A Music Reviews Blog, from Ian Peel

Daniel Ward-Murphy - She’s a Knockout

2009-07-22T09:49:00.001Z

This new single from singing songwriting troubadour Ward-Murphy is a must for fans of Crowded House and the like. It comes from Until The Morning Light, his début album, which was released earlier this year and was entirely financed by almost a thousand fans. Each invested a minimum of $10 towards recoding and manufacturing via the Sellaband.com website.

www.danielwm.com

Various - Structures That Belongs To One - Week 1

2009-07-22T09:48:00.002Z

Experimental Portuguese electronic label Monocline is one year old and - to celebrate - July saw a special series of digital releases. Each week in July they released a new four track EP with, they promise, "four original tracks from our artist rooster and tracks from some special friends of the label.". The first had only appeared as we went to press, and included material from Zhao, Psyk, Oliver Dodd and Octave

www.beatport.net

Various - Download 2009

2009-07-22T09:48:00.001Z

The Download festival has decided to give those who attended - and those that didn't - the opportunity to relive all performances from this year's event ‘on demand’ for the next three months. Fifteen artists, including all headliners, and an extensive 38 full songs will be available. Lots on offer here for rock fans... the debut festival performance in more than 11 years from Faith No More, plus Limp Bizkit, Def Leppard, Slipknot, Korn and Pendulum.

downloadfestival.co.uk

Andy Nice - The Secrets of Me

2009-07-22T09:47:00.000Z

The latest instalment from pioneering UK label Front & Follow comes from Andy Nice, cellist with Tindersticks, who has performed across Europe and the US with them, and featured on their last album, The Angry Saw. Delightful, dark and ambient, you can get a feel for Andy's work via www.myspace.com/andynicecello.

www.frontandfollow.com

Modernaire - Faites Vos Jeux

2009-07-22T09:46:00.004Z

Having supported both Friendly Fires and fellow Mancunians The Ting Tings on tour, we predict great things for this four-piece and, as Time Out described it, their "Glacial Gameboy pop." This three-piece effort is split across download and 7" vinyl, a perfect combination.

myspace.com/modernairetheband

Nigel of Bermondsey - This Is How It Feels

2009-06-22T09:45:00.001Z

Two curious tracks on a download-only single from this XFM Award-nominated artist. The A-side (virtually-speaking) is a cover of the Inspiral Carpets' This Is How It Feels and has been described as "lovely" by its writer, Clint Boon. And the B-side, Something's On Fire, is written in collaboration with Jim Irvine, from ethereal 80s brilliant minds, Furniture. Hear more at www.myspace.com/nigelofbermondsey.

Incubus - The Vault

2009-06-22T09:45:00.000Z

As the band gear up to release their two-disc Best Of, Monuments and Melodies, they've also put together a massive download archive of pretty much everything they've ever recorded. According to Columbia Records, "No longer will any fan of the band have to search online for rare and unreleased content as it will all be conveniently available at enjoyincubus.com." They've assembled over 100 rare or unreleased MP3s, live tracks, previously unavailable studio tracks, more than over 100 rare and unreleased videos, and TV appearances. There's also the banned version of Wish You Were Here and a complete concert from the band's December 12, 1996 Whiskey performance in Los Angeles. This is one of those multiple download packages like No Doubt's that we covered a couple of issues ago that are almost impossible to review. Suffice to say that if singles like Black Heart Inertia were up your street, then The Vault will be your download of the year.

enjoyincubus.com

Graham Coxon – Sorrow's Army

2009-06-22T09:44:00.001Z

A fantastic song and a fantastic idea from Graham Coxon, announced just before he rejoined his Blur band-mates. Coxon has been getting back to his art-school roots with a new website and revived interest in painting, as seen at www.grahamcoxonart.com. He's also put together a new limited edition art print - the only physical format of his new single Sorrow’s Army for Transgressive Records (www.transgressiverecords.co.uk). Buy one of these 1000 hand-numbered original prints (on Tintoretto Gesso paper, whatever that is, at 210mm x 210mm) and you'll get a unique code giving access to a download of the track.

www.grahamcoxon.com

AudioFuel – Rollercoaster

2009-06-22T09:44:00.000Z

Quite a bizarre idea, this, but apparently it works. AudioFuel claims to be a new type of music specifically composed with a beat fast enough to match the pace of a runner - 190 beats per minute. Howie Saunders - last heard playing with big beat aficionados Lunatic Calm (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunatic_Calm) makes all the music for AudioFuel, and it's all mixed to this special running pace. Rollercoaster is by far the best so far, but there are various others to choose from and they've also told us that "we are talking to one or two well known bands about the idea of re-mixing their tracks to create new AudioFuel."

audiofuel.co.uk

Tori Amos - Maybe California

2009-05-22T09:41:00.004Z

A US Mother's Day gift from Tori to the world in the form of a free track from her new album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin. A lyrical letter from one mother to another. Find it at www.spinner.com/2009/04/27/tori-amos-offers-all-moms-a-mothers-day-gift-exclusive-downl/.

Shiny Toy Guns - Major Tom

2009-05-22T09:40:00.002Z

A great 're-imagining' of Peter Shilling's 80s classic based on the adventures of Bowie's Ashes To Ashes character. This band have been making waves for the past couple of years so this is a great chance to check them out for nothing. Nothing beats the original, German-language Shilling version though! Get Major Tom from hipsteroverkill.com/Blogs/tabid/1936/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/496/DOWNLOAD-Shiny-Toy-Guns-new-80s-cover.aspx.

Lady Gaga - Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) (Pet Shop Boys Remix)

2009-05-22T09:39:00.002Z

The Pet Shop Boys have been remixing all sorts of people lately, from Yoko Ono to Madonna. But their mix of Lady Gaga's Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say), is only available as a free download from AOL Music UK. An absolute must for Petheads, find it here: music.aol.co.uk/exclusive-lady-gaga-download/article/20090217132209990001.

Heads We Dance - Work It Out (feat. Little Boots)

2009-05-22T09:37:00.001Z

We're proud to proclaim “you read it here first” every time the much-hyped Little Boots gets a mention. She's now collaborated with electro-poppers Heads We Dance whose When The Sirens Sound is getting much-deserved breakthrough airplay on Radio 1. This is the B-side, which is available as an official, "totally guilt-free download" from the US Arjan Writes music blog at www.arjanwrites.com/arjanwrites/2009/04/exclusive-free-download-heads-we-dance-featuring-little-boots-work-it-out.html.

