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

Mumford & Sons release their new single, ‘I Will Wait’ on the 24th September 2012. It is the first single to be taken from their second album, Babel, released on the same day . The story of Mumford & Sons has been written and mapped out on the road. Since before the release of 2009’s debut album Sigh No More, the band has rarely been off tour, but the recording of Babel brought them off the road and back into the studio. Many of the songs on the new record found their dynamic through years of tested live performance. ‘Whispers In The Dark’, ‘Lover Of The Light’, ‘Below My Feet’, ‘Lovers’ Eyes’ and ‘Hopeless Wanderer’ might be familiar to fans that have seen the band perform live over the past eighteen months across the world. Babel was produced by Marcus Dravs, a man whom the band trusts to replicate and to understand the importance of live energy as much as they do. In a similar fashion to its predecessor, it is a record that marries the upbeat with the intimate, and the unre

J essie Ware is a proper pop star. With her soulful, melancholy vocal, effortlessly elegant songwriting skills and, of course, that striking slicked-back hair, she marks a new era for pop. Her outstanding debut album Devotion combines the ultra-modern feel of downtempo R&B and British electronic music. South London born Jessie started singing at school, inspired by the romance of her mother's Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald Sings Cole Porter tapes, appearing in musicals and picking up some classical training along the way. Jessie cut her teeth as a vocalist when she wrote the track Nervous with SBTRKT. She then hooked up with Sampha, who had also sung on Nervous, to write Valentine, one of last year's sweetest tracks, all breathy vocals and beautiful simplicity. Armed with those two songs and riding a growing wave of hype, she was snapped up by brand new label PMR. With her name on everyone's lips, the time seemed right for an album. But, despite another big guest

Childish Gambino, whose two sell-out London dates earlier this year were among the rawest, most electrifying hip hop shows for many a year, has his brand new Glassnote/Island single “Firefly” released on August 6th. The single is taken from Gambino’s recently released and universally acclaimed first album proper “CAMP” which established the actor/comedian/writer as one of the most challenging, exciting and lyrically interesting talents to emerge in hip hop. “Camp” was produced by Swedish composer and long-time collaborator Ludwig Göransson, and the 13 tracks also include “Bonfire”, “Backpackers”, “L.E.S.”, and standout closer “That Power”. Born Donald Glover, Childish Gambino got his hip hop name from the Wu-tang name generator, but is best known in the US as an actor starring in the NBC hit show “Community” alongside Chevy Chase. Glover has also recently been lauded by Rolling Stone as one of America’s best young comedians and on his recent sell-out I AM DONALD TOUR played to ove