Various Artists – Stax 50th Anniversary (iTunes UK)

This has to be the easiest way to celebrate the birthday of a real legend: downloading 50 tracks for £14.99, or individual tunes for 79p each. Interesting to sort the content by ‘popularity’ too, which takes just one click, and has Booker T & The MGs’ Soul Limbo and Linda Lyndell’s What A Man coming out on top, with two tracks by the Soul Children, The Sweeter He Is and It Aint Always What You Do, bringing up the rear.

Steve Lawson - …And Nothing But The Bass (stevelawson.net)

This is a great download to familiarise yourself with one of the most gifted solo bass players on the planet. It’s his first album, recorded in 1999, now out of print on CD but back again on MP3 and with three extra tracks. One of the extras - the Inner Game - is a real piece of Lawson history: the first track he played at his first ever gig. If you’re new to his sound and amazing style, just type “Steve Lawson” into YouTube…

Future Sound of London – From The Archives, Vol. 4 (fsoldigital.com)

The Future Sound of London have thrown everything but the kitchen sink from their archives and back catalogue into a new download and CD store, FSOL Digital. The previous three volumes of their trawl through the DAT locker have been available on CD, but this one is currently download only and has some real gems, although they’re not annotated so which album sessions and eras they spring from is anyone’s guess. Either buy the album or pick a few select cuts - like Wookii and Mango Tree - which are available for €1.00 each.

Blancmange - Making Aeroplanes (MySpace)

“Oyez!! Oyez!!” reads the new, official Blancmange MySpace. “Now hear this! We are in the process of recording songs for a new Blancmange album…” And one of their new streaming demos is Making Aeroplanes, merging a stripped down, back-to-analogue backing from Stephen Luscombe with Neil Arthur’s northern ratings, and is an exciting taste of things to come.

Paul Simon – iTunes Originals (iTunes only)

This latest instalment of the iTunes-only compilation series combines interview snippets with back catalogue and exclusive live and acoustic recordings. There are 26 tracks in this set, including chatter on Brian Eno and Art Garfunkel and a great new rendition of My And Julio Down By The School Yard.

Richard Hawley – Live From London (iTunes only)

iTunes’ Live From London series underwent a face-lift last year but, musically, is still pretty much a yawn-a-thon with sets from the likes of Natalie Imbruglia, Kate Walsh and this 6-tracks-for-£4.49 session from Richard Hawley. His middle-aged crooning is a trial but he does start to deliver the goods with old age covers of songs by Ricky Nelson and Hank Williams.

Stephen A.J. Duffy – Because We Love You (Virgin, all platforms)

Duffy’s forgotten masterpiece is The Ups And Downs’ follow-up. Every track a winner and equalled (although not surpassed) by bonus B-sides and remixes, two of which - Cocksure and The Disenchanted - point the way to his adventures with the Lilacs. But as sugary pop classics go it’s hard to beat this album’s opener, Something Special, although its (hyper-rare) 12” ‘Inversion’ is tragically missing from the bonus tracks.

Stephen ‘Tin Tin’ Duffy – The Ups And Downs of… (Virgin, all platforms)

With his new Lilac Time album, Runout Groove, in the shops now, EMI have finally dug out Stephen Duffy’s first two albums and reissued them, although only online. So, no remastering, sleeve notes or artwork, but they have done well in digging out B-sides and remixes. This, his debut long player, is supplemented with eight extra tracks including the Mixe Plurale of Kiss Me and rare early 12” versions of She Makes Me Quiver and Hold It. But nothing surpasses the albums close-out track, The World At Large Alone.