Wave Machines - Keep The Lights On

2009-04-20T09:35:00.004Z

Disco, synths and dance influences seem to be flooding back into indie music this year - praise the lord - and a prime example is the new single from Wave Machines. one of the most hyped bands of the year so far, they've been described as "like Hot Chip dipped in Hot Chocolate" and, impossibly, "polished, accomplished, budget disco." Keep The Lights On is their third single and is available as a limited edition 7" vinyl (Rough Trade, £3.99) or as a completely free download from their website.

www.wavemachines.co.uk

The Streets – Trust Me

2009-04-20T09:35:00.000Z

Here's a reason to jump on board the Twitter bandwagon, if you're a Streets fan that is. Mike Skinner has been posting free MP3s – as well as lots of chat and random musings - from his studio via the new microblogging platform. First up was a track called I love My Phone which the Guardian Music Blog jumped on for its “chipmunk vocals, crashing snares and text message bleeps.” Then came Trust Me, which is an endearing knockabout fusion of Massive Attack and Karel Fialka. Like everything on Twitter it's gone in seconds, so download while you can.

twitter.com/skinnermike

Depeche Mode – Sounds of the Universe

2009-04-20T09:33:00.000Z

Not so much a download, but well worth a mention: digital distributor We7 has struck a deal to stream the new Depeche Mode album in its entirety on NME.com. If you go to the URL above you can click through every track, like the stripped down industrial opener In Chains, and the buzzing, dirty Wrong. It's covered in adverts – both visual and audio – but worth a go.

www.nme.com/news/depeche-mode/44025

Grant Phabao presents The Lone Ranger - Fever

2009-03-21T19:00:00.001Z

Grant Phabao is the man behind the recent reggae remix of of AC/DC's Let There Be Rock. That one's streaming for free at ParisDJs.com and an original track he uploaded there - Fever - has now been released as a limited, 300-edition 7" vinyl. So you can buy the vinyl and get the MP3 free. Or buy the MP3 and get the vinyl free. Either way you'll get some rich and sophisticated Parisian dance tracks.

SuperflyRecords.com

No Doubt – Everything, basically!

2009-03-21T18:59:00.002Z

If you ever wanted a sign as to just how much the recorded music industry is changing, try this. If you buy a “top tier” ticket to one of No Doubt's forthcoming live shows you can download their entire back catalogue! For free! That's seven albums, and one extra exclusive track – their first new recording in years - which is, quite bizarrely, a cover of Adam & The Ants' Stand & Deliver. Their tour kicks off on 02 May 2 in Atlantic City and those “top tier” tickets are actually quite reasonable. They start from $42.50, which is about thirty quid.

www.nodoubt.com/events

Lenka - Anything I'm Not (Acoustic)

2009-03-21T18:58:00.003Z

Ex-Decoder Ring vocalist Lenka was recently named VH1's "You Oughta Know Artist" and chosen as iTunes Single Of The Week in the US, but possibly the best barometer of her impending popularity is the fact that one of her tracks, The Show, has had over six million plays on MySpace. You can download this track for free from Columbia Records, if you sign up to her mailing list to hear what all the fuss is about.

Peter Doherty - Grace/Wastelands

2009-03-21T18:58:00.000Z

Doherty's delicate musical and medical rehabilitation continues with this new album of shrewd, languid guitar pop. Head to iTunes where you'll find an exclusive bonus track, an acoustic version of Lady Don't Fall Backwards. Handily, and unlike many other iTunes bonus tracks, you don't have to download the full album to get this, you can just buy it by itself if you want.

Tom Waits & Kronos Quartet - Way Down in the Hole

2009-02-21T18:55:00.000Z

“Working with the Kronos Quartet was like firing a .38 Special with a clam shell holster: beauty meets brains," Tom Waits said of this collab, which had the Dalai Lama enthralled. And Spinner.com has a free MP3 so you can hear it for yourself at www.spinner.com/2007/07/02/exclusive-mp3-tom-waits-and-kronos-quartet-way-down-in-the-ho/.

The Prodigy – Omen (Herve's End Of The World Remix)

2009-02-21T18:54:00.002Z

One of the best mixes of The Prodigy's return-to-form (or, at least, return-to-the-charts) single Omen is the Herve's End Of The World Remix. It's available exclusively on iTunes and, while you're logged in, check their version of the band's Invaders Must Die album for a very interesting 16:44 Track By Track Walkthrough audio commentary and a frankly useless Digital Booklet.

Little Man Tate - I Am Alive

2009-02-21T18:54:00.000Z

Interesting new take on anti-piracy here from Brighton's Skint label. Firstly, they're not sending advance copies to radio or press (so there's no star rating with this review), to avoid unscrupulous DJs and journos dropping off their promos at Record & Tape Exchange or ripping them to Pirate Bay. But the main deal is that each downloader of the finished release will get a ticket to Little Man Tate's forthcoming gig at Magna in Rotherham. It's very much a test of the water and, if it works, expect future releases from the label like this.

Pet Shop Boys – Brit Awards Medley

2009-02-21T18:53:00.001Z

As we go to print, the new Pet Shop Boys album is only available to pre-order on iTunes, so we can only hear a 30-second sample of each track. But one that everyone's heard in its entirety is their fantastic 10-minute medley which was performed at the close of the The Brits 2009. Mixed by Stuart Price, it instantly became the joint best mash-up ever to have been performed at The Brits (tied of course with Rihanna's Umbrella from 2008 which was mashed with, or rather mashed all over, Klaxon's It's not Over Yet). Elsewhere on iTunes, Apple has the 35-song/2-video PopArt package to download at £5.49.

YMC Radio Buzzy

2009-01-26T18:52:00.001Z

You Must Create (YMC) is a London fashion label which started out back in 1995. They've been causing a bit of a stir lately with a series of free-to-download podcasts, which Ben Ayres from Rough Trade emailed us to flag up. "If you like a bit of weird and rare 1950s audio," he says, "these podcasts are something else. A friend's done them and every track and each advert/jingle has been taken from original vinyl 7"s, no reissues allowed..."

www.youmustcreate.com

Bruce Springsteen - Life Itself

2009-01-26T18:52:00.000Z

Quite the reverse of his 80s Boss persona, Springsteen has spent the last two decades subtly and poetically tackling American life through increasingly moving songs. In January he spoke at length with The Guardian about the departure of George Bush and "a historically blind administration who didn't take consideration of the past: thousands and thousands of people died, lives were ruined, terrible things occurred," and gave a away a free MP3 via the newspaper's website which gives a pretty accurate indication of where his head's currently at. Fine it at www.guardian.co.uk/music/audio/2009/jan/18/bruce-springsteen-free-download.

Say Hi - Wintry Music

2009-01-26T18:51:00.001Z

As we can only dream of winter melting away, sample this emerging American songwriter who captures the season perfectly. "The overwhelming percentage of the year I spend cooped up writing records definitely comes with some cabin fever," Seattle-based Eric Elbogen - a/k/a Say Hi - told SPIN.com. "And this song is mostly about that." It's free from www.spin.com/audio/download/41395/Say_Hi-November_Was_White.mp3.

Antony and the Johnsons - My Lord, My Love

2009-01-26T18:50:00.000Z

This is the bonus track from the new Antony and the Johnsons album, The Crying Light which is the follow up to the Mercury prize winning I Am a Bird Now. It's been on sale online since the middle of January but - quite differently to most other digital releases - was available as an "instant digital download," meaning fans who pre-ordered the album from www.antonyandthejohnsons.com were able to listen to it straight away, ahead of the release date. There's nothing 'bonus' about the track in question though - it's a cracker, and makes a perfect finale to the album.

Erasure - Total Pop! (Mute)

2009-01-26T18:28:00.000Z

I've never really gelled with Erasure because - from the very start - they were never quite what I expected. I remember waiting through hours of ITV's Saturday morning zoo TX for them to close the show with their first ever appearance. Vince Clarke had always been so dark and techno-logical with Depeche Mode and Yazoo, and had appeared on the front of Look-In competitor Look Alive a few weeks before with wires sprouting from his head. So I was convinced I was going to see a cross between Kraftwerk and Fritz Lang. Yet I saw Erasure, something - as the duo themselves would say - was more technicolour Circus than black-and-white Metropolis.

