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

"Lost In Love" is the first single to be taken from L-Vis 1990's forthcoming debut album, Neon Dreams. Continuing a collaborative partnership which began on last year's "Forever You" single, breakthrough Bristol-based vocalist Javeon McCarthy once again takes centre stage here. Through its melodious analogue synths, infectious vocal hooks and sub-4 minute running length, "Lost In Love" in many ways serves as the ideal entrée to Neon Dreams. This is the sound of L-Vis 1990 revisiting the routes of his dance music love affair. Picking up his own theme from the original—the classic French bassline—L-Vis 1990's Neon Dreams Club Mix pushes the low-end triumphantly to the fore. 'Club' is certainly the operative word here; feel the remix's Bangalter-esque bassline drop and your mind's eye fixes instinctively upon an undulating dancefloor. The Night Slugs Allstars—L-Vis 1990, Bok Bok, Jam City—also take the 'floor on their version...

AnGeL is stepping up to fill the spot of a UK R&B Renaissance man who can produce, sing, write and rap. Produced by his Parallel Music production house ‘7 Minutes Before Time’ is where his song writing meets the best of the UK’s road writers. In order of appearance; Maxsta, Wiley, Temps, Giggs, Scorcher, Gfrsh, Sneakbo, Wretch 32. As a writer/producer AnGeL has some pedigree– they wrote Roll Deep’s #1 smash ‘Green Light’ and has written for pop superstar Pixie Lott. For the ‘7MBT’ EP they have assembled a ridiculously strong team of the ‘about to blow’, the legendary and a #1 chart star. The self released videos for the EP have racked up 500,000 views on AnGeL’s Youtube channel by word of mouth. It opens with a cantankerous sample from Peter Tosh (a nod to AnGeL’s family’s musical roots, his Dad was a major reggae keyboard player). What follows is mix of the ‘nasty and the nice at the same time’ in his own words. ‘Gleamin’ see’s West London’s finest meet East’s; Maxsta and W...

Multi-Grammy-winning, multiplatinum hip-hop superstar Lil Wayne released his latest album “Tha Carter IV”, on August 29th. The feverishly anticipated follow-up to his game-changing 2008 set “Tha Carter III”. The album, released via Young Money/Cash Money Records,  includes the new single “She Will” featuring Drake, as well as recent singles “6 foot 7 foot” (ft Cory Gunz), “John” (ft Rick Ross) and “How To Love”, all of which debuted in the Top 10 on US iTunes. “THA CARTER IV” is Wayne’s 10th album in all, and sees the New Orleans rapper returning to his hip hop roots and cementing his reputation as the greatest rapper alive. The last decade has seen Weezy establish himself as arguably the most influential artist hip hop has seen in years, with more than 10 million records sold, a staggering eight Grammy nominations for the seminal Tha Carter III, and shattering records by selling over one million copies in its first week of release. The New Orleans native who hails from the rough...

Bob Dylan and his band will tour Europe in October and November including these three London dates at HMV Apollo Hammersmith in November. Mark Knopfler and band will also perform. Bob Dylan and His Band Plus Mark Knopler 19-Nov-2011 to 21-Nov-2011 Tickets on sale Friday 23rd Septmber from 9am   CLICK TO GET BOB DYLAN TICKETS WHAT'S ON HMV Apollo Hammersmith, London

Congratulations to PJ Harvey who was recently announced as winner of the 2011 Barclaycard Mercury Prize Album of the Year with her eighth studio album, Let England Shake (Island) . When it was nominated. Harvey said, “I am thankful for this recognition of my work, and look forward to finally being able to attend the event in person in September.” This was Harvey’s fourth nomination; she was previously nominated for Rid of Me in 1993 and To Bring You My Love in 1995, and in 2001 she won the award with Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. She accepted the award from her hotel room in Washington DC on September 11, 2001. This latest nomination also marked 10 years since she became the first female to win the Mercury prize and Harvey now stands alongside Radiohead as the most nominated artist in the prize’s history. Released in February, Let England Shake is the fastest selling record of Harvey’s career featuring long-standing collaborators Flood, John Parish, Mick Harvey and Jea...