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

It's got to be the perfect gift especially if you're not lucky enough to be with loved-ones this Christmas. Take the perfect self-portrait easily with a Selfie Extender Stick. With a Bluetooth Remote Shutter pack you can pair the shutter with your mobile device, then secure your smartphone to the adjustable head of your new monopod stick. Open your photo app, extend and say cheese. Perfect if you want to include your friends and  maybe produce an epic pic like talk show host, Ellen De Generez whose Oscar selfie with celebrities Bradley Cooper , Jennifer Lawrence , Brad Pitt , Meryl Streep and other stars of the night continues to break records and is the most re-tweeted picture of all time. You don't need to break any records but you can capture your perfect moment with mates at a festival or concert or send a loving message to relatives and friends in far away places. Amazon.co.uk Widgets Shop Selfie Gadgets and Extenders

Irish star Hozier’s global hit Take Me To Church has been announced as 2014’s most streamed track of the year. This morning Spotify announced the song as their global number 1 most shared song on the service in 2014, and the biggest song in the world at this moment. It follows confirmation that Take Me To Church had already topped their global chart (with over 87 million streams to date), and further cements the young Wicklow musician as the first tangible example of a breakthrough streaming superstar. The track currently sits at 1 on the Shazam worldwide chart. At the turn of this year, the video to Take Me To Church had quickly gone viral, and now sits with over 40 million views on YouTube. It caps a hugely successful, breakthrough year for Andrew Hozier-Byrne, having picked up his first Grammy nomination this month for Song of the Year, and debuting his critically acclaimed eponymous album at number 2 in the US Billboard chart (the second biggest debut album of th...

Anthony Henry a.k.a. Tippa Irie, Grammy nominated recording artist and UK reggae veteran, hailing From the infamous Saxon Sound System, having a list of hits including Complain Neighbor on Green Sleeves Records and member of the UK all-stars. Tippa has been at the top of the UK Reggae scene for time. Support comes from Irie Bingo comprising of a duo of roots vibe bad boys. Blazenstein, operator and selector for the mighty Irie Bingo Soundsystem out of Devon. Playing music for the revolution and inspired by soundsystem tradition of bringing news to the people. Heavy conscious music to shake the chains of Babylon. Shire Roots , conscious Reggae MC hailing from the Southwest, strong roots vibes from this man Joe Joe Jdb Burn – this young man, straight out North Devon this is our very own musical prodigy fresh from his new release on Defcon records, Joe is representing hard for the North Devon family, bless up this yoot man flying the flag for us Southwest crew! One...

Ben Howard is pleased to announce details of his biggest UK headline shows to date for the Spring. Following the release of his critically acclaimed second album, 'I Forget Where We Were ' which debuted this weekend at number 1 in the UK, Ben will play seven arena shows in April, including a night at London's Alexandra Palace. Tickets for the tour will go on sale from www.benhowardmusic.co.uk at 9am on Friday 31st October. Ben Howard UK Tour 2015 *NEW DATES*: 13th April – Echo Arena, Liverpool 16th April – Alexandra Palace, London 20th April – NIA Arena, Birmingham 21st April – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff 23rd April – Leeds Arena, Leeds 24th April – SSE Hydro, Glasgow 25th April – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle As previously announced, Ben Howard plays a short tour of the UK in November, with all dates selling out within hours of being on sale. Ben Howard Live: 3rd December - O2 Apollo, Manchester SOLD OUT 4th December - The Civic, Wolverhampton SOL...

I Forget Where We Were was produced by Ben’s drummer Chris Bond at Start Point Farm Studios in Devon, and follows the huge success of his million selling, Mercury Prize nominated debut album, Every Kingdom, in 2011. In 2013, Ben capped a fantastic two years, by picking up two Brit Awards for British Breakthrough and British Solo Male Artist. A dark, dramatic return, I Forget Where We Were was recorded almost completely live, and its rawness matches the emotion of Ben’s words and vocal. It’s a bold, uncompromising listen and an incredibly assured body of work by one of Britain’s most successful young musicians of recent years. ‘I Forget Where We Were’ Tracklisting:  Small Things Rivers In Your Mouth I Forget Where We Were In Dreams She Treats Me Well Time Is Dancing Evergreen End Of The Affair Conrad All Is Now Harmed Since the announcement of Ben’s new record, with the sprawling eight minute introduction of End of the Affair, both parts of his upcoming ...