Expectation and image aside, this compilation proves two things. One, that they have written a fair number of songs that are built to last (and would sound impressive in any format - from disco to piano/vocal), like Always, Am I Right? and Ship of Fools. And secondly, they know how to put together a compilation. The First 40 Hits is the subtitle of this double CD, but the Deluxe Edition box set is the one to go for, featuring a jam-packed DVD produced in conjunction with the BBC containing not only Top Of The Pops clips but appearances on Wogan, Going Live! and even The Tom O'Connor Roadshow!

As a footnote, while Andy Bell's fantastic Electric Blue proved he could cut it on his own, the compilation I'd really love to hear (or compile!) would be a Best Of Vince Clarke, covering not just Erasure and Depeche but one-off classics like The Assembly and his Paul Quinn collab, right up to the 00s cinematic excess of The Clarke & Ware Experiment.

Annie Lennox - The Annie Lennox Collection (RCA)

2008-12-31T18:26:00.000Z

I'm possibly not the best person to review a Best Of Annie Lennox, or at least not the most typical of Lennox fans. One of my favourite albums of all time is The Eurythmics' For The Love Of Big Brother, their aborted soundtrack to Michael Radford's 1984 feature film. But the rest of the Eurythmics catalogue leaves me indifferent – either because the hyper-exciting surreal electronica of the early 80s has since become daily regional radio fodder, or because of the whole late-80s leather jackets and rock-out period, full stop.

When Annie Lennox started out on her solo career, there was a hint of getting back to something a little more arty than Be Yourself Tonight. There was the Little Bird EP, complete with a monumental dance mix by N-Joi. And then there was the ballad of the early 90s, the strangely since-overlooked gothic anthem Love Song for a Vampire.

Both are present here (although Little Bird is the standard 7” version) alongside others you'll be familiar with (like Walking on Broken Glass, No More 'I Love You's and Why) and half a dozen tracks that you'll come to afresh (like a cover of Ash's Shining Light). It's all solo material of course, so nothing from 1984. But it's still well worth a listen, and a handful of one-track spot-buys from iTunes.

MADONNA CONFESSIONS by Guy Oseary (Powerhouse)

2008-12-03T18:23:00.000Z

Not as mind-blowing as Sex but not as time-wasting as an Andrew Morton, this new addition to the Madonna library is a straightforward photo album from her recent Confessions mega-tour, as she heads out on her latest Sticky & Sweet jaunt. It’s her first official book since 1992’s legendary Sex in fact, as it’s 100% approved and was shot exclusively by her manager Guy Oseary.

These credentials, oh and he’s also the CEO of Maverick Records, gives Oseary unparalleled backstage access and opportunities for capturing intimate moments of life on the road with one of the world’s most famous artists. Does he use this wisely? He doesn’t really bother, as the bulk of this book’s 250 colour photos are of Madonna shot on stage, not off. So it’s very much a record of her costumes and image changes – which would range from glam equestrian (who’d have thought it) to Combat Rock to space-age disco revival – across the course of each nightly Confessional.

It all looks fabulous but only serves to remind that what’s really missing from the Madonna library is any in-depth - or even superficial - survey of her music. The songwriting and production, the stuff people actually get when they buy one of her CDs. As such she might forever only be covered in books like these – which celebrate the image rather than the art.

Various Artists – Amazon Holiday Sampler

2008-12-01T18:49:00.000Z

A token Christmas gift from the online warehouse in the form of a five-track download-only festive album, available completely free of charge. Featured is a 1999 Digital Remaster of I Wish You A Merry Christmas by Bing Crosby, a 1991 remix of The Beach Boys doing Auld Lang Syne and – possibly most festive of all – a Peggy Lee rendition of Deck The Halls.

Wilco – I Shall Be Released

2008-12-01T18:48:00.000Z

The Chicago rock band Wilco came up with a great idea during the recent presidential election. While voter apathy didn’t turn out to be an issue in the end – as it is most years – this is an idea that would work well in the UK. Quite simply, all you had to do was promise to get out and vote and, in return, the band would give you a free download. The track in question was worth voting for too, a cover of Bob Dylan’s I Shall Be Released. You can read more and find the track on About.com at guitar.about.com/b/2008/11/04/free-wilco-mp3-download.htm.

Chris Morris – On the Hour

2008-12-01T18:47:00.001Z

November 24 saw Warp Records release the first volume of On The Hour, the 90s spoof radio current affairs show by Chris Morris. And The Guardian ran this excellent exclusive free download, which also just happened to feature the first ever broadcast appearance by another near-legendary figure: Alan Partridge. Hear his arrival on the airwaves at www.guardian.co.uk/culture/audio/2008/nov/14/chris-morris-alan-partridge.

Long Division With Remainders – Volume 10 EP

2008-12-01T18:47:00.000Z

This is the latest release from the LDWR collective (myspace.com/longdivisionwithremainders), an experimental electronic outpost dedicated to the art of the remix. A different artist recycles and remixes a set of found sounds to create a new EP every few months and this one – a riotous session from Australian sound artist Susan Hawkins - is the tenth to appear so far. They’re all available as free downloads and, when the project is complete, will be pressed up into what’s set to be a highly collectable limited edition CD box set.

Z-Trip – Obama Mix

2008-11-05T18:44:00.000Z

A fantastic one-hour DJ mix of election fever and hip hop beats that was burning up on the internet in the weeks leading up to the big vote. As Dave Allen from Gang of Four (and OK Computer favourites Shriekback) recently explained on his blog (pampelmoose.com), “What happens when one of North America’s brightest lights in the DJ/Mix/Mash Up world, Z-Trip, gets fired up about the election? Well he teams up with artist Shepard Fairey and throws some fundraising parties. Then he puts together a 58 minute mix and gives it away online…”

djztrip.com

Keane – Spiralling

2008-11-05T18:43:00.000Z

This is the first the internet heard of the new Keane album when it was given away as a free MP3 download from Keane’s official website. It was only available for one week but, in that time, clocked more than half a million downloads before being made available on iTunes and all the other digital platforms as a paid-for track. To OK Computer’s ears this is bog standard Keane – forgettable and anthemic, dreary and dream-like, all at once. If you missed the free download, another interesting taster can be found on YouTube – a radio recording of Love Is The End, recorded from Portuguese radio when it was accidentally played when the album was still under wraps!

keanemusic.com

Kina Grannis – The Goldfish Song

2008-11-05T18:41:00.000Z

Kina is an emerging singer songwriter of – to quote Wikipedia – “half-Japanese, English, French, Welsh, and Irish descent.” Her home-made, hand-crafted songs and videos on YouTube are a delight and all we can hope is that she retains this humour and delicacy in the face of recently signing to a the major coproate empire that is Interscope Records. Time will tell. In the meantime, savour this and other live acustic numbers on her YouTube page.

youtube.com/kinagrannis

Goldfrapp – Clowns, Live from Union Chapel (guardian.co.uk)

2008-11-05T18:40:00.000Z

Late in October The Guardian website gave away four completely free Goldfrapp MP3s. Three were album tracks but the first was this exclusive live rendition of Clowns from the band’s latest album, Seventh Tree. It’s stripped down, very acoustic and an essential addition to any Goldfrapp collection, digital or otherwise.

