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

Mumford & Sons release their new single, ‘Roll Away Your Stone’ through Gentlemen Of The Road / Island Records on the 7th June 2010. It is taken from the band’s critically acclaimed, platinum selling Top 5 debut album, ‘ Sigh No More ’. It's turning out to be Mumford & Sons ' year. Spurred on by glowing word-of-mouth recommendations and a fearsome live reputation, their debut album, 'Sigh No More', has spent the first three months of 2010 in the Top 20 of the UK's album chart, soaring beyond 350,000 sales in the process. The four friends have been on the cover of the NME, sold out a triumphant British tour and secured some great slots at the summer's biggest festivals. And it's not just in the UK where things are sky-rocketing for them. The band were in Australia at the beginning of the year, where 'Sigh No More' knocked Susan Boyle off the top of the album chart and stuck around at the summit for four weeks, achieving double platinum stat

Paul Weller releases his tenth studio solo album “ Wake Up The Nation ” on April 12th on Island Records. After an unparalleled career, characterised by constant musical experimentation, we should be used to Paul Weller’s relentless desire to chop and change his musical pack. But after the triumphant, Brit-bagging success of 22 Dreams (his third solo number one) Wake Up The Nation album sees rock’s most iconic songwriter come up trumps once more. Lean, mean and as uncompromisingly focused as it’s maker, Wake Up The Nation also brings Paul Weller full circle: twenty-eight years on from The Jam’s split, two tracks feature the former bassist Bruce Foxton . The album also sees contributions from My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields , The Move’s Bev Bevan and legendary session drummer Clem Cattini. Passion, progression, and, as ever, spine-tingling rock’n’roll –Paul Weller has, yet again delivered the perfect soundtrack as we embark on a new decade. Buy Wake up the Nation from Paul Well

Multi-platinum selling global artist, Gabriella Cilmi will join Leona Lewis on her forthcoming UK tour . The recently turned 18 Australian-Italian songstress burst onto the scene in 2008 with her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Lessons to be Learned’, featuring the worldwide mega hit, ‘Sweet About Me’, and has recently scored a top 10 hit with her infectious dance-floor anthem, ‘ On A Mission ’. ‘On A Mission’ was the first release from Gabriella Cilmi’s second album ‘Ten’, which sees her discovering her inner disco diva. Inspired by the likes of Giogrio Moroder, Blondie and Donna Summer, and working alongside the likes of uber producers Dallas Austin (TLC, Gwen Stefani, Michael Jackson), Xenomania (Girls Aloud, Kylie Minogue, Pet Shop Boys), and Greg Kursten (Lily Allen, Little Boots, Flaming Lips), Gabriella has created a body of work that takes new wave and classic dance influences into poptastic future disco for the 21st century. Gabriella is set to release her ‘Hearts Don

Grace Potter & the Nocturnals Debut UK single ‘Tiny Light’ Released June 6th on Island Records. The act named as one of Rolling Stone’s Best New Bands of 2010 will release their debut UK single on June 6th. The powerful, spine-tingler of a track, ‘Tiny Light’, comes from Grace Potter and the Nocturnal’s forthcoming, self-titled album. Produced by Mark Batson (Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jay-Z), the song kicks off with a moody AOR tinged kind of melancholy that wouldn’t seem out of place next to the more downbeat moments on Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ . Hope and redemption come in the shape of a soaring chorus as well as through Grace’s cathartic, powerhouse wails at the climax of the song. Inspired by the worldwide financial crisis of the past few years, the song’s intensity should come as no surprise, but what is a shock - albeit a pleasant one – is the way Grace’s vocals morph from honeyed huskiness into a full throttle, Janis Joplin -worthy siren screech. Impressively howling and crooning h

