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

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...

The Third World’s first superstar and arguably the most recognizable human being on the planet, reggae giant BOB MARLEY is celebrated this year in a film by award-winning director Kevin MacDonald (‘One Day In September’, ‘State Of Play’, ‘The Last King Of Scotland’, ‘Touching The Void’ and ‘Life In A Day’). ‘MARLEY’, which received a rapturous reception at its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Feb 12th, will be released in the UK on 20th April ’12 through Universal Picture s and features stunning live performances, intimate interviews with friends and family, and rare documentary footage, which tells the definitive story of the superstar who rose from the ghetto to become one of the greats of popular music before dying tragically young at the height of his fame. BOB MARLEY was born February 6, 1945 in rural St. Ann’s Parish, Jamaica, leaving home at 14 to pursue a music career in Kingston. A naturally gifted musician and singer he recorded his first track in 1962. In ’72 findi...

Taio Cruz who has been dominating the UK and US singles charts with his two No.1 smashes “ Break Your Heart ” and “Dynamite”, joins forces with the undisputed first lady of pop Kylie Minogue on his new single “HIGHER”. The single will be released through 4th & Broadway Records on February 14th. Taio and Kylie recently met at a party in Paris hosted by legendary designer Roberto Cavalli. Both being huge fans of each other’s work, they started talking about doing a song together. Taio had been working on a brand new song called “Higher” and played it to Kylie on his iPhone. Within a matter of minutes they had booked a studio and recorded the track the very next day. This soon to be smash, as well as “ Break Your Heart ” and “Dynamite”, are featured on Taio’s new greatest hits album ”The Rokstarr Collection ”. Following Taio’s staggering US success and due to the fact that his debut album “Departure” was never released Stateside, Universal combined the biggest hits from “Departure”, ...

AMP is back shining its lazer-like attention on the most vibrant new dance music. Annie Mac Presents 2010 collects the biggest tunes she’s been championing on Radio 1 this year into one sub woofer-busting package. From Joy Orbison’s ‘Hyph Mngo’ to Swedish House Mafia’s ‘One’ this mix is going to bring back memories for the Mac faithful that pack out her bleeding edge Presents club nights (responsible for 2010’s sell out parties everywhere from London’s KOKO to Miami’s WMC, Austin’s SXSW, Manchester’s Warehouse Project and all other self respecting international hot spots). The mix flows to some new currents too. The Berlin influenced nocturnal disco-bacchanal of Scissor Sisters ‘Invisible Light’. The resurgent hardcore feel represented by her exclusive Digital Soundboy remix of Magnetic Man’s ‘I Need Air’ or Tensnake’s one man 90s revival with ‘Coma Cat’. As with Annie’s 2009 compilation the mix peaks at the end of CD1 with CD2 drifting down through some softer textures. The Balaeric g...

Paul Weller releases his tenth studio solo album “ Wake Up The Nation ” on April 12th on Island Records. After an unparalleled career, characterised by constant musical experimentation, we should be used to Paul Weller’s relentless desire to chop and change his musical pack. But after the triumphant, Brit-bagging success of 22 Dreams (his third solo number one) Wake Up The Nation album sees rock’s most iconic songwriter come up trumps once more. Lean, mean and as uncompromisingly focused as it’s maker, Wake Up The Nation also brings Paul Weller full circle: twenty-eight years on from The Jam’s split, two tracks feature the former bassist Bruce Foxton . The album also sees contributions from My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields , The Move’s Bev Bevan and legendary session drummer Clem Cattini. Passion, progression, and, as ever, spine-tingling rock’n’roll –Paul Weller has, yet again delivered the perfect soundtrack as we embark on a new decade. Buy Wake up the Nation from Paul Well...

The latest album from Boyzone, 'Brother' , has gone straight to Number 1 in the Album Charts! The news was officially announced yesterday (Sunday 14th March) by radio stations across the UK, as fans rushed to purchase the album. The exclusive deal below is only available to fans who buy from Universal Music! Ronan Keating & Boyzone Order Brother for £8.99 and get Winter Songs: Limited Collector's Edition for a special price of £9.99 (RRP £34.99) Save £25 when you add both of these items to your basket Click here to buy from Universal Official Site