North Devon Coast and Country Chronicle: HOLD IT DOWN PRESENT CRAIG CHARLES FUNK & SOUL CLU... : Hold it Down are thrilled to bring Craig Charles back to the South West for a Halloween special at The Factory in Barnstaple. The Craig Ch...

North Devon Coast and Country Chronicle: Reef will be playing The Factory, Barnstaple on Sa... : We can confirm the rumours bouncing around the North Devon area that Reef will be playing The Factory on Saturday 7th March as part of the...

We have just watched Hozier on BBC 2's Later with Jools Holland . His debut, eponymous album was released on 6th October 2014 through Rubyworks/Island Records. It was preceded by a new single, Take Me To Church Live Dates Wednesday 12th November – Manchester, Ritz Sunday 16th November – Glasgow, O2 ABC Saturday 31st January – London, Shepherd’s Bush Tracklisting : Take Me To Church/Angel Of Small Death And The Codeine Scene/Jackie And Wilson/Someone New/To Be Alone/From Eden/In A Week (Feat. Karen Cowley)/Sedated/work Song/Like Real People Do/It Will Come Back/Foreigner’s God/Cherry Wine http://hozier.com/ Find Tickets  Hozier (Deluxe Version) - Hozier available on iTunes Click here for more information about Hozier and the Album 

North Devon Coast and Country Chronicle: SQUEEZEBOX EVENTS PRESENTS COMSO JARVIS @ THE FACT... : Cosmo Jarvis is an accomplished filmmaker, a brilliant composer and an exceptional live performer. Somewhere between perfect pop, deep fun...

Hozier releases his debut, eponymous album on 6th October 2014 through Rubyworks/Island Records. It is preceded by a new single, Take Me To Church, on the 15th September 2014. It is only when you stumble across a songwriter whose lyrics both sound and read like poetry that you realise just what you are missing out on the rest of the time. When those lyrics are set to music that balances burning indignation with lilting tenderness, and delivered in a voice imbued with the spiritual passion and yearning of gospel and the blues, you figure you’ve chanced upon something pretty special. And so it is with Andrew Hozier-Byrne, a County Wicklow singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who goes by the name of Hozier, and whose way with words is a blessing (for us) as much as his susceptibility to romance, and romantic dreaming, sounds like a curse (for him). The vividness of his imagery speaks of a soul in thrall to, and beset by, intense and sometimes ungovernable emotions. Well, Ame...

Adam Cohen will release his new album ‘ We Go Home ’ on 15th Sept ’14 on the Cooking Vinyl label. ‘ We Go Home ’, Cohen's fifth album, is a homemade affair. Since the band was playing in Europe, Adam decided to set up shop in the little white house on the Greek island of Hydra where he had spent much of his childhood. They continued recording in Montreal, where Adam was born, in the house where he spent his earliest years. "I knew I was painting a target on my back, making my album in the so-called homes of Leonard Cohen, but they're my homes too. These are the walls that saw me grow up the most and that I needed to come back to. My muse is my home". Some of the themes on ‘ We Go Home ’ continue the conversation that his 2011 album ‘ Like A Man’ began. "I want the songs to speak for themselves", says Cohen, "but what I can say is that the songs on this record mostly chronicle conversations I’ve either had with my old man, or want to have with ...

Lost On The River: The New Basement Tapes ( http://TheNewBasementTapes.com ), a collaborative album project from Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens (Carolina Chocolate Drops), Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons) and producer T Bone Burnett, will be released 10th November on Electromagnetic Recordings/Island Records/Harvest Records . The album was recorded in March at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, where the artists and Burnett convened for two weeks to write and create music for a treasure trove of recently discovered lyrics handwritten by Bob Dylan in 1967 during the period that generated the recording of the legendary Basement Tapes. Check out the lyric video for “Nothing To It” on Vevo which features Dylan’s actual handwritten lyrics inhabiting a surreal animated cityscape Bob Dylan’s original Basement Tapes have fascinated and enticed successive generations of musicians, fans and cultural critics for nearly fi...