Andrew Poppy- …And The Shuffle Of Things (Field Radio)

2008-11-04T18:18:00.000Z

The very first time I listened to this album it felt like a Best Of Andrew Poppy. This is not a compilation, though – it’s 10 brand new recordings – but it does draw many of the diverse threads of the electronica/classical composer’s work from the past 20 years together into one complete whole.

My Stress Mistress and Wave Machine Parts II and III will be the entry point for those who discovered Andrew Poppy via his early 90s album Recordings. What Else: What Then Now, on the other hand, links bank to the minimalism of his highly collectable early 00s CDRs and private pressings like Why Blink.

Text has always played a part in Poppy’s work, although this abstract poetry has hitherto been confined to record sleeves and CD booklets. But Shuffle has incorporated it into the music, with Andrew himself reading a mixture of memoirs, memories and ideas (which sometimes overlap with Yoko Ono’s instruction pieces) across the music.

Tracks like the rattling, dream-like My Father’s Submarine’s wouldn’t sound out of place on a Mute or 4AD sampler, but only Andrew Poppy can drop in an entire male voice choir (an original recording, not a sample) to make a finished piece that lifts this track – and the style of the whole album – right up into another world entirely.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Messages: Greatest Hits (Virgin)

2008-10-16T12:01:00.002Z

Between them Andy McClusky and Paul Humphries have been responsible for creating two brilliant, but very different, bands. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, the early 80s Factory descendents who sampled blast furnaces and the Stanlow oil refinery. And OMD, the late 80s stadium pop act who defied all expectation by updating their sound and becoming – if only briefly – a relevant force in the 90s. It’s sometimes difficult to reconcile the fact that the two came from the same people, and consequently difficult to package the two together in one Best Of. Which is possibly why Virgin keeps trying over and over again.

This is their third major compilation release, with only minor tweaks in track listing from 1998’s The OMD Singles. But in the ten years since then the band have taken hold of their heritage and begun to repackage it and reperform it to renewed critical acclaim. And the main reason to buy this one is the bonus DVD, which contains 30 promo videos (11 of which are available for the first time) and one Top Of The Pops performance (for Joan of Arc).

The early and later videos remain stylish and, while OMD’s videos from the mid-80s (cod love stories that make Brookside look glamorous) have been derided for a long time, here in context they’re like classic retro museum pieces, the colour, comedy part of a fascinating, diverse legacy.

Various Asrtists – Just Stand Up! (iTunes)

2008-10-16T11:56:00.001Z

Following the hour-long US TV show Stand Up to Cancer, comes this download-only single in support of the new charity. Featuring a veritable roll-call of divadom, it’s produced by a reunited LA and Babyface and comes with a digital booklet. Well worth the download, if only to hear Beyonce facing off against Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Ashanti, LeAnn Rimes and Natasha Bedingfield.

Little Boots – Magical Tropical Mixtape (MySpace)

2008-10-16T11:55:00.005Z

Little Boots is a big anomaly. A Blackpool based kid of 90s, one minute she’s at the piano sounding like Kate Bush’s celestial daughter, the next she’s banging on a Tenori-on (techno keyboard/drum machine hybrid) and rattling off covers of Haddaway and Wiley, making them sound like genre classics, which – perhaps – they always were. Her new single Meddle is out on coloured 7” vinyl and, if you’re prepared to part with just your email address to join her mailing list, she’s put together this free 43-minute mixtape which will give you a pretty accurate feel for where she’s coming from. Or, for instant intrigue, check the videos and weekly cooky cover versions at youtube.com/user/littlebootsvideos.

Mercury Rev – Snowflake in a Hot World (Spin.com)

2008-10-16T11:55:00.004Z

This thick, electro-tinged spaced out song is a taster for a fresher, more techno album from Mercury Rev (September 30’s Snowflake Midnight). It’s available for free full-length download from US magazine SPIN’s website (at www.spin.com/articles/exclusive-mp3-mercury-rev-snowflake-hot-world) which also recently played host to an exclusive stream of Noise Epic by The Verve.

Feeder – NapsterLive Session (Napster)

2008-10-06T18:37:00.001Z

Feeder are the latest band to record an exclusive live acoustic session for iTunes rival Napster. There are four tracks in total and – one great scoop Napster has over iTunes – you can preview each and every one in full (as opposed to iTunes’ short preview) before you buy. Here they run through three tracks from new album Silent Cry before cutting loose on the essential download – a cover of the Johnny Cash favourite, Hurt.

Andrew Poppy - live at the Chelsea Theatre

2008-08-25T16:21:00.004Z

I went to see Andrew Poppy live for the first time last night. A gig I've been waiting 20 years to see! Having followed his work since the ZTT era - the now 20-odd year old Beating of Wings - across work with choirs, orchestras, electronics and small ensembles, I really wasn't sure what to expect.

Actually this wasn't quite the first time I'd seen Mr Poppy live. I attended an unexpectedly moving concert by the BBC Concert Orchestra in 2006. Maximinimalists II, where they played 32 Frames for Orchestra alongside Gavin Bryars Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet and Howard Skempton's Lento. Poppy took a bow at the end. It was high-impact minimalism and quite an unforgettable night.

But back to last night. I'd previously reviewed his new album - ...and the Shuffle of Things - as like a 'Best Of', because it pulls together all those areas - the electronics, the ambience, the minimalism, the orchestricks - with such ease. And the concert version, as it turned out, added a coherence as he played through the album in its entirety, narrating, improvising and plugging things in, while all the while obscured behind a cinema-size opaque screen onto which extracts, lyrics, texts and images where projected.

I once wrote that Andrew Poppy's music was like film soundtrack that didn't need films, such is the imagination, and at times graphic intensity. Played out live, this kept the entire (sold out) audience on their toes, enthralled and - between tracks - in hushed anticipation. I can't wait until next time... which will hopefully come quicker than 20 years...

Ultravox – Vienna (EMI) and Rage in Eden (EMI)

2008-08-12T12:05:00.001Z

Ultravox enjoyed what’s since become known as the ‘Beautiful South effect’ in the latter stages of the eighties. In other words, some major singles, some far less major singles, and some patchy album sales all given a massive boost at both the cash till and the credibility stakes by a well put together Best Of. It’s Ultravox’s Best Of, The Collection, that’s always been the cornerstone of their back catalogue but hopefully that will change with the start of a major reissue campaign in which EMI is taking their original Chrysalis albums and adding very impressive bonus discs.

Yes, Vienna has that song but it also has the great single All Stood Still and, on Disc Two, all of the B-sides and vinyl-only bonus tracks from the era and two tracks being heard for the first time: All Stood Still and Sleepwalk both recorded at concert rehearsals.

With no Vienna, Rage in Eden was always destined to be the overlooked classic. And behind the powerful, original sleeve (reinstated after a lengthy legal dispute) is an album ripe for reconsideration. And its bonus disc has a whole stack of treats including six tracks recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon on 17 October 1981 and two previously unreleased “Work In Progress” mixes of Thin Wall and Stranger Within.

