Singles & Downloads

Singles and downloads - February 2010

17 Feb 2010

Let’s start this time with the newie from Sugababes version (counts on fingers) 4.0, because a new Sugababes single, ace or execrable, will always be worthy of discussion. And ‘Wear My Kiss’ (Island) ●●● is certainly blessed with a memorable chorus…

Singles & downloads - Mon 18 Jan 2009

20 Jan 2010

It’s a new year and The List is feeling all aquiver. You see, our appetite has already been whetted by a whole host of new acts filling our ears with futuristic pioneering pop, so be warned: for this issue’s track reviews, derivative idiotmusic will NOT…

Singles and Downloads

17 Dec 2009

Homecoming is over, right? So it’s OK to say that Hue and Cry are canine excrement of the highest order? Their version of the Rolf Harris ‘classic’ ‘Two Little Boys’ (Blair Hill) is a painfully smug loungecore abomination, an affront to all human ears…

Christmas singles 2009 roundup

The Xmas Factor

2 Dec 2009

The dull predictably of The X Factor now means that some putty-faced goon will get a Christmas number one single every year from now until the apocalypse, followed in the top ten by an army of insentient reality TV drones. Yet, in the face of this sad…

Singles & downloads - November 2009

13 Nov 2009

The List is getting in touch with its feminine side this fortnight; hoping we can get through this latest selection of singles and downloads while pretending that boys don’t even exist. Ewww boys. Much fuss has been made of the fact that lots of female…

Singles and Downloads

From Julian Casablancas to Paulo Nutini, with some actual interesting stuff in between

15 Oct 2009

Anticipating the arrival of a new White Stripes or Strokes release? Well, you’ll just have to make do with a couple of self-indulgent solo-projects via respective indie-rawk frontmen Jack and Julian. While the former cult icon and his Dead Weather…

Singles & Downloads

1 Oct 2009

There’s an almost embarrassing number of good local bands dishing out fine efforts this time. One name that may be familiar is Ming Ming and the Ching Chings , whose double A-side ‘Show Off’/‘OUT in the West of Scotland’ (Badly Built) ●●●● is an errant…

Singles and downloads

Your tunes for the week

21 Aug 2009

Sugababes are sexy and, bless ‘em, they want us to be sexy too, so they’re imploring us to ‘Get Sexy’ (Island) ●●. Strange, then, with all that sexy-talk in the air, the single should be an insipid rehashing of that deeply unsexy Right Said Fred song…

Singles and Downloads

The good and less good of what's out this week

14 Aug 2009

Art Brut - ‘DC Comics & Chocolate Milkshakes’, Eric Hassle - ‘Don’t Bring Flowers’ , Jack Penate - ‘Pull My Heart Away’ , Lily Allen - ‘22’ , Biffy Clyro ‘That Golden Rule’

Singles and Downloads

6 Aug 2009

Much touted at the start of the year, Little Boots’ takeover of planet pop hasn’t quite materialised, and ‘Remedy’ (679) won’t change that. A decent enough pop strut with obligatory chunky synths and singalong chorus, it lacks the personality of her…

Singles and downloads

29 Jul 2009

Virtually no one releases good singles in August. The charts are full of summer pap while decent acts are up to their knees in festival mud. So hello, Dolores ‘The Cranberries’ O’Riordan, whose ‘The Journey’ (Cooking Vinyl) is utterly anaemic, dreary…

Singles & Downloads

9 Jul 2009

Time was that the onset of summer beckoned a slew of novelty singles, courtesy of cartoon pop ingénues, often replete with carefree dance moves. You know: The Vengaboys’ ‘Going to Ibiza’; Los del Rio’s ‘Macarena’; Whigfield’s ‘Saturday Night’. Ah, happy…

Singles & Downloads

22 Jan 2009

When is an EP not an EP? When it’s basically a single plus three forgettable remixes, ala Future Loop Foundation ’s ‘The Sea & the Sky EP’ (Just) •• – a decent floaty chill out tune all told, but surrounded by such unnecessary filler tracks as to do a…

Singles & Downloads

8 Jan 2009

My New Year’s resolution was to give all music the benefit of the doubt but Travis are making it difficult. According to their press release they’re now at their ‘loudest, edgiest and most arresting’ since their debut. If only that description bore any…

Singles & Downloads

11 Dec 2008

By the time you read this there will be no escaping it: the country will be brainwashed and swamped by X Factor mania, swaying in a zombified state to a bland and inspid version of ‘Hallelujah’ and I’ll have attempted to eat my own ears. Again. So…

Singles & Downloads

27 Nov 2008

What’s that Lassie? Name+Relucto are trapped down the well? ‘Spawnofspoon EP’ (Hum+Haw) ••• is a plinky-plonky kind of techno that is thankfully less like being punched hard in the face over and over, and more like the voices in your head have taken to…

Singles & Downloads

30 Oct 2008

You know times are tough when you have to resort to Tony Christie to get you through the day. OK, the climate’s shagged and the banks are collapsing, but it’s the piffling amount of brilliant tracks that’s really getting my goat this issue. What? Us…

Singles & Downloads

16 Oct 2008

The challenge for The View is to avoid ‘doing a Fratellis’, i.e. delivering an underwhelming second album thereby massaging the feeling that all your early promise was based on one good song. Sad to say, the rowdy but slight jangle of ‘5 Rebbeccas…

Singles & Downloads

2 Oct 2008

Nothing draws a groan of predictably quite like finding a new Oasis shortplayer on top of the singles pile, so we’ll keep this brief. ‘Shock of the Lightning’ (Big Brother) •• is another bit of drony fluff Noel Gallagher probably found down the back of…

Singles & Downloads - Local Special

18 Sep 2008

Locally-sourced produce is all the rage these days, so let’s have a cheeky wee Scottish round-up this issue, eh? Quality meat to kick off in the form of Frightened Rabbit , whose ‘I Feel Better’/’The Twist’ (Fat Cat) •••• is excellently jittery…

Singles & Downloads

3 Jul 2008

Why is there so much slickly produced, pretend-to-be-credible pop around these days? Newton Faulkner, Amy MacDonald, The Hoosiers, Sara Bareilles – the insipid list just keeps on getting longer. Eurgh, and here’s another one; the emotionless and utterly…

Singles & Downloads

19 Jun 2008

It’s definitely a good fortnight for bizarre and beautiful sounds. For those who like their tunes a little out of leftfield, there are some ear-bending audio treats in store. For those who don’t, there’s always Nickelback ’s soft-rock mush on…

Singles & Downloads

5 Jun 2008

This month’s singles and downloads is pretty special, with a mix of deranged French experimental, dubstep soul, a minimal masterpiece and a sublime piece of R&B/hip hop from a duo that you just know are going to deliver something standout . .

Singles & Downloads

22 May 2008

It may be happy coincidence, or just a refusal to write about the new Rascals single, but there’s only good stuff left in the pile this issue, meaning everyone deserves a big sloppy one on the lips for their efforts. Dead or American have run at…

Singles & Downloads

8 May 2008

Get ready, kids, it’s New Morrissey Single of the Fortnight time! And this one’s a stormer, all taut and driving, and laced with that familiar austerity which, you suspect, hides a well of uncertainty somewhere just below the surface. And it’s got these…