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

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...

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...

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...

HAPPY NEW YEAR. Hi everyone let's kick off the new year with the launch of The Melodic's single "Runway" It's been an incredible and busy 2013 for the Melodic folk, spending much of it touring overseas in North America but they are pleased to be back on home soil once more and we wanted to let you all know about their first headline show in London for over 6 months! They will be celebrating the release of the new single "Runaway" on Thursday January 9th at the Old Queens Head, Angel. Support comes from the spectacularly talented Cosmo Sheldrake who is certainly not to be missed, so get on down and join the party! Tickets can be purchased by clicking here . Runaway is being released on ANTI Records and is available to download on iTunes now, it's already getting championed by BBC's Music legend Steve Lamacq and receiving glowing reviews on his Roundtable show as well as plays on "Whispering" Bob Harris' Radio 2 show. Early 20...

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. In the distinctly English tradition of sonic assimilation, they found influence in the sounds they were hearing. As band member Huw Williams explains, “Brixton is a real melting pot of different people so it doesn’t feel inappropriate for us to introduce sounds from around the world into our music, there was South American and African music around us all the time, as well as reggae a...

Just had news in from The Melodic that their debut album "Effra Parade" is now available to pre-order from ANTI- Records, home of Tom Waits and Calexicos . It's been a long long journey for them getting to the point of being able to release this record so they are thrilled to be able to unleash it so soon. Check out the new video to " On My Way " which was filmed during their time in LA at the end of the West Coast tour they have recently completed. Currently touring the East Coast including New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with the fantastic Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, they are also trying to raise money to put towards buying a band van which will keep them touring. By teaming up with Pledge Music they are offering personalised Cd's and Tee's, videos, album listening sessions, studio time and private gigs etc, they we will be donating 5% of funds raised to the ABC trust charity. Check the remaining dates below and do let peo...