David Guetta – Jack Is Back (Beatport.net)

2008-08-10T11:59:00.000Z

According to the man himself, this track has a “real old school, acid house feeling… totally different from my usual stuff, but as much a reflection of my taste as my crossover productions.” It’s available for free download from the deep-end dance MP3 store, Beatport. “Beatport is my favourite record store,” Guetta explains, “because it speaks to the scene where I’m coming from. Some of my records have crossed over, but this is still the scene that matters most for me. After all these fantastic years I’ve had, I thought it would be cool to make some underground tracks again – and I had the idea to give this one away to thank the clubbers for their support.”

Moon High – We Believe (rcrdlbl.com)

2008-08-10T11:58:00.001Z

There’s a very strange video on YouTube of this track being performed live at The Oregon Express in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Strange, but suitably so, given the breezy 60s psyche vibe of this new, upcoming band. Check the rough and ready YouTube video or - better still - download two of their new songs for free from the superb and technically very innovative RCRD LBL website at rcrdlbl.com/2008/07/08/exclusive_download_moon_high_we_believe_where_you_go.

Amie Miriello – Coldfront (arjanwrites.com)

2008-08-10T11:58:00.000Z

Amie Miriello was discovered by the same A&R team that brought the world Beyonce Knowles and Destiny's Child. She releases her debut single this month and, rather than the supersonic mainstream pop you might expect, it's something far more delicate and pleasing - a little Tori Amos here, a little alt.country there. Coldfront is a taster for her debut album, a legit MP3 downlaod (as are all releases reviewed in Download Collector) courtesy of legendary pop blog Arjan Writes, at www.arjanwrites.com/arjanwrites/2008/07/free-download-a.html.

Estelle – Magnificent (timesonline.co.uk)

2008-08-04T11:57:00.001Z

American Boy – Estelle’s brilliant March number one – is certainly one of the juiciest, most addictive R&B hits of the year. For a free, additional track all you have to do is hand over your email address to The Times and you can download the more reggae-centric Magnificent, featuring Kardinal Offishall, which is available at myfreedownload.co.uk/estelletimesonline.

Dirty Pretty Things – Hippy’s Son (dirtyprettythings.trinitystreetdirect.com)

2008-08-04T11:57:00.000Z

Sounding like a hardcore mash-up of The Beatles and The Jam, Hippy’s Son is a new, exclusive track from Dirty Pretty Things available only on their website. It’s free of charge too – all you have to do is sign up to their mailing list. Bargain!

Ten Kens - Your Kids Will Know (spin.com)

2008-07-14T11:11:00.000Z

Leftfield Toronto quartet Ten Kens release their eponymous debut album this month on FatCat Records. Their sound schizophrenically jumps between progginess, near-metal rock and droning repetition, almost like a jumpy, Canadian Mogwai. The US' Spin magazine likens them to No Age and Liars, and you can download this track exclusively from their site at www.spin.com/articles/exclusive-new-ten-kens-mp3.

Plump DJs - Torque Of The Devil (Subs Remix) (inthemix.com.au)

2008-07-14T11:10:00.001Z

Awesome, throbbing return-to-form for the sometimes loved, sometimes completely overlooked DJ duo. In the run up to their fourth album - and fifteen singles into their career - maybe it's time the Plump DJs were afforded a little of the heritage and credence that's heaped on lesser imitators. This free track is available only from the Aussie dance site In The Mix at www.inthemix.com.au/news/aust/38632/Exclusive_Plump_DJs_free_mp3_on_inthemix.

Dresden Dolls - War Pigs! (wippet.com)

2008-07-14T11:10:00.000Z

When the Dresden Dolls recently toured Europe and the US they hit out against the Bush administration with a cover of Black Sabbath's War Pigs. "We figured nobody could say ‘f*** this war s***’ like Ozzy could!" says Amanda Doll. Their performance at their homecoming Boston gig was taped and is only available as a 79p download. “We’re proud to offer this download exclusively,” say wippet.com. “You can’t get this anywhere else - no high priced PC maker or soft drink company posing as music lovers has the cajones to carry this one!"

Black Lips - Moma (blogs.guardian.co.uk)

2008-07-14T10:57:00.001Z

We highly recommend The Guardian's ever-expanding and constantly updated Music blog, not just for news and gossip but for the exclusive MP3s that crop up from time to time. A recent favourite was this Bo Diddly cover/tribute that the Black Lips performed at Hoboken, New Jersey, recorded straight off the soundboard and posted to the Guardian blog for all and sundry to download at will. Grab it for yourself from blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/06/black_lips_tribute_to_bo_diddl.html.

Thompson Twins - Quick Step & Sidekick and Into The Gap (Edsel)

2008-03-14T10:59:00.002Z

It’s nothing short of a travesty that the past couple of decades have seen the Thompson Twins back catalogue - eight albums across three distinct eras - completely overlooked by the record industry and media alike. They’ve been relegated to endless budget singles compilations while many bands who reached no greater heights than supporting them on tour have had the deluxe box set reissue treatment.
Sure, big hair went to the Twins’ heads for a while, but they did go from seven-piece squat-based indie band to US stadium tours in less than five years. And along the way they never spotted making pop music that was as experimental as it was commercial. Doctor! Doctor! was nothing more than an OK single, but they day I played the B-side, Nurse Shark, and heard a half-speed instrumental dub version of the A, I knew there was more to this band I had first thought.
Edsel have tackled the Twins’ two biggest selling albums with aplomb, adding scores of rare 12” and cassette remixes to build both into double CDs. The former, 1983’s Quick Step & Sidekick features Grace Jones and is the best synth-dance album to come out of Nassau, if only the world-at-large hadn’t been thrown off course by the inclusion of novelty hit We Are Detective. The latter is 1984’s Into The Gap where the highlights are the remixes, pointing the way to Tom Bailey, the musical Twin’s, highly accomplished future work in downtempo, dub and ambient house.

Various Artists – Stax 50th Anniversary (iTunes UK)

2008-01-29T11:17:00.000Z

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)

2008-01-29T11:16:00.000Z

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)

2008-01-29T11:14:00.000Z

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)

2008-01-29T11:13:00.000Z

“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)

2008-01-01T11:12:00.000Z

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)

2008-01-01T11:11:00.000Z

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)

2008-01-01T11:09:00.000Z

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)

2008-01-01T11:07:00.000Z

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.

George Harrison – Download Special (iTunes)

2007-12-14T11:03:00.000Z

Back in November’s issue we assessed the arrival of John Lennon’s solo catalogue on iTunes, and now it’s the turn of George Harrison’s post-Beatles output. Although not his complete solo output by any means, Harrison’s is the last of the four solo Beatles to arrive online, not only on iTunes but all the major digital download platforms. As Olivia Harrison said of the releases, “George had begun the digital remastering of his albums, but had no idea how the digital world would change the way we access and listen to music…”

All Things Must Pass
The top selling Harrison song on iTunes is – unsurprisingly - My Sweet Lord, so and the album it comes from, All Things Must Pass is a great place to start exploring his catalogue. All the bonus tracks from the 30th Anniversary Remaster are available, including Beware of Darkness and the backing track to What Is Life. But you’ll find that the three songs that clock in at over five minutes (Isn’t It A Pity, I Remember Jeep and Out of the Blue) are available only when you download the full album. One thing you can download by itself though is the EPK for the album’s 2001 reissue which costs £1.89 for just over seven minutes of video.

