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

To celebrate the easing of lockdown measures, Britain’s most rambunctious band Sports Team release a special, limited edition B-sides & Rarities Vinyl, Plant Test, available only at Independent retailers in the UK. Independent retail has been at the heart of Sports Team’s output, having had the biggest vinyl sales for a debut British artist in 2020, and number 1 on official vinyl chart week of release. The six piece have also announced their rescheduled tour dates, and will bring the dizzying chaos of their live show to Manchester Academy, SWG3, Rock City, University Stylus, Whelans, SWX, and culminate at O2 Academy Brixton on 25 November 2021, for many nights to remember. See below for the full list of the “Red Hot Rock Show” dates and festival performances.  It will be the band’s first time performing songs from their debut, which battled it out with global superstar Lady Gaga for the number #1 spot in the UK charts last June. It was a chart race which broke Twitter; from fas...

  “Amy Winehouse At The BBC”, a 3xLP/ 3xCD collection chronicling the many remarkable performances by arguably the greatest and most genuine talent to emerge in British music in decades, will be released on May 7th 2021 through UMC/Island. For the very first time this updated release offers audio-only versions of the songs featured on ‘A Tribute To Amy Winehouse by Jools Holland’ and the ‘BBC One Sessions Live at Porchester Hall’, and so a high proportion of these tracks will be completely new to DSPs. “Stronger Than Me”, “Tears Dry On Their Own” and “You Know I’m No Good” will be available on streaming services from March 24th while the video for “Stronger Than Me” being available on YouTube. This comprehensive collection captures the strong and enduring relationship that Amy enjoyed with the BBC and is further proof of quite what an extraordinarily talented, completely original, and truly engaging performer Amy was. “Amy Winehouse At The BBC” includes Amy’s earliest BBC Radio se...

After heating up the anticipation to a boiling point, CLEVER unleashes his debut album, CRAZY , via  Grade A/Posty Co. / Republic Records  today. Listen to CRAZY — HERE . He bulldozed the way for the record with the buzzing smash “Life’s A Mess II”  [feat.  Juice WRLD  &  Post Malone ]. Right out of the gate, it amassed 4 million-plus and counting Spotify streams in addition to garnering critical acclaim. Beyond plugs from UPROXX and HotNewHipHop , HYPEBEAST described it as “a heartbreaking, hard-hitting and hypnotic version . ” Complex included it on “Best New Music This Week” and went on to call it “heartfelt . ” Meanwhile, the early standout “Rolls Royce Umbrella” [feat. Chris Brown ] has also posted up 1.3 million Spotify streams and counting. HotNewHipHop  pegged him as  “one of the stars of tomorrow , ”  and  HipHopDX  described  “Rolls Royce Umbrella”  as  “moody and triumphant . ”  In...

In keeping with a promise made to the legendary artist/author and original and founding member of the Supremes, Mary Wilson, Motown/UMe announce the release of Mary Wilson: Expanded Edition , available for pre-order today, HERE . In time for what would have been Mary Wilson’s 77 th Birthday, March 6, we celebrate her birthday and honor her history and legacy with the first of her album projects.  Ms. Wilson, who retained ownership of her solo recordings, wanted to make the album – and much more - available to her many fans around the world. Mary Wilson: Expanded Edition is a newly compiled version of her solo album, originally released by Motown in 1979, that will now be available on all digital platforms for the first time. Added to the album are eight incredible bonus tracks, four of them unreleased, including the legendary tracks recorded as a follow-up to the album produced by Gus Dudgeon (Elton John, Joan Armatrading, Chris Rea, et al ). Featured as the lead single...

Ray Blk one of the realest, most challenging and important voices in music, dropped her brand new single “GAMES”, featuring hip hop legend Giggs, on March 4th through Island Records. The hard-hitting track and video, directed by Nathan James Tettey, long-time collaborator with Dave, Headie One, Stormzy, Burna Boy and Fredo, is the next single from Ray’s forthcoming and hugely anticipated debut album which will be released in the summer. The essence of the title ‘games’ are being played during four after parties spanning four different eras; the 80’s, 90s, 00s up to the present and looks at the age-old issue of complicated relationships and the games men and women play. Speaking about the video concept Ray says “Nathan and I wanted to highlight that as we transcend through time, the essence of relationships still stay the same, whilst also creating a nostalgic and stylistic music video.” Ray has spent lockdown writing and recording her long-awaited debut album which promises to be one o...

One of the UK's most exciting new female artists, Miss LaFamilia, has dropped her first Island single "Dumb Flex" featuring Tottenham rapper Abra Cadabra. The video which premiered on GRM Daily on Thursday features cameos from Headie One and AJ Tracey. The rapper, singer from Birmingham delivers her single "Dumb Flex" with Abra Cadabra, a perfect introduction to what Miss LaFamilia stands for. She is about breaking the boundaries and keeping her fans on their toes as she raps her self-possessed bars over the urgent, industrial drill beat backed up by her harmonious R&B vocals as she sings her infectious hook. Miss LaFamilia says about the track: "The meaning of dumb flex is to flex as much as possible, like a stupid flex or crazy flex. Dumb flex is being lit in all your might!! Whether it be clothing, cars, jewellery or even just your aura, flex what you can 🤪. When making Dumb Flex I knew Abra Cadabra would fit perfect on the track with his natural de...

After a hugely successful year, Bob Marley 75 continues into 2021 with several birthday celebrations leading up to Marley's 76th Birthday on February 6, including a global virtual birthday celebration hosted by Cedella Marley, Songs of Freedom: The Island Years on 6LP or 3CD, and a Bob Marley Tribute Livestream by Stephen Marley. In lieu of the live annual birthday celebration that usually occurs at the Bob Marley Museum every year, Cedella Marley will be hosting a global virtual event for Bob Marley's 76th birthday on February 6. Inspired by Bob Marley's most militant album, Cedella, the Marley family, friends, and fans worldwide will celebrate Bob Marley's 76th Earthstrong under the theme, SURVIVAL. The virtual celebration will mimic the usual festivities beginning at 7am ET, including messages from the family, a Miami Performance Mash-up featuring the Marley brothers and third-generation Marleys, Survival Cypher performance featuring Skip Marley, Jo Mersa, Tifa, Kab...