Ed Sheeran releases the hip-hop infused folk song ‘Let It Out’ on June 7th, produced by Jake Gosling of Wiley and Crookers fame and follows in a trail of brilliant self released records. Ed has written more than 100 songs and last year he played over 300 gigs. His live performance featured on SBTV has already clocked up more than 30000 hits and whilst nurturing a loyal fan base he has caught the attention of high profile musicians, songwriters and producers. These include producers Jake Gosling, Si Hulbert (Sugababes/Lemar) and drum and bass legend Goldie, who was suitably impressed after seeing Ed play live in London. ‘ Ed will soon be giant’ screamed Goldie. Not only did he then go on to write with Goldie but he has managed to garner the support of the hard-to-please grime scene, recently collaborating with Scorcher, Thomas Jules, Slix and Wretch 32. Ed released his first EP at the tender age of fifteen and then went on to release two albums and another EP, all before the age of t

Florence + The Machine Cosmic Love  Single released - July 12th Island The final single to be taken from the million selling album ‘ Lungs ’ is Florence’s personal favourite - Cosmic Love . A wildly impassioned hymn to the overwhelming supernatural power of love, the epic Cosmic Love has been a show stopping favourite at Florence’s gigs ever since it was first written. Florence is currently on tour in America and played to an ecstatic crowd at the Coachella Festival . She heads back to the UK in May for her sold out Cosmic Love tour as well as a Somerset House show (July 15th) and a headline slot at this years Latitude Festival (July 16th). Cosmic Love May Tour - Florence + The Machine supported by the Drums 05 Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
 06 Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
 07 Empress Ballroom, Blackpool
 09 Empress Ballroom, Blackpool
 10 Civic Theatre, Wolverhampton
 11 Civic Theatre, Wolverhampton
 13 HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London
 14 HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London
 15 HMV

Kylie Minogue returns to the charts at the end of June when her highly anticipated brand new single “ All The Lovers ” is released June 28 on Parlophone. The single, set to be a huge summer anthem, previews her new studio album “ Aphrodite ” scheduled for release a week later, on July 5. The album, Kylie’s fifth studio album on Parlophone, sees her celebrate her dance-floor roots and features Stuart Price as executive producer. The list of songwriters includes Kylie, Stuart Price, Calvin Harris, Jake Shears, Nerina Pallot and Keane’s Tim Rice-Oxley. Kylie said today: “The single was one of the last tracks to be written for the album. As I was recording it I knew that All The Lovers had to be the first single; it sums up the euphoria of the album perfectly. It gives me goose-bumps, so I’m really excited to hear what everyone thinks of it”. Stuart Price , who mixed the track and was executive producer on the album said: “ All The Lovers is a magical song and sums up everything tha

Mumford & Sons release their new single, ‘Roll Away Your Stone’ through Gentlemen Of The Road / Island Records on the 7th June 2010. It is taken from the band’s critically acclaimed, platinum selling Top 5 debut album, ‘ Sigh No More ’. It's turning out to be Mumford & Sons ' year. Spurred on by glowing word-of-mouth recommendations and a fearsome live reputation, their debut album, 'Sigh No More', has spent the first three months of 2010 in the Top 20 of the UK's album chart, soaring beyond 350,000 sales in the process. The four friends have been on the cover of the NME, sold out a triumphant British tour and secured some great slots at the summer's biggest festivals. And it's not just in the UK where things are sky-rocketing for them. The band were in Australia at the beginning of the year, where 'Sigh No More' knocked Susan Boyle off the top of the album chart and stuck around at the summit for four weeks, achieving double platinum status

Violent Soho ‘Bombs Over Broadway/ Son of Sam’ Monday 3rd May 2010 Violent Soho have gone from self-releasing their debut in their native Australia to signing to Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label, home to Be Your Own Pet, Free Kitten, Awesome Color and other freak-rockers. Ecstatic Peace! step out of their usual modus operandi with Violent Soho to release it on new UK imprint Defacto through Island/Universal . They are the most visceral, mushroom-munchin’, bong-tokin’ slacker guitar foursome to be punishing their amps in a long time and have impressed rawk royalty wherever they park their van. They played for Rick Rubin at his Malibu Condo. Thurston Moore was at the front at their first NY show at Lower East Side hang out Pianos. And passing the grunge baton on a generation their album was produced by The Pixies/Foo Fighters/Distillers producer Gil Norton at his Rockfields studio in the Welsh countryside (in between playing darts on Black Sabbath’s favourite d

