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

  15 year old London-born soul singer Dionne Bromfield, whose wickedly infectious new single “Yeah Right” has re-introduced her as one of the brightest young talents the UK has produced in years, follows up with the release on July 4th of her hotly anticipated new album ”Good For The Soul” . The album, released via friend and mentor Amy Winehouse’s Lioness label, is a collection of all new songs co-written by Dionne and some of the UK’s premier songwriters, and looks set to establish her as a writer and genuine star in her own right. Co-written by Dionne and writer/producers Steve Booker (Duffy) and Paul O’Duffy (Amy Winehouse, Dusty Springfield), “Good For The Soul” features 14 all new tracks including debut single “Yeah Right” which features Diggy Simmons, future singles “Sweetest Thing” and “Foolin’”, “Too Soon To Call It Love”, “A Little Love”, “Time Will Tell” and the title track. Dionne Bromfield came to the attention of the world’s media when she became the first signing to ...

For one night only on Friday 29th October at the Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple, original ‘dreamboats’, Marty Wilde, Eden Kane and Jet Harris join forces in a spectacular show that will show they really were Born to Rock N Roll! From 1958 to 1961 Marty, Eden and Jet took the charts by storm clocking up well over 200 weeks in the charts in just under four years. The original teen idols will take in 29 towns and cities across the UK performing their own hits and collaborating live on stage for the first time ever. Singer, songwriter, legend Marty Wilde is hailed by many friends as one of the first original British Rock N Roll pioneers. Cliff Richard reminisces “I remember when Marty Wilde, Dicky Pride and I were ‘three cool cats’. I always thought in those days there was actually only one ‘cool cat’ – and that was Marty.” Wilde enjoyed countless hits in the late 50s and early 60s, with thirteen consecutive hit records staying in the charts for a total of 117 weeks including Endless Slee...

Multi-talented vocalist, musician and songwriter Tinashé released his new single ‘Saved’ on August 15th. Taken from his self-titled debut album - released on August 23rd – ‘ Saved ’ is a joyous blast of guitar pop so perky it belies its rather weightier subject matter. Written after being accosted by a particularly forthright tramp on London's Oxford Street, its underlying message of defiance and self-belief ("I'll be here until your faith is won!") is deeply personal. " It's a song about trying, and trying, and trying ," explains Tinashé. "This bum tapped me on the shoulder, and said, 'I'm an angel, mate, but don't worry, you'll be saved. You know what thy did to me? They chucked me in the bin!' ” CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER ALBUM "SAVED " (CD )

Multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter-actress ERYKAH BADU, one of the best loved, most constantly challenging and uniquely creative artists currently working in popular music, releases her new single ”Turn Me Away (Get Munny)” on August 2nd . The release of the single, taken from her universally acclaimed new album New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh, comes the week after Badu blesses the Brixton Academy with a sold-out one-off UK date on Saturday July 24. The new album is the Dallas native’s follow-up to her equally critically acclaimed 2008 album, New Amerykah, Part I: 4th World War. In contrast to New Amerykah, Part I: 4th World War, which was digitally produced and political in tone, New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh features lush live instrumentation and taps into Badu’s emotional side by thematically focusing on romance and relationships. “ With Part I, I was standing at an apex, looking at what was going on around me politically, socially, and ec...

2010 has seen NYC based quartet The Drums go from being one of the most talked about new bands of the year to being the band most likely to make 2010 their own, with the release of their self-titled debut LP out on June 7th. Off the back of their critically acclaimed Summertime! EP - released in October 2009 on Moshi Moshi Records - The Drums took the coveted opening slot of the NME tour throughout February before being crowned winners of the "Philip Hall Radar Award" at the NME awards. Having played an intimate sold out three-date UK tour during the last week of March (where they were watched by Morrissey, Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke of The Smiths), the band has just put the finishing touches on their debut album, produced by lead singer Jonny Pierce. Joining the dots between the melodic glitter of sixties girl groups and some of Factory Records' finest, The Drums contains 10 brand new tracks with only summer hit-in-waiting Let's Go Surfing and torch-burning, heartb...