This band comes highly recommended and may just be the "Next Big Thing". Energy, enthusiasm and a lot of star quality. The band, formed in 2006, hail from North Carolina. Wikipedia Stub : I n early 2014, the band announced they had signed to 4AD, who would release their new album, Singles, in March 2014. The band made their network television debut on March 3, 2014, on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing the lead single "Seasons (Waiting On You)". Album Singles - Future Islands available on iTunes Artist: Future Islands on itTunes For European Tour Datesvisit official web site future-islands.com EXPLORE THE ALBUM  

For the first time in years I watched the Eurovision Song Contest and enjoyed it.  I thought this was the best song of the night. "Silent Storm" sung by Carl Espen and written by Josefin Winther.  

Energetic and highly acclaimed synthpop trio, Prides , release Messiah on June 23 The band burst onto the scene with Out of the Blue which lived on the top five of the Hype Machine . They also enjoyed success on second single, The Seeds You Sow, which was met with rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Next up is Messiah , which is an infectious indie pop track that has a sense of impending bigness about it. And is set to be an anthem for this summer with it’s chant like repetitive vocals. Singer, Stewart Brock says, “ The idea for the lead synth line came about because we were discussing that no one used a pitch bend on a keyboard anymore. Usually that’s an incentive for us to try something and it stuck. We had recently seen The Killers headline T in the Park and with that in mind we really wanted our own ‘I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier’ moment. That was the inspiration. The track is about love and self-doubt. It’s about wanting to achieve something, and reali...

Phantogram are Sarah Barthel (vocals, keyboard) and Josh Carter (vocals, guitar). They caused an impressive stir with the release of their debut album ‘Eyelid Movies’ in 2009 and follow-up EP ‘Nightlife’ (2011). Now they announce details of their highly anticipated sophomore full-length ‘Voices’, which is released on Island Records on June 30 th and will be preceded by the wonderful single ‘Fall In Love’ on June 23 rd . Since forming in Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, Phantogram have evolved their sound organically and gradually. The new album is an atmospheric melding of hazy dream pop and head-knocking rhythms which makes no concession to commercialism and stays ever true to the aesthetic that has won them a wide, devoted and disparate fan base. Drafted and written both back in Saratoga Springs and current hometown Brooklyn, where the duo build their compositions together around Carter’s often sample-heavy beats, it was finished with co-producer John Hill (MI...

After a busy couple of months touring the States with Tinariwen and debuting at Austin's SXSW Festival The Melodic are thrilled to be back in the UK and are excited about their  upcoming tour of Europe. The shows kick off this Wednesday 7th May with their biggest gig to date in London at XOYO, Shoreditch. Support comes from the excellent Deep Throat Choir . Tickets available  here :  Spread the Word - Join the Melodic Family on Facebook Keep checking The Melodic facebook, twitter and instagram for photos and updates from the road.   Please show some love and download the album Effra Parade HERE To buy a physical copy of the album Effra Parade click HERE. ----------------------------------------------- WHAT THE PAPERS SAY They have  had some great coverage so far in Mojo, The Sun, The Independent, American Songwriter and Electronic Musician to name a few, with the highlight being the four star album review from The Times newspaper this weeke...

2014 has officially been Pharrell Williams ’ year, and after g etting Lucky and Happy his sharp fashion credentials were sealed when he wore that iconic Vivienne Westwood Buffalo hat at the Grammys.The talented singer, music producer and designer will be making another fashion statement with his new collaboration with UNIQLO . Pharrell Williams is now the face of UNIQLO’s UT line and he has also created an exclusive collection for the brand.Called i am OTHER , this range includes men's T-shirts emblazoned with Pharrell’s designs, from ‘unlike any Other’ to ‘ The Same is Lame ’. Pharrell Williams presents: "i am OTHER" AVAILABLE ONLINE Pharrell Williams on iTunes G I R L - Pharrell Williams on iTunes