Cloud Nine, Brainwashed
While middle-period Harrison catalogue might be an acquired taste, his later work – 1987’s Cloud Nine and his final, 2002 outing Brainwashed are both vital listening. The former houses his second-most downloaded song, Got My Mind Set On You and is bolstered by the addition of a little-heard title tune for the Madonna/Handmade Films clanger Shanghai Surprise. Stuck Inside A Cloud is a highlight of Brainwashed, as is the Grammy award-winning Marwa Blues.

George Harrison, Somewhere In England, Gone Troppo
These three albums from Harrison’s ‘middle’ period work well in the era of single track downloads. Because where they might not have hung together – or sold – particularly well as full albums, they contain scores of interesting songs and tracks which are well worth 79p as individual buys. Like the single Blow Away from George Harrison, which also contains Not Guilty (written for the White Album sessions) and a demo version of Here Comes The Moon. And if you only download one track from Somewhere In England, make it All Those Years Ago, his tribute to John Lennon. Coming fresh to 1982’s brilliantly-titled Gone Troppo, I found a whole set of songs that had a lovely Clapton, solo-Lennon feel to them, and am downloading several as I type.

Live In Japan
iTunes own write-up states this early 90s, 19-track live set “easily surpasses McCartney’s Tripping The Live Fantastic or Paul Is Live.” Highly contentious, but this is a must listen set if only to browse through the preview snippets of solo renditions of Taxman, Something and While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Living In The Material World
This 1973 album is well worth downloading for anyone that either doesn’t already own it or hasn’t got round to buying the 2006 expanded reissue. A full-album download includes the US number one single Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) and the two bonus tracks, Miss O’Dell and Deep Blue, previously issued as B-sides.

Thirty Three & 1/3
One of Harrison’s lost classic albums, this one includes two instantly catchy, long-forgotten singles, This Song and Crackerbox Palace, and first appeared on his own Dark Horse label in 1976. It makes a confusing appearance on iTunes as two versions of the album are listed, one as the original release and the other as a 2001 remaster. But neither version includes the hilarious videos for the singles, so you’ll have to go to RC’s official YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/group/recordcollector) to watch those. Also missing in action: three of Harrison’s biggest solo creative statements: the Wonderwall, Electronic Music and Concert for Bangladesh albums. Let’s hope these ones appear sooner rather than later.

Britney Spears – Gimme More (Junkie XL Dub) (iTunes)

2007-12-02T11:06:00.002Z

Against all the odds, Blackout has been described as Britney’s best album to date. And it’s certainly the first to offer fans of bona fide mashed-up electro breaks something to get their teeth into. This remix by JXL is the best of three bonus tracks available exclusively on the iTunes version of the album.

Radiohead - In Rainbows (radiohead.com)

2007-12-02T11:05:00.001Z

The most talked-about digital release of the year arrives just in time for our Christmas issue. As Time magazine said when the album was announced, “What makes In Rainbows important - easily the most important release in the recent history of the music business - are its record label and its retail price: there is none, and there is none.” So if you haven’t heard already, you can go to Radiohead’s website and pay what you want for the album, which comes as a 160kbps .ZIP file of MP3s. If you love physical product, there’s a very collector-friendly £40 box set version - or Discbox – available too. So, yes, you can download the new Radiohead album and pay nothing at all for it if you want to.

But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. They wont let you take it without handing over your name, email address, postal address and mobile phone number. And is the album actually worth download, even if you don’t pay anything for it? Tracks like Bodysnatchers, which has been in the works for several years, are interesting, possible classic Radiohead songs, but not quite. And while thumping pieces like Reckoner are surely going to go down well in the US, it’s climbing back into the fragile world of Radiohead in Nude, a ballad first heard on the OK Computer tour, that means that, yes, you should have a good listen to this album, regardless of what you want to pay for it.

Motorhead – Overkill (Exclusive Version) (iTunes)

2007-12-02T11:04:00.000Z

This has been available on iTunes for much of the year so is well overdue a mention. It’s a three-minute update by Lemmy, Mickey Dee and - most notably - drummer Phil Campbell of a ‘head classic. As one iTunes user noted, “this is worth the 79p, after all that aint even half a pint these days is it!”.

Laguna Meth - Laguna The Puma (Island)

2007-12-02T11:02:00.000Z

This is a digital-only release on Island records for an album recorded ten years ago by LA’s Michael Laguna. It was originally planned for release on Go! Discs but fell into No Mans Land when the much-missed label went into liquidation. Now the music of the man who, as a teenager, tripped on LSD while perusing Jim Morrison’s and poetry (his childhood friend was the son of Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek) can finally be heard and – as you might expect – it’s a suitably modern, Flaming Lips-style take on quality psychedelia.

John Lennon - Imagine (iTunes)

2007-09-11T10:57:00.000Z

“John Lennon is one of the greatest artists of our time,” says Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re thrilled to have his solo catalogue available on the iTunes Store for the first time.” And Yoko Ono is equally enthusiastic. “John would have loved the fact that his music will now be available in a format suited to a new generation of listeners,” she said of the launch. (Although someone should let her know that her credit has gone missing from Double Fantasy.) What constitutes a Lennon solo masterpiece is a matter of opinion and debate, but what has happened in the transfer to MP3 for the LP most regard as ‘definitive’, Imagine? In short, not a lot. There are no bonus tracks available and only one video to download (you can guess which), despite the fact that John and Yoko made an accompanying film for every single song on the set, back in the 70s... There is now some tremendous Lennon material on iTunes but you certainly have to be choosy. There are some treats in the packages they’ve put together, but there are some disappoints – and a surprising amount of sloppiness – too.

John Lennon - Lennon Legend / Working Class Hero (iTunes)

2007-09-11T10:56:00.000Z

If you’re a collector, the Lennon compilations that have appeared in recent years have been pretty disappointing. The 90s’ Lennon Legend rode on the back of Oasis’ success and the 00s Working Class Hero claimed to be “definitive.” They added nothing to the early 80s John Lennon Collection or even the original and best compilation – the only one the man himself had a hand in – Shaved Fish. What’s surprising is that Lennon Legend and Working Class Hero are both available for doewnload when all they do is repeat tracks available elsewhere. Sure, they make good intros to new fans, but that’s what iTunes playlists are for!

John Lennon - Mind Games (iTunes)

2007-09-11T10:54:00.000Z

It will be interesting to see how many people bother to download some of Anthology’s 20-second spoken work tracks as single downloads, but it will be even more interesting to see if anyone decides to pay 79p for a single-track download of Nutopian National Anthem from Mind Games… For those that don’t know, this was a lovely moment of Yoko-inspired performance art, consisting of six seconds of complete silence. While songs like Imagine and Give Peace A Chance have become completely overplayed, Mind Games is full of fantastic, lesser-heard gems like Bring on the Lucie and Meat City (both of which also feature here in home demo form).

John Lennon - Anthology (iTunes)

2007-09-11T10:53:00.000Z

Most of the solo Lennon albums are £9.99 to download with some obvious cut-price tactics for ‘tier two’ LPs like Live in New York City, Live in Toronto and Acoustic (all of which come in at £7.99). But making the entire 1998 Anthology box set available to download for just £9.99 has to be the bargain of the century. It has 94 tracks in total, although admittedly many of them are short spoken word extracts, either from interviews or the studio. Either way, you’d be mad to spend £7.99 to download the 21-track Wonsuponatime sampler when you could get another sixty tracks from the Lennon archives for just two pounds more. One again the iTunes marketing team have let themselves down though – look carefully at the Anthology sleeve shot and what do you see? A sticker proclaiming “Property of EMI Music A&R Department”!