Night Bus ‘I Wanna Be You’ Monday 17th May 2010 Newcomers Night Bus have concocted a sleek, sexy nocturnal anthem. A love song breathing sweet-nothings into the late-night ether. Formed in the after-hours haunts of Hackney and channeling the spirit of Stardust’s ‘Music Sounds Better with You’ if Blondie were playing it, Night Bus have re-skinned pop for a disco bloodbath in the new decade. With their glittering looks and glam hooks, Night Bus are the house band from Studio 54 entertaining the terrace at Space, Ibiza. Lead by Anglophile LA-emigré Jackson Kennedy , Night Bus are in a four-way relationship with each other. Jackson met drummer Laura Conway when she was living in Hollywood, then they moved back to London together and slept in the same bed for months. Co-vocalist Hannah Melbourne is fashion-worker by day and a dazzling disco-chanteuse at night. Meanwhile they stole dark-featured heart-throb Ben Tarrant-Brown from a Camden indie band. ‘You can turn me on like a drug, I

Owl City Single Release: " Umbrella Beach "  Label: Island Records Released: 17th May 2010 www.owlcitymusic.co.uk It has been a fantastic start to the year for Owl City . His swift and staggering rise from the unknown into chart topping success saw his debut single ‘ Fireflies ’ top the charts in 18 countries, including the UK where it spent 3 weeks at the No.1 spot and is currently certified gold. His debut album ‘ Ocean Eyes ’ charted at No.7 and is currently certified silver. The UK has quite clearly joined the rest of the world in tumbling head over heels for Owl City. Young , who counts fellow surrealist Tim Burton in his ever growing list of admirers – so much so that he included his track ‘ The Technicolor Phase ’ in the soundtrack to Alice in Wonderland – is modestly taking his latest chart topping success in his stride. “ It hasn't quite sunk in yet and I suspect it never really will. It's surreal to think that a song I wrote in a basement in the mid

ERYKAH BADU ANNOUNCES NEW RELEASE DATE FOR NEW AMERYKAH, PART II: RETURN OF THE ANKH - IN STORES MARCH 29, 2010 Universal Motown Records multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter-actress ERYKAH BADU announced via Twitter that she will release her fifth studio album, New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh, on March 30, 2010. The new album is the singer’s hotly anticipated follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2008 disc, New Amerykah, Part I: 4th World War. In contrast to New Amerykah, Part I: 4th World War, which was digitally produced and political in tone, New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh features lush live instrumentation and taps into Badu’s emotional side by thematically focusing on romance and relationships. “With Part I, I was standing at an apex, looking at what was going on around me politically, socially, and economically,” Badu explained. “With Part II, I’m hovering over me, looking at what’s going on inside of me.” New Amerykah Part II: Return of

Lil Wayne , 4 x Grammy winning multi-platinum artist, and without question the undisputed hottest rapper in the world releases his second single “ Drop Tha World ” on April 12th. “ Drop Tha World ” features fellow hiphop heavyweight Eminem and follows the single “ On Fire ”, both taken from his new album ‘ Rebirth ’, released earlier this year. The video for “Drop Tha World” was directed by Chris Robinson (Busta Rhymes, T.I., Ludacris) and captures both stars in a visually amazing War of The Worlds-esque backdrop. A game-changing artist, Dwanye Michael Carter, Jr., aka Weezy F Baby, is one of the most prolific artists in music. Since establishing himself with the Hot Boys and his early solo albums, he became best known for the astonishing amount of music he released whether it be his acclaimed mixtapes, or special guest features on other artists work. The sheer breath, quality and volume of music featuring the New Orleans born rapper, made it difficult to argue against his self-procla

