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

CocknBullKid, one of the most acclaimed young British artists to emerge in recent years has just released her hotly anticipated debut album ‘ Adulthood ’. The album, co-written by Anita alongside a host of talents including the eccentric, electronic piano man Gonzales, who worked on half the record, is a full functioning pop odyssey that looks set to soundtrack the summer of 2011. Recent Post: Fully grown and ready to blow: that's CocknBullKid, 2011.  CocknBullKid supports Duran Duran on their arena tour on the following dates: 28/5 O2 Arena London 30/5 Brighton Centre 31/5 Bournemouth International Centre 1/6 Cardiff International Arena 3/6 Manchester M.E.N Arena 4/6 Sheffield Arena Buy Cocknbullkid " Adulthood" CD Adulthood (Deluxe Edition) - Cocknbullkid

Alex Clare's tour runs throughout July and his next single ‘Treading Water’ is out on July 4th. Also checkout Alex’s rendition of the Prince classic ‘When Doves Cry’ http://www.myspace.com/alexclare Alex Clare - Recent Posts

South Londoner Josh Osho is an inherently gifted singer songwriter who has one of the finest pop/soul voices to come out of the UK in years and a life-story packed full of the stuff that films are made of. Born to a half Northern Irish, half Nigerian mother and ex-boxer and musician stroke cultural educationalist father, Josh Osho has not only experienced more than your average teenager, but more than many people may do in a lifetime. Following an unconventional and often tempestuous childhood, Josh went from being in and out of home at the age of 16 and dealing drugs from notorious half-way house Ebenezer hotel at 17, to signing a record deal at 18, and finding himself recording in a studio with two members of the Wu Tang clan at 19. It may be a universal cliché to say someone has been saved from a darker route in life by music, but when it comes to Josh Osho this really is the case. Josh began writing songs from an early age, when one of his mum’s friends threw out a guitar and he st...

TURTLENECK & CHAIN features collaborations with Akon, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna – with more guest collaborators soon to be unveiled. The group premiered the music video “We’re Back!,” the third single off the new album on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Friday April 1. The single was available on iTunes immediately following the video premiere, marking the beginning of the iTunes “Countdown to Turtleneck & Chain” promotion. The album's gold-selling first single, "I Just Had Sex (feat.Akon)", has already become a smash hit, with digital sales in excess of 500,000 since its December 18th release and YouTube views for the music video reaching over 75 million. The group also performed the song live at 2011 Comedy Awards with Akon and The Roots. The album's second single, "The Creep (feat. Nicki Minaj and John Waters)" has already garnered YouTube views in excess of 16 million and counting. And the single has everybody that hears it "...

Louisiana meets Stockport in Barnstaple, as Blues legend Larry Garner is reunited with one of the UK’s top five-piece bands, The Norman Beaker Band, in a much anticipated gig taking place in the studio at Barnstaple’s Queen’s Theatre (to allow space for that all-important dancing), on Wednesday 1 st June. - Read More

An acclaimed singer, songwriter, musician and producer, Stephen Marley is a five-star general in Jah Army’s ongoing offensive to uphold the integrity of reggae music. Stephen has won seven Grammy Awards for his work on various Marley family projects, including two Best Reggae Album Grammy nods for his self-produced solo efforts “Mind Control”, which debuted atop Billboard’s Reggae Album Chart, and “Mind Control Acoustic”, a record-setting tally for a Jamaican artist. The second son born to Bob and Rita Marley, younger brother to Sharon, Cedella and Ziggy and mentor to brothers Julian, Ky-mani and Damian, Stephen’s acceptance of the responsibilities inherent within his exalted familial legacy is evidenced by the consistent excellence that distinguishes his various musical endeavors. Stephen’s third self produced album “Revelation Pt 1: The Root of Life” (Ghetto Youths/Universal Republic), which will be released on May 24th, was conceived as a celebration and preservation conduit for ...

