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

Jon Fratelli will release his new single ‘Baby We’re Refugees’ on the Island label on July 11th. Taken from his forthcoming new album “Psycho Jukebox”, it rocks, rolls and rumbles and builds to a big singalong chorus: “Carry me home, carry me home, won’t somebody chase this pain from my door!” . Prepare to hear it ringing out across the land! Says Jon: “’Refugees’ was the last song I wrote for the album and we recorded it at the eleventh hour, but it’s one of my favourites.” Jon Fratelli’s debut solo album is called Psycho Jukebox and like any jukebox worth its salt it’s chock full of the kind of solid gold easy action that makes you want to throw the windows wide to annoy the neighbours. It was recorded at The Sound Factory in Los Angeles with producer Tony Hoffer (Beck , Air, Depeche Mode), who first worked with Jon in 2006 on The Fratellis’ debut album, Costello Music, which featured ‘Chelsea Dagger’, ‘Henrietta’ and ‘Flathead’, and established Jon as a writer of crunching, dyna

Five years on from his acclaimed debut album, Tom Vek is back. The self-taught recording artist's process and musical output is loaded with cryptic contradictions; his scrappy, chopped-up, beat rock sounds are housed in contrasting clean and precise artwork; this new era's trademark, the obsessively refined pair of British made Anglo American glasses, sit unworn on the cover of the focused new 12-track album. Even its title, Leisure Seizure, is an intriguing juxtaposition.Vek spontaneously released his first album just as the digital age was dawning, guest starred on The O.C. and then disappeared. British-born, his references are rooted in American culture, ranging from mid 90s alt-rock, cable access TV shows and post-war fiction. Raised in south-west London, Vek originally trained in graphic design at Central Saint Martin’s. During this time he wrote and recorded his debut album, We Have Sound. The album was released on the cusp of the information age with social-networking s

Last year saw East Londoner Kwasi Danqua , aka Tinchy Stryder deliver the biggest underground-crossover hit of 2010. The sensational “Game Over” featured a stellar array of the finest UK MC’s: Giggs, Professor Green, Tinie Tempah, Devlin, Example and Chipmunk who all collectively shaped a track that celebrated the best in UK urban talent and created the biggest hype of the year. And now Tinchy Stryder has reunited with multi-platinum selling N Dubz’ Dappy to bring you a new smash - the new hotly anticipated single ‘Spaceship’ scheduled for release 13th June 2011. Fashion entrepreneur Tinchy Stryder spent the first half of this year developing his eminent brand and accessories brand Star In The Hood. Due to phenomenal demand, Star In The Hood has expanded greatly, it is available nationwide and is now being stocked overseas in stores all across Europe. In addition to overseeing his rapidly growing business, Tinchy also recently partook in the well documented Jamie Oliver series Dream S