The Melodic just got in touch with the exciting news that their album Effra Parade is finally out this week in Europe and of course the rest of the world! You can discover the album below. This oh so hard working band is currently on the long winding road between Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennesse. May 7th sees their return to the UK with their largest headline show to date at XOYO in London.  Tickets have been selling fast already so get yours  HERE  to avoid disappointment. They have just announced a series of headline shows across the US and the UK, as well as a support tour with Los Angeles singer songwriter Robert Francis across Western Europe throughout May 2014. Please scroll down for USA and European  tour dates. Please show some love and download the album HERE To buy a physical copy of the album click HERE. USA Tour supporting Tinariwen 18th March - Nashville, TN, High Watt - w/Tinariwen 19th March - St Athens, GA, Georgia The...

It's over fifty years since a young Bob Dylan made his way on the now famous "Highway 61" to New York's Greenwich Village. He first performed the iconic "Blowin in the Wind", which he wrote in 1962 at Gerde's Folk City. His debut album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" came out in 1963. His vast back catalogue is testament to the fact that, over five decades, he has been influenced by every style of music. Bob Dylan and his music were featured in Martin Scorsese's documentary "No Direction Home" which was broadcast simultaneously in the USA on PBS and in the UK on BBC2's "Arena" on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th September 2005". You can preview the songs from his debut album here . My all time favourite is Girl from the North Country and I love the sweet guitar chords on Oxford Town and Corinna, Corinna .  Bob Dylan available on iTunes Wikepedia Stub F ree Wheelin Bob Dylan Blowin in the Wind BBC Rad...

The iTunes Festival is from the 12th to the 16th March at Austin’s legendary music conference, SXSW . iTunes will be streaming live performances from Coldplay, Kendrick Lamar, Soundgarden, Pitbull, Keith Urban and more. You can watch the show live on your iPhone, iPad and iPod as well after the performances. Get ready for five nights, five amazing gigs. Click the banner to watch for free

The Melodic are an English afro-folk-pop ensemble , their debut album  Effra Parade is the follow up to the band's acclaimed EP On My Way The Observer described The Melodic as "Incredibly beautiful, with harmonies and rich instrumentation that make you want to dance and cry at the same time," while in the US the band has drawn comparisons to indie darlings Beirut and The Decemberists. The group's members came of age in the South London neighborhood of Brixton amidst bustling streets and open air markets reverberating with a rich assortment of musics from around the world. Spread the Word - Join the Melodic Family on Facebook Music Downloads Come Outside   The Melodic

BRIT AWARD WINNERS 2014   British Male Solo Artist: David Bowie  British Female Solo Artist: Ellie Goulding  British Group: Arctic Monkeys  British Breakthrough Act: Bastille  Critics' Choice (already awarded): Sam Smith  British Single: Rudimental featuring Ella Eyre - Waiting All Night British Album Of The Year: Arctic Monkeys - AM  British Video Of The Year: One Direction - Best Song Ever  International Male Solo Artist: Bruno Mars  International Female Solo Artist: Lorde  International Group: Daft Punk  Global Success Award: One Direction You may also like these downloads MUSIC - New Artists 2014     Brit Awards (UK only)   SPORT - Sochi Olympics   MOVIES - Oscars (US and CA only)  -------------- Send iTunes Gifts

Available on iTunes - Hard To Say No - 4 Track Mind - EP   If you like this you will also like Yardbirds (Greatest Hits) - Yardbirds

Anti-Records have just announced the signing of Saintseneca, a young band from Columbus, Ohio led by singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist Zac Little. According to their Bio, the group utilizes a wide range of instruments including violin, mandolin, dulcimer, Turkish Baglama, floor percussion with the more contemporary elements such as synthesizers and electric guitars to create a unique merging of rustic and modern. Folk and country motifs converge seamlessly with soaring vocals and a vibrant post-punk energy. While the group formed in Columbus Ohio,  songwriter Little hails from the rural hills of Appalachia. It is a solitary and dramatic landscape that has infused the band's songs with a sense of introspection and some striking narratives. “I was raised on farms in Appalachia,” Little explains, “And I think that my perspective on music was shaped by where I grew up. It was twenty minutes to see the nearest person. Being so isolated forced me to be introspective a...