Jonathan Jeremiah, whose timeless songs and soulful voice place him firmly in the tradition of classic Island artists like Nick Drake and John Martyn, and mark him out as a songwriter with a rare talent, releases his new Island single “Heart of Stone” on May 23rd. Jonathan who was recently invited by Rumer, a self-declared fan, to open for the Brit nominated singer at her recent Manchester show, will be playing his own headlining show at Bush Hall on May 31st. For ticket information please visit - http://www.gigsandtours.com/?a=jonathan+jeremiah Written and produced by Jeremiah, “Heart of Stone” is taken from the Londoner’s debut album “A Solitary Man” which has just been released to rave reviews. Jeremiah first came to prominence when he was invited to appear on Later with Jools a full five months before the release of his album, where he gave a stunning solo acoustic performance of one of the album’s many standouts “How Half-Heartedly We Behave”. A month long residency at the Bor...

22-year-old DEV is pop’s hottest new temptress, a California girl of Mexican/Portuguese decent with low-dipping 808 sound that’s machine tooled for the clubs.“Bass Down Low ” was produced by L.A. duo The Cataracs, who triangulated the space between trunk-rattling hip hop, pop and L.A. electro. The duo found DEV after she uploaded an Amy Winehouse cover onto YouTube which she had recorded on her MacBook at home. The boys went on to produce DEV’s breakout track “Booty Bounce ” which has garnered over 1 million hits on YouTube. It was “Booty Bounce” that The Cataracs sampled for the hook on Far East Movement’s hit single “Like A G6” which got to #5 in the UK and sold 2 million downloads worldwide. So DEV introduced the world to the slang ‘slizzard’ for getting drunk while name checking Three 6 Mafia - turning the song into a veritable smash in the process. Now emerging as a solo artist “Bass Down Low” is only the beginning; her forthcoming debut 'The Night the Sun Came Up' is drop...

After a ridiculously successful 2010 which saw Robyn rank high in many end of year poll’s, from Popjustice’s #1 album of the year to Guardian’s #1 single of the year, to winning Radio 1’s Live Lounge of the year - and pretty much everything in between - Robyn is ready to stamp her platform booted mark all over 2011 just as hard. Not only was she recently nominated for a BRIT Award for International Female Solo Artist (alongside Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Kylie Minogue and Rhianna), and for ‘Best Dance Recording’ in the US Grammy’s, she also won a massive 4 awards at the Swedish Grammy’s, played a sold out 6000 capacity Radio City Music hall in NYC and has announced a 15 date American tour with said fellow BRIT nominee, Miss Perry, starting in June. This follows Robyns return to the UK in March for her own select shows which included a sold out gig at London’s Roundhouse. Robyn will release ‘Call Your Girlfriend’, taken from her latest Body Talk album on May 16. Remixes come from Kaskade...

Five years on from his debut album, Tom Vek is back. Following much speculation, Tom Vek’s brand new single A Chore was premiered  (Monday 18th April) by Radio 1’s Zane Lowe and is available to buy immediately as a digital download. It’s accompanied by a brilliant Ollie Evans-directed video that can be seen right now at WWW.TOMVEK.TV  The single precedes the release of Tom Vek’s highly anticipated second album. Titled Leisure Seizure, the twelve track album will be released on 6th June 2011 on Island Records, available on CD, LP and download. Tom Vek will also mark the release of Leisure Seizure with a five date UK headline tour, including a London show at Heaven.  The full tour dates are: 13th June - Manchester Ruby Lounge 14th June - Glasgow Classic Grand 15th June - Birmingham HMV Institute Library 16th June - London Heaven 18th June - Brighton Concorde 2

Grammy Award winning, chart-topping SoCal singer songwriter Colbie Caillat will release “All Of You”, her highly anticipated third album on July 12th. Caillat wrote “All Of You” about her experiences the last few years, the most significant of which is her blossoming relationship with band mate Justin Young. “He was in my band for two years before we noticed that we liked each other,” Caillat says, laughing. “I wrote most of this album about us, our ups and downs. All the songs are about life experiences, so I guess this record is more grown up, with a somewhat wiser perspective.” On the new album, Caillat realised her long held dream of collaborating with rapper/film star Common who lends his rhymes to the infectious “Favorite Song”. Caillat wrote “Favorite Song” and “Brighter than the Sun” with Ryan Tedder and collaborated with Toby Gad, Jason Reeves, Rick Nowels, and Justin Young on the album. The first single from the new album, “I Do”, debuted at #1 on iTunes in the US, and is re...