Paul Weller releases his tenth studio solo album “ Wake Up The Nation ” on April 12th on Island Records. After an unparalleled career, characterised by constant musical experimentation, we should be used to Paul Weller’s relentless desire to chop and change his musical pack. But after the triumphant, Brit-bagging success of 22 Dreams (his third solo number one) Wake Up The Nation album sees rock’s most iconic songwriter come up trumps once more. Lean, mean and as uncompromisingly focused as it’s maker, Wake Up The Nation also brings Paul Weller full circle: twenty-eight years on from The Jam’s split, two tracks feature the former bassist Bruce Foxton . The album also sees contributions from My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields , The Move’s Bev Bevan and legendary session drummer Clem Cattini. Passion, progression, and, as ever, spine-tingling rock’n’roll –Paul Weller has, yet again delivered the perfect soundtrack as we embark on a new decade. Buy Wake up the Nation from Paul Well

“The Jackson Sessions”, the debut ep from Lauren Pritchard , a new artist with a remarkable voice and a rare song-writing talent to match, will be released on May 3rd through Island Records. The EP begins with the captivating “ When The Night Kills The Day ”. Written by Lauren and Ed Harcourt, the song features Marcus and Ted from Mumford & Sons who were heard and early version and loved the song so much they ended up producing it, their first independent production. The remaining three songs on the EP, “Stuck”, “No Way” and “Bad Time To Fall”, were produced by Eg White, who has produced the bulk of 22 year old Lauren’s debut album “ Wasted In Jackson ”.  Lauren Pritchard was born and raised in Jackson Tennessee, your archetypal deep south small town USA. She’d always sung and played piano from an early age and when she reached her teens felt the need to move away from her comfortable family surroundings and forge a life in music, somewhere new. At the age of 16, like many young

Following a packed out Scottish tour, Pearl and the Puppets will release their debut EP ‘ Because I Do ’ on 3rd May. Pearl, AKA Katie Sutherland and her band The Puppets , have been receiving a steady stream of attention over the last year with performances on the BBC Hogmanay show on New Year’s Eve, sets at T in the Park and the Wickerman Festival along with a headline Scottish tour last month; all this before a single release. Three years ago Pearl was just another music-loving shopgirl and primary school teacher student who was classically trained on woodwind and could bash out a tune on piano. Aged 19, she bought a guitar, taught herself how to play and quickly wrote some songs. Within a matter of months she’d set up a Myspace and posted four demos. Within a week, the first record label contacted her and after signing a publishing deal with Warner Chappell , Pearl decided to abandon her degree at Glasgow University and recruited a band; The Puppets. She signed first to Universa

Having just finished the NME Awards Tour with a triumphant show at London’s Brixton Academy, The Drums were crowned winners of the “Philip Hall Radar” award at NME awards last month. The quartet has now announced they will be playing three intimate shows across the UK later this month. Additionally, they’ll be treating fans to a performance and signing at instores in each of the cities: Manchester, London & Glasgow. Tickets for The Drums headline show @ the 900 capacity venue, Heaven on 8th June were put on sale last week and SOLD OUT in one day! An additional date @ Heaven on the 9th June has now been added. Instore Monday 29th March – Classic Grand, Glasgow (Instore @ Avalanche) Tuesday 30th March – Deaf Institute, Manchester (Instore@ 1pm, HMV Arndale) Wednesday 31st March – Old Blue Last, London Thursday 1st April – Instore @ 6pm, Rough Trade, London UK Shows Friday 30th April – Live at Leeds Festival, Leeds Saturday 1st May – Camden Crawl, London Tuesday 8th June – Hea

GABRIELLA CILMI: Single ' On A Mission ' released by Island Records on March 8th 2010 Album ' Ten ' released by Island Records on March 22nd 2010 Gabriella Cilmi is ' On A Mission '. Just turned 18, the Australian-Italian singer-songwriter is set to surprise a lot of people with her bold, fresh musical direction and feisty attitude: "I'm not a little girl anymore. I've grown up, and I'm ready to fight to get what I want." Gabriella Cilmi was catapulted to global fame by her worldwide mega hit, ' Sweet About Me ', which sold over 2 million copies, was top ten in 16 countries, viewed over 20 million times on you tube, spent 37 consecutive weeks in the UK singles chart in 2008 and was recently PRS certified the most played record of the 2009. Gabriella's debut album ' Lessons to be Learned ' went top 10 in over 10 countries, notching up close to a million sales. The combination of commercial punch and genuine musical spir

