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

Ben Howard releases his new single, ‘Keep Your Head Up’ on the 26th September. It is taken from his forthcoming debut album, ‘Every Kingdom’ on the 3rd October 2011, released through Island Records. Check out the video here Every Kingdom is a record that young  & has been brewing within himself for at least a couple of years. And yet its careful attention to detail, with tight, homespun harmonies and folk-informed arrangements, could only have been fully realised after relentless road-testing of these songs on stages across the UK and Europe. It has been an explosive introduction to a broader audience in 2011 for 24 year old Howard. Having only signed his record deal with Island Records at the beginning of the year, Ben had already accrued a hefty fanbase through sheer hard touring and the word of mouth support that followed. His initial success was predominantly buoyed by the incredibly supportive surf community that nurtured Ben in Devon and Cornwall after pulling

The Drums will return to the UK later this year for a full headline tour in support of their second album, ‘Portamento’, out September 5th through Moshi Moshi / Island Records. For the week of album release, the band plays three intimate, sold out, launch shows in London to preview the new record. New UK headline dates as folllows:  Mon 28-Nov – Birmingham Institute - The Library Tue 29-Nov - Newcastle 02 Academy Wed 30-Nov – Leeds Metropolitan University Sat 03-Dec – Glasgow 02 ABC Sun 04-Dec - Edinburgh Picture House Mon 05-Dec – Cambridge Junction Tue 06-Dec – Portsmouth Pyramids Centre Thu 08-Dec – Bristol 02 Academy Fri 09-Dec – London 02 Shepherds Bush Empire Sat 10-Dec – Manchester - Ritz Artist presale via http://thedrums.com/shows/: Wednesday 17th August General on sale: Friday 19th August (All tickets £13.50 except London £15) Previously announced dates: Mon 05-Sep – London, Hoxton Bar & Kitchen SOLD OUT Tue 06-Sep – London, Lexington SOL

On 18th April, over five years on from his debut album, Tom Vek returned to the public eye with a brand new single A Chore and news of his highly anticipated second album Leisure Seizure. It ended a huge amount of speculation as to the whereabouts of the enigmatic, London-born artist who disappeared from the public eye after his debut album We Have Sound became a cult classic following it’s 2005 release. Now, following the brilliant critical response to Leisure Seizure and a sold out UK tour, Tom Vek will release new single Aroused. Recorded in his own east London PALLET studios, Aroused is a prime example of Vek’s self-coined ‘beat rock’ – a more controlled, consistent and elaborated version of the unique, raw sound of his debut album. Meanwhile, following a sold out UK tour, Tom Vek has announced more live shows. Vek is set to play the Reading and Leeds Festival and Bestival before headlining a 2000 capacity show at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire on 16th November. Tickets for the O2