John Lennon - Milk and Honey (iTunes)

2007-09-11T10:52:00.000Z

Two posthumous albums that have been preserved well - that might easily have fallen by the wayside (as Heart Play has) - are Milk and Honey and Menlove Avenue, Yoko’s attempts to make ‘new’ Lennon albums in the early and mid-eighties based on reels of outtakes and works-in-progress. The former still makes a nice companion piece to Double Fantasy (and includes an exclusive video download of Nobody Told Me) but the latter is more of a worry: no extra tracks and surprisingly low-volume previews which doesn’t bode well for the quality of the full-length downloads.

John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with Elephant's Memory - Sometime in New York City (iTunes)

2007-09-11T10:49:00.000Z

One of Lennon’s most derided albums, its arrival on iTunes gives you the chance to sample for yourself and try before you buy. It’s a long haul, a compendium of Lennon’s protest songs like Attica State and Luck Of The Irish. It was also his first solo outing to feature major vocal input from Yoko, like track two in this set: the boogie version of Sisters, O Sisters. Happy Christmas (War Is Over) is the video that comes with this set and it’s the version from the Lennon Legend DVD.

John Lennon - Walls and Bridges (iTunes)

2007-09-11T10:48:00.000Z

One of the things solo Lennon fans have all spent a lot of time thinking about, at one time or another, is what type of music he would have made throughout the 80s, 90s and today, had it all not been so brutally cut short. Perhaps the two most overlooked pointers to the answer are Walls and Bridges and Mind Games, two classic albums recorded as he surfed the wave of New York life and – briefly – that of a single man in the mid-70s. But what’s been done to Walls and Bridges on iTunes is an abomination: for starters the original sleeve has been replaced by the photo used for the 2005 remaster. But that seems like nothing when you read the official write up Apple has given the album. You wonder if they really are trying to preserve and promote Lennon’s legacy when they describe Walls and Bridges as “decidedly uneven… containing too much mediocre material… weighed down by weak melodies… heavy over production…” Incredible!

Plastic Ono Band - Plastic Ono Band (iTunes)

2007-09-11T10:41:00.000Z

This is where it all started – the companion piece to Yoko Ono’s album of the same name and John’s first solo outing. Sixteen Lennon albums arrive on iTunes this month and Plastic Ono Band is one of six that comes with an exclusive video, in this case it’s Mother. This is the recently remastered version of the album of course - not the version that languished on CD throughout the 90s - and as such comes as a 13-tracker with additional remixes of Do The Oz and Power To The People.

Coming Soon?

2007-08-12T14:41:00.000Z

According to her MySpace blog, Lily Allen says her next album will be called "Three Singles and Other Songs, Plus iTunes Exclusive"!

The Wolfmen – Cecilie (indiestore.com)

2007-08-12T14:40:00.000Z

This is the latest from Marco Pirroni and Chris Constantinou – both of which took our iPod Challenge on these pages last year. This is their third single and is a low-down and dirty Velvet Underground-style chunk of confusion and flutes. Available on all platforms, but best downloaded from 7 Digital’s IndieStore which has two exclusive remixes.

Manic Street Preachers – Autumnsong (tunetribe.com)

2007-08-12T14:38:00.000Z

It comes as somewhat of a relief to see the Manic Street Preachers back on form, and enjoying commercial and critical success. I’ve never really heard their sound waver, but seeing them fizzle, when they’d been so massive, would have been like watching some giant dinosaur collapse and die right in front of you. Their July single, Autumnsong, has a B-side only available from TuneTribe. From Despair To Where was recorded live at The Point in Cardiff in June. 95p well spent.

Dr Calculus MDMA – Designer Beatnik (Virgin)

2007-08-12T14:37:00.000Z

With five rare bonus tracks and an album that was never released on CD, it’s bizarre that Virgin didn’t make any fanfare around the digital re-release of this lost classic. Not long after Kiss Me went global, Stephen Duffy got off his face on ecstasy and studio gimmickry and came up with the appropriate moniker of Dr Calculus MDMA to record this psychedelic early blast of trip-hop. It sank without trace, of course, and became the stuff of legend. Across the next twenty years you could pay a high price for it on the collectors market, or just as easily find it in a bargain bin in the High Street. But Virgin has reassembled the album along with all of the 7” and 12” remixes and B-sides, to make a great 16-track set, the only omission remaining the brilliant artwork that was as much a part of the original prank as the music. Annoyingly, Straight To Stereo (12” Mix) is the only piece of the set not available as a single-track download on iTunes, so your best buy is from TuneTribe. But at £7.99 for the full thing from all online platforms, it’s a bargain.

Natasha Bedingfield – Live from London (itunes.com)

2007-08-12T14:34:00.000Z

The latest in iTunes’ exclusive monthly sessions, recorded live at the Apple store in Regent Street comes from Natasha Bedingfield. At eight tracks, it’s longer than other releases in the series, which this summer have also included Kate Walsh and Lemar. The highlights are the singles of course, like Unwriten and the two closing songs from the session: These Words and Single. Natasha’s gushing, gusty vocal style and lyrics are like Marmite and this set screams For Fans Only. But the fans certainly seem happy – according to Blue-Rose, an iTunes user who was in the audience for this very session, “the crowd and the atmosphere was electric.”

Ashford & Simpson – Best Of (itunes.com)

2007-07-16T14:21:00.000Z

With a new Best Of just out, five of Ashford & Simpson’s back catalogue albums have also been given the digital-only reissue treatment. Take your pick from Street Opera, High-Rise, Solid, Real Love and Love or Physical. 1984’s Solid is probably the one that most people will go for, but the best, funkiest Ashford records (before he got with Simpson) have to be his contributions to Quincy Jones’ early 70s solo albums Gula Matari and Smackwater Jack.

The Moscow Coup Attempt – Recidivism

2007-06-19T20:33:00.000Z

Top marks for best band name in this entire issue of RC! But what about the music? The pseudonym of LA composer David Whitacre, TMCA deliver über-chilled gothic-tinged ambience. Dark and eerie and very intriguing. If you want to try before you buy you’ll find a free MP3 download of a track called Sprout and the Bean on the official website. The album, meanwhile, collects B-sides and remixes and is the follow-up to 2005’s The Failure of Shortwave Radio. It’s download-only and is available at iTunes and most other online stores.

Loose Ends - A Little Spice (EMI)

2007-06-19T20:30:00.000Z

Another digital download reissue from EMI’s vaults, this one fits exactly in the 80s-shaped gap between US funk and UK house. It’s the home to the band’s classic Hangin’ On A String (Contemplating) which – despite the albums that followed – they never really managed to better. While the entire album is now available for download, the 1991 CD edition is also now available as part of Amazon.co.uk’s four-for-three sale, making the choice between downloads and physical product even harder…

Various - UK:One-The New Music Collection (iTunes)

2007-06-19T20:29:00.000Z

Mark Vidler – a/k/a Go Home Productions – is one of the UK geniuses behind the recent DJ mash-up craze. Along with Osymyso, he’s still leading that field, even though it has now been commercialised out of the underground and into the mainstream, as a recent comedy-tinged mash for Comic Relief proved. While he’s built his name remixing other people, Vidler’s first original release turned up recently on iTunes. It’s part of this download-only album sponsored by Coca Cola. His 20 Days Till The Roof Falls Down sits alongside Bo Popper and The Happiness but is undoubtedly the highlight of the whole set.