Tickets for The Drums headline show @ the 900 capacity venue, Heaven on 8th June were put on sale this morning and have SOLD OUT in one day! · Additional date on the 9th June added due to popular demand The Drums announce headline London show @ Heaven in June Band win “Philip Hall Radar” award at NME awards  New single ‘Best Friend’ out March 29th Having just finished the NME Awards Tour with a triumphant show at London’s Brixton Academy , The Drums were crowned winners of the “ Philip Hall Radar ” award at NME awards on February 24th. The quartet have now announced a new London headline show for June plus they’ll be playing Camden Crawl & Live at Leeds Festival as well: 30th April – Live at Leeds Festival, Leeds  1st May – Camden Crawl, London  Tuesday 8th June – Heaven, London  SOLD OUT Wednesday 9th June _ Heaven London New date added by popular demand Heaven, London: Under The Arches, Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NG Tickets go on sale Friday 12th March £11.50 http

The latest album from Boyzone, 'Brother' , has gone straight to Number 1 in the Album Charts! The news was officially announced yesterday (Sunday 14th March) by radio stations across the UK, as fans rushed to purchase the album. The exclusive deal below is only available to fans who buy from Universal Music! Ronan Keating & Boyzone Order Brother for £8.99 and get Winter Songs: Limited Collector's Edition for a special price of £9.99 (RRP £34.99) Save £25 when you add both of these items to your basket Click here to buy from Universal Official Site

Forever The Sickest Kids Album Release, “FRIDAY” and Single Release,‘SHE LIKE BITTERSWEET LOVE” out March 2010 Veterans of three straight summers rocking Vans Warped Tour with their fresh and insanely hummable blend of classic-lined power-pop, punk energy and space-age electronics, breakthrough band FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS have announced UK dates in March 2010 with “ You Me At Six ” and “ We the Kings ”. The tour coincides with the first release of the six-track album “ FRIDAY ” and single “ She Like Bittersweet Love ” arriving in March 2010 , the first of three mini albums to be released in succession in 2010, the group's innovative approach to following up their successful Universal Motown album debut UNDERDOG ALMA MATER . Their 2008 debut album was released in a deluxe version in July 2009. The Dallas-based six-man group (Austin Bello, bass & vocals; Kyle Burns, drums; Jonathan Cook, vocals; Kent Garrison, keyboards; Marc Stewart, guitar and Caleb Turman, guitar &

Tinashe ' Mayday ' E.P. Released March 1st - Special Guest On The Noisettes UK Tour Having travailed from Zimbabwe to Hackney via a zig-zagging journey of displacement, new star Tinashé releases ' Mayday' - his scintillating, indispensable E.P, March 1st on Mango Records . Tinashé kicked off the New Year with a series of club shows including a ' New To Q Session' , January 29th alongside Marina & The Diamonds . Tinashé was in imperious form throughout and further proof that he is one of the most impressive new live artists out there. Tinashé now plays a series of shows up and down the UK as special guest for The Noisettes . Written and produced by Tinashé, ' Mayday ' signals the first glimpse of his charming, unique sound, with his forthcoming debut album set for an early summer release. Most musicians will tell you that they've struggled for their art, paid their dues. Living in Highfield, a place that gave birth to Robert Mugabe is one thing,

Tinashe‘Mayday’ E.P. Released on Mango Records March 1st - 12” & Download Having travailed from the townships of Highfield, Zimbabwe to Hackney via a zig-zagging journey of displacement, new star Tinashé releases ‘ Mayday’ – his scintillating, indispensable E.P, March 1st on the re-launched Mango Records .Written and produced by Tinashé, ‘Mayday’ signals the first glimpse of his charming, unique sound, with his forthcoming debut album set for an early summer release. Tinashé has a wonderful gift for filtering his own life experiences into supremely addictive pop. The centrepiece is Tinashe's signature vocal, instantly recognisable and easily sliding from giddy to urgent.This 4-track collection comprises of smart pop songs from a star-in-waiting. From subtle strings and flashes of guitar on ‘ Mayday ’ to the tear-dropping sound of his native instrument, the mbira on ‘ Miss You ’ - all played by Tinashé it’s the work of an artist who's fully formed and not learning the rope

