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

blink-182 have confirmed that their UK and European dates will go ahead as planned despite the cancellation of US tour dates. The band posted the following news on their website: “ The North American cancellation does not affect any European tour dates. blink-182 will start their summer run as planned in Birmingham, UK on June 7th”  The band will be touring in support of their album “Neighbourhoods” which was released in September 2011 and the first new music released by the band since 2003. Blink 182 were formed in San Diego in 1992 by Mark Hoppus and Tom De Longe and later joined by drummer Travis Barker. The bands breakthrough album, Enema Of The State, was released in 1999 and went on to sell in excess of 15 million copies worldwide. Their next two albums, Take Off Your Pants And Jacket (2001) and blink 182 (2003) cemented their position as a pop punk supergroup. Additionally the band have won a number of MTV Awards throughout their career. The band will head to the UK next

21 year old Salford born singer and widely rated newcomer Ren Harvieu, who was included in the BBC’s Sound Of 2012 Poll, has her much anticipated debut album ”Through The Night” released through Kid Gloves / Island Records. The album was originally set for release in the summer of 2011 when Ren suffered a terrible accident which left her with a broken back and not knowing whether she would ever walk again. Thankfully after a miraculous recovery, in less than three months, Ren is back on her feet and finally ready to release her wonderful music and perform live once again. Ren Harvieu is brand new, just turned twenty one. She sounds one way and looks and acts completely differently. No Brit School training, no showbiz connections, just a young girl with a truly remarkable voice and a set of songs that will stir your soul and break your heart. Ren sang in the odd local talent show, one called ‘Salford Superstar’ and attended what she calls the Primark version of a performing arts school

Willy Moon’s ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ was a sharp and stylish opening gambit from dapper 21 year old Willy Moon, which has already clocked up over 400,000 plays on Youtube and had Rough Trade record shop call it the “best single of the year”. Since then, this sharp-dressed rockabilly Moon has been working on new music in his home studio, and ‘Yeah Yeah’ is the first result. Taking its cue from the early hip hop block party blueprints laid down by Afrika Bambaataa and his Zulu Nation, the track is a riot of explosive beats and blues shouting built around a sample from Wu-Tang Clan’s classic ‘Wu-Tang Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’Wit’. The result is the missing link between Sun Studios and Def Jam, a rowdy, highly compressed cut-up collision that sounds like Grandmaster Flash throwing down with Carl Perkins. Don’t step on his blue suede shell toes. Willy has recently taken his distinctive sound live playing at YoYo and an NME Awards show at Heaven and Camden Crawl. A killer club remix comes from

With over 17 million views on YouTube, ‘Frick Park Market’ is the massive new single from Pittsburgh native Malcolm “Mac Miller” McCormick, one of the most exciting young emcee’s of the moment. Named after the food store where Mac once worked, ‘Frick Park Market’ is taken from the No.1 US debut album ‘Blue Slide Park’. Keeping true to his backpacker style, Mac Miller was signed independently to Rostrum Records, also home to Wiz Khalifa, in 2011, ‘Blue Slide Park’ became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US charts in 15 years. On May 21st, ‘Blue Slide Park’ gets its UK release through Island Records. Still only 20 years old, in his early teens Miller began to take his influences from the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Big L, and Outkast, which helped him develop a reputation for delivering jaw-dropping freestyles in Pittsburgh. Like most of his contemporaries, he first came to prominence by dropping a host of mixtapes, six in all. It was with ‘K.I.D.S’ and ‘B

LADYHAWKE releases her new single ‘Sunday Drive’ on May 27th 2012 on Modular through Island Records. The track is taken from her new album ‘Anxiety’ due out on May 27th 2012. ‘Sunday Drive’ was written and produced by Ladyhawke, aka Pip Brown, alongside long time collaborator Pascal Gabriel. Ladyhawke also played the lead guitar, bass and drums on the single as well as performing vocal duties. The single will be released digitally at all usual retailers and features remixes from, Scissor Sisters, Willy Moon, The Slips, Villa and Gigamesh. You can see Ladyhawke live on the following UK dates; April 23rd Brighton Komedia SOLD OUT! April 25th Gloucester Guildhall April 27th Oxford 02 Academy

Keane will release their debut single 'Silenced By The Night' on 30th April 2012, taken from their fourth studio album titled 'Strangeland', released on 7th May 2012, through Island Records. Keane performed the worldwide premier of the single on Monday's Jimmy Kimmel show in Los Angeles. As a long-time supporter when he discovered the band are making their debut appearance at this year's SXSW Festival, he immediately booked them for the first performance of the new song. Keane recorded 'Strangeland' with producer Dan Grech (Radiohead, The Vaccines, Howling Bells, Lana del Rey) in the UK at Sea Fog, Ivor Novello Award winner Tim Rice-Oxley's studio. They are calling it their most personal and honest record yet. The British multi-million selling band are now a four piece with the addition of new member bass player Jesse Quin who collaborated with Rice-Oxley on Mt. Desolation. There are certain songs on 'Strangeland' which, at a stroke, are un

Nicki Minaj, one of the hottest artists on the planet, and indisputably the biggest breakthrough artist of the last year, releases her feverishly anticipated new album “Pink Friday Roman Reloaded” released through Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Records. The release of the album follows the exciting news that Nicki will be returning to the UK this June for the ‘Pink Friday’ Tour. She will perform in London, Birmingham and Manchester. The full track-listing is as follows : 1. Roman Holiday 2. Come On A Cone 3. I Am Your Leader Feat. Cam’ron & Rick Ross 4. Beez In The Trap Feat. 2 Chainz 5. HOV Lane 6. Roman Reloaded Feat. Lil Wayne 7. Champion Feat. NAS, Drake & Young Jeezy 8. Right By My Side Feat. Chris Brown 9. Sex In the Lounge Feat. Lil Wayne & Bobby V 10. Starships 11. Pound The Alarm 12. Whip It 13. Automatic 14. Beautiful Sinner 15. Marilyn Monroe 16. Young Forever 17. Fire Burns 18. Gun Shot Feat. Beenie Man 19. Stupid Hoe 2011 was an incred