite song Indestructible will round off her single releases for the year. Further album details to follow. The acoustic version on Body Talk PT2 was orchestrated by a surging string section and displays Robyn’s ebullient lyrics about the power of love. Once again we witness her innate ability to project utter strength in her lyrics while also wearing her heart proudly on her sleeve. This pulsating full power version takes every ounce of that emotion and wraps it up in another exceptional disco-pop record worthy of any dance-floor or passion-laden sing-a-long. “ I wanna love you like I’ve never been hurt before, I wanna love you like I’m indestructible ” Robyn recently performed Dancing On My Own at the MTV VMA’s in LA with Deadmau5 following her tour of the U.S with Kelis. Currently on tour in Europe, she returned to the UK on October 18th to play her biggest shows to date. And Robyn has just announced...

Nicki Minaj, the first lady of Young Money/Cash Money Records and one of the hottest artists on the planet right now, has her new single “Right Thru Me” released on November 22nd. The track is taken from the 25 year old rap phenomenon’s feverishly anticipated debut album which is also released on November 22nd.  Nicki Minaj’s star has been on the rise since she released her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over, in 2007. The mixtape featured Lil Wayne and the cover showed Nicki posing as a Barbie Doll. A second mixtape “Sucka Free” released a year later, increased the heat around Minaj and was followed in 2009 by mixtape number three “Beam Me Up Scotty”. Shortly thereafter Nicki, aka Harajuku Barbie, aka Nicki Lewinsky, aka Roman Zolanski, aka Ms Step Your Cookies Up, signed to Lil Wayne’s new label Young Money Entertainment and featured heavily on Young Money’s debut album “We Are Young Money” which spawned the massive hit single “Bedrock”. Minaj has also made her name from her many fea...