Shakespears Sister Album: Songs From The Red Room released on Cargo April 12 EP: It's A Trip - March 29 "I just want to make intelligent, exciting pop records and wrestle it back from what it's become, because in the last ten years it's been seen as this inferior thing that is associated with Pop Idol and X Factor. But my heroes were Bowie and Roxy - what are they if they are not pop music? It's a brilliant art form - it's the thing that excites me most in my life." - Siobhan Fahey ' Songs From The Red Room ' is the first Shakespears Sister album for over a decade. Siobhan Fahey returns to a pop landscape that has dramatically changed during her career of more than 20 years, and yet this album represents a female pop icon at the top of her game, as effortlessly innovative and exciting as any of her contemporaries. ' Songs From The Red Room ' features collaborations with Terry Hall ('Was It Worth It?') and Whitey ('Pulsa

The elite 11 who make up the Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown all-star roster are preparing to take over the game with the digital release of their debut album, We Are Young Money , on February 1st. Young Money Entertainment (YME), which was founded in 2005, is the brainchild of Lil Wayne , the Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum, critically acclaimed President of Cash Money Records. YME is an imprint of Cash Money Records and will be distributed by Universal Motown Records . Lil Wayne and his childhood friend Mack Mai ne, who is both signed to YME as an artist and serves as the President of the company, handpicked the label’s talented roster, which includes hip hop’s newest superstar Drake, Jae Millz, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, Gudda Gudda, Shanell, Lil Chuckee, Lil Twist, and T-Streetz, all of whom form the group Young Money. Young Money’s debut album, We Are Young Money , features many of today’s hottest producers, including Cool & Dre, Tha Bizness (Ne-Yo, Snoop Dogg), KANE (

Mumford & Sons release their new single, ‘The Cave’ through Gentlemen Of The Road / Island Records on the 1st March 2010 . It is taken from the band’s critically acclaimed Top 10 debut album, ‘Sigh No More’. Mumford & Sons have begun this decade much as they ended the last, with word-of-mouth recommendations and a fearsome live reputation helping them to become one of the most significant (and unexpected) British success stories in recent years. After Sigh No More charted at Number 11 in the UK album chart in October 2009, the album has quietly kept on selling - rising to a new high of Number 7 in January and shifting over 200,000 copies in the process. Meanwhile, the folk-rockers have been taking their euphoric live shows across the globe. A unique tour of India at the close of December included sold-out performances in Pune, New Delhi and Hyderabad . While they were there, the band decamped to a studio in New Delhi to collaborate with a collective of Rajasthani musici

Lil Wayne , the undisputed hottest rapper in the world, who recently slayed London audiences with three sold out shows at the Hammersmith Apollo , follows his 4 x Grammy winning multi-platinum masterpiece “Tha Carter III” with the release on February 1st of “ Rebirth ”, the most eagerly anticipated hip hop record in years. 2010 is proving a boon for Lil Wayne fans with the release on January 25th of Young Money Entertainment’s first release “ We Are Young Money ”, featuring all the hotly tipped artists on Weezy’s label including Drake and Nicki Minaj. A game-changing artist, Dwanye Michael Carter, Jr., aka Weezy F Baby , is one of the most prolific artists in music. Since establishing himself with the Hot Boys and his early solo albums, he became best known for the astonishing amount of music he released whether it be his acclaimed mixtapes, or special guest features on other artists work. The sheer breath, quality and volume of music featuring the New Orleans born rapper, made it

“OH AFRICA ” FEAT KERI HILSON Senegalese born Global superstar Akon , has sold over 1.5 million albums and even more singles in the UK alone, and over 8 million albums world wide. It comes as no surprise that Akon was chosen to team up with Pepsi to sing the World Cup inspired song for this summer’s tournament in South Africa . ‘Oh Africa ’ is a fitting ode to the nation hosting the World Cup, and sung patriotically by one of the continent’s most loved figures. Akon is joined by R&B’s woman of the moment, Keri Hilson , who shares vocals alongside him. The Soweto Gospel Choir , the thirty-plus member ensemble who memorably performed at the first of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 concerts in Cape Town in 2003, also team up with Akon on the single. Not forgetting a group of fifteen specially picked young people from across the world, who sing with the choir to form the chorus, representing the unity of the World Cup. The video to accompany the song was directed by Gill Green , who has