Dreadzone - The Remixes (tunetribe.com)

2007-06-19T20:21:00.000Z

This one’s available to buy at all the usual download stores but TuneTribe is a great source of other Dreadzone-like bands. With 22 tracks for just £8.99, this is a great introduction to a much-overlooked bunch of UK talent. The most collectable track by far is William Orbit’s remix of Earth Angel. But splash an extra £0.89 while you’re there and get Asian Dub Foundation’s brilliant rework of Moving On too.

Kate Walsh – Tim’s House (Blueberry Pie)

2007-06-17T14:31:00.000Z

This singer/songwriter is new to the pages of RC but has every right to be in our round-up this month. She recorded her album at a friend’s house for just a few quid, distributed it on iTunes and – after just a few weeks – managed to sell almost 10,000 copies, hitting number one on iTunes’ download chart. People first heard about her when the site gave one of her tracks Single Of The Week status. As Oliver Schusser, director of iTunes Europe says of her resulting sales “This is an incredible achievement when you consider Kate Walsh is unsigned and still outsold several major international artists.”

Dubstar - Disgraceful and Disgraceful Remixed (tunetribe.com)

2007-06-17T14:28:00.000Z

Listening back to Dubstar’s finest moment – Stars – with modern, post-90s ears is a bit of a revelation. When it was originally released, the airwaves were swamped with dance and big beat and they never really had a chance to properly shine. But listened to in the context of 2007, and airwaves packed with pop and pap, it sounds like a wonderful breath of fresh air. Back in April, Star’s album – Disgraceful – received a digital –only reissue, as did it’s accompanying remix album. Disgraceful Remixed is well worth at least four downloads with Mother and Way Out West remixes of both Stars and Not So Manic Now.

The The - Mrs Mac (thethe.com)

2007-05-21T20:49:00.000Z

The first new music from Matt Johnson for, well, too long is an instant classic. Abrasive and melodic at the same time, it’s a memoir from his school days and, hopefully, the shape of things to come. A 90p download from the official website, pick up the rare Gun Sluts track for the same price while you’re there.

The Alan Parsons Project - Studio Pass (the-alan-parsons-project.co.uk)

2007-05-21T20:48:00.000Z

There are a wealth of free downloads at the new Parsons website, set up to promote this year’s reissues. In ‘Studio 1’ you’ll find four MP3 clips including the recently unearthed Vulture Culture off-cut, No Answers Only Questions. In ‘Studio 2’ there are three very rare WMV videos: Don't Answer Me, Games People Play and I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You and also the TV ad for the recent Dutch Collection. And in ‘Studio 3’ you’ll find various MP3 interviews from Alan, Eric Wolfson and contributor Ian Bairnson. A must-have set of downloads for Projectologists, who are already having a bumper year.

Thomas Leer - H is for Home (thomasleer.co.uk)

2007-05-21T20:47:00.000Z

A free MP3 download from Leer’s new website allows you to get a feel for the fascinating twists and turns his sound and style are taking these days. Check it out then dive into his excellent new album, From Sci Fi To Barfly, which is also available on the site.

Jesus Jones - Doubt (iTunes)

2007-05-21T20:45:00.000Z

A digital-only re-release from one of 1990s brightest stars of the dance/rock crossover. But not one that proves their music could stand the test of time. While Utah Saints, possibly Carter USM and certainly the KLF can be listened to with just as much awe and fun in 2007, listening back to likes of Jesus Jones and EMF has just too much of a transient feel. Preview the hits from this set on iTunes - Right Here Right Now and International Bright Young Thing – and you’ll see what I mean. The exceptions that prove the rule are Real Real Real and the industrial workout Stripped – both well worth a single-track download.

Make – Sans Toi Mami (MySpace)

2007-04-23T22:00:00.000Z

Think Stereolab meets Pizzicato 5, with Americana underworld always simmering beneath the surface. This is our hot tip from the world of MySpace, where you’ll currently find five tracks and an album on the way. Make is a duo of instrumentalist Ken Rangkuty and singer Mayumi Kaneyuki from LA who have previously recorded for labels including UpFront Works and Cotton Club. This standout track from their MySpace set, Sans Toi Mami, will give you a one-track intro to their addictive sound. *****

Muse – Invincible EP (A&E Records)

2007-04-23T21:58:00.000Z

This EP is exclusive to the iTunes music store, and contains two versions of the track Invincible. One from the studio and one recorded live in Milan. Musically it’s sound but as a download package it’s a triumph of iTunes hype. How can something be an EP with just two tracks, both of which are the same song?! And the special deal you get for downloading both tracks, sorry, the ‘full EP’ is poor too. They’re 79p each, or £1.49 for both – a total saving of nine pence! *

Adeva - The 12" Mixes (Cooltempo)

2007-04-23T21:56:00.000Z

EMI is putting a lot of effort into digital re-releases of 90s dance material this year. The latest to appear is a download-only reissue of this eight-track remix compilation from Adeva, which originally appeared right at the start of that decade. 17 years later there are, unfortunately, no bonus tracks, and nothing in the way of artwork or digital booklets. So cut to the chase and take the three best tracks: Tony Humphries’ remixes of Warming! and Love is Special, and Dancin’ Danny D’s remix of Respect featuring a rap from Monie Love. ***

Various – Best of the Store 10-16 April (iTunes)

2007-04-23T21:52:00.000Z

This year iTunes has been compiling some of the more interesting and popular downloads into one handy album package. You can of course preview each track and download them individually, or you can trust the judgement of the compilers and go for the full album purchase. Based on this particular edition, which features Money Mark, Mark Ronson (his hyperjazz rendition of Coldplay’s God Put A Smile On Your Face), as well as a long-overdue return to OK Computer’s MP3 player for Jah Wobble (Desolation), we’d say the full 14-track download is well worth considering. ****

Bob Dylan - The Collection (Columbia)

2007-04-12T12:54:00.001Z

This isn’t exactly a new release – it appeared on iTunes late last summer – but it’s well wworth flagging up. It’s another of the new breed of ‘digital box sets’, gargantuan multi-track downloads for a single, fixed price. Apple launched this one to tie-in with the release of Dylan’s Modern Times (itself available as an iTunes special edition adding two videos) and it holds a staggering 800 tracks. That’s every song from each of his studio albums, The Bootleg Series releases, 42 additional rarities and a digital booklet featuring of liner notes by Tom Piazza. A snip at £169.99. ****

The Marbles - The ZTT Recordings, Volumes 1 and 2 (ZTT)

2007-04-12T12:54:00.000Z

The Marbles first appeared with a 1998 single In My Eye, released only in their native Ireland. They then released two singles on ZTT - some overseen by Pulp/Suede producer Ed Bueller - but disappeared almost as quickly as they had arrived. But now stacks of tracks from this late 90s rival to the New Radicals (as Music Week once mooted) have been made available online. Volume 1 can be found at hmvdigital.com and has 10 tracks in total. Volume 2 is on Warp Records’ bleep.com and has the previously Ireland-only material some live, in-the-studio material. ***