PJ Harvey’s eighth studio album was recently released to widespread international acclaim and ‘Let England Shake’ has garnered Top 10 chart positions in the UK, Australia, Denmark, France, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland and debuted at number 2 in Belgium & Norway. Having completed a sold out European tour, including two triumphant dates at the Troxy in East London, PJ Harvey will return to London this summer with a performance at Alexandra Palace on July 23rd. Harvey will also played this year’s Coachella Festival sharing the bill with Kanye West and The Strokes. Mercury Prize Winner, PJ Harvey was awarded the Teenage Cancer Trust Outstanding Contribution to Music at this year’s NME Awards, performing at last month’s ceremony with live band Mick Harvey, Jean Marc Butty and John Parish and more recently appeared live on BBC2's  Later with Jools Holland ‘The Glorious Land’, the second single from PJ Harvey’s ‘Let England Shake’, was released as di...

CocknBullKid, one of the most acclaimed young British artists to emerge in recent years, is releasing her hotly anticipated debut album ‘Adulthood’ on May 23. The album, co-written by Anita alongside a host of talents including the eccentric, electronic piano man Gonzales, who worked on half the record, is a full functioning pop odyssey that looks set to soundtrack the summer of 2011 . In addition to Chilly, there are a couple of songs from Peter, Björn and John’s Peter Morén, as well as a co-write each from Joseph 'Metronomy' Mount and former All Saint, and one of Anita’s hero’s Shaznay Lewis. The album was produced by Liam Howe (Marina and the Diamonds / ex- Sneaker Pimps). Adulthood was recorded in London, Paris and Stockholm and was put together in Howe's Dalston home studio, surrounded by vintage synths, and in the cosy confines of Snap Studios in North London. With this brilliant debut, CocknBullKid has emerged from a creative cocoon with a suite of bright, breezy an...

Nicki Minaj, the hottest new artist on the planet follows her wildly acclaimed million selling debut album “ Pink Friday ” with the release of her new Young Money/Cash Money single “ Girls Fall Like Dominoes ”. The single which samples The Big Pink’s cult single “Dominos”, looks set to give the US pop diva her biggest UK hit single. Nicki is currently slaying audiences across the US co-headlining with friend and mentor Lil Wayne on the sold–out “I Am Music II” tour and with 1.5 million albums sold in the US, 8 million likes on Facebook, 3 million followers on Twitter, a gold album in the UK and a profile that is rising by the day, here are some of the things the UK press are saying about this 5’ 2” phenomenon. Buy Download - Single "Girls Fall like Dominoes" Buy CD Pink Friday Bonus Tracks http://www.myspace.com/nickiminaj WHAT THE PAPERS SAY “THE noisiest noise on the block right now. Scrums at the Dorchester, ridiculous wigs inspired by Marge Simpson, watch out Lon...

Adam Young has spent the best part of the last six months in peaceful hibernation, busy writing the second Owl City album, ‘All Things Bright And Beautiful’ which will be released on 17th May. The first single ‘Alligator Sky’, which features US rapper Shawn Chrystopher, rockets us back into the cosmic world of Owl City. “’Alligator’ and ‘sky’ are two words that don’t really go together, but conjure up an image, which fits the idea of the song,” Adam says. “It’s about how there are so many weird things coming at you every day. Why not just meet them head on and take charge even though you have no say over what’s going to happen? You and those around you are what matter most.” Owl City’s swift rise from the unknown into chart topping success saw his debut album - the lush, lovingly created ‘Ocean Eyes’, which was released by Island Records in February 2010 - certified gold or platinum in nine countries. The album spawned the quadruple-platinum first single ‘Fireflies’, which was a No. 1...

There’s a fair chance you’re already familiar with the sublime voice of North London girl Jess Mills since her vocals graced the recent Radio 1 A listed single ‘Fighting Fire ’ by Breakage. Jess’s relationship with Breakage began on Leftfield’s recent comeback tour, where Jess was providing the vocals for the seminal dance act, and Breakage was the support. Bonding over a shared love of Radiohead, 90s drum’n’bass and Depeche Mode they decided to bunker down in James’ South London studio, the place where he’d recently crafted his now infamous remix of Clare Maguire. There Jess wrote and laid down the vocals for his club smash ‘Fighting Fire’. A track that left confused message board chatter over whether it was dub-step, trance or pop music, but that clearly united people on the dance-floor. Like Geoff Barrow’s first meeting with Beth Gibbons, there was magic in the air… And a pact was made to return the favour by producing some of Jess’ own solo material. The result is Vultures, the fi...