" FIRFELIES " SOARS UP THE CHARTS TO THE NO.1 SPOT! As tickets for his UK tour sell out fast, Owl City's global phenomenon ' Fireflies ' soars up the UK charts to No.1!! Owl City’s single ‘Fireflies’ has already sold nearly 3 million copies in the US, topped the Billboard chart - twice - and the iTunes chart in 6 countries, yet until recently he was still relatively unknown in the UK. However, following its early release due to popular demand here in the UK and with very little promotion, ' Fireflies ' topped the UK charts on Sunday. Adam Young , the talented young man behind Owl City is modestly taking his latest chart topping success in his stride. “ It hasn't quite sunk in yet and I suspect it never really will. It's surreal to think that a song I wrote in a basement in the middle of blustery Minnesota has made it as far as it has. Needless to say, I'm completely thrilled .” Owl City can’t wait to hit the road in the UK and, judging by t

Michael Franti & Spearhead SINGLE: SAY HEY (I LOVE YOU) : MONDAY 1st FEBRUARY ALBUM: ALL REBEL ROCKERS : MONDAY 8th FEBRUARY Oakland, CA born Michael Franti has occupied a unique position in American music over his two decade career. Cutting against the grain of fashion, he has been an outspoken champion of social justice - whether that's fighting for human rights, veteran's rights, ridding poverty or producing his 50,000 capacity 'Power To The Peaceful' festival each year. His newest album ' All Rebel Rockers ' has struck a loud chord Stateside and become a hit record. Recorded in Jamaica at the Anchor Studio with Island Records legends Sly & Robbie, the album produced the rapturous dancehall-reggae hybrid lead single 'Say Hey (I Love You)'. With Kingston's own Cherine Anderson on guest vocals, the single has sold a million copies (certified platinum) in the US, and the video has been watched close to 4 million times on Youtube. Commerc

Codeine Velvet Club , the sensational new band featuring chief Fratelli Jon Lawler and Glasgow chanteuse Lou Hickey, have been confirmed as special guests on the forthcoming UK shows by US star John Mayer . The dates are as follows: JANUARY 15     MANCHESTER APOLLO 16    GLASGOW ACADEMY 18    LONDON HAMMERSMITH APOLLO 19    WOLVERHAMPTON CIVIC Codeine Velvet Club is a new musical collaboration that celebrates Jon Lawler and Lou Hickey’s shared love of ’60s girl-boy duets, dramatic orchestral pop, and dark post-war Hollywood romanticism. They have just released their eponymously titled debut album . WHAT THE PAPERS SAY “Here’s a surprising perky pop rock tonic for the new year….joyously jaunty boy/girl harmonies shot through with a Glasgow brogue and swept along with 1960s-styled orchestral arrangements.   The tunes offer a blend of showy romance and rueful humour and the tone is a sweet diversion… they have a dashing panache.” METRO 4 Jan ‘10 “The Hottest Downloads – Codeine Ve

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, “TOURIST HISTORY” ON KITSUNE ON MARCH 1ST 2010 . “It’s herky, it’s jerky, it’s mile a minute, it’s everything we love about guitars and boys.” –  NME Two   Door Cinema Club release their fantastic debut album, “ Tourist History ” on March 1st 2010 on French label Kitsune. It will be preceded by the single "Undercover Martyn" on 22nd February 2010 . The trio from Bangor , Northern Ireland have recently received the auspicious nod from the BBC after being named as one of the fifteen acts on the BBC Soundpoll as well as featuring in numerous end of year tips for 2010. This, coupled with their already strong online following, ensures that “ Tourist History ” is set to make a big impact. The album is undeniably pop, but draws on disparate elements including electronica/electro, rock and Afro-beats   whilst remaining resolutely fresh and inventive. Pigeon-holing this band will be impossible. Formed at th