Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Dress For Excess (iTunes)

Of all the Sputnik releases to deserve only a digital re-promotion, this has to be the one. This was their second album, originally released in 1989, that soundtracked their crossover from subversive hyper-merchants into Stock Aitkin Waterman wannabes. Hiring Kylie and Rick Astley’s production trio would have made for an interesting press release, but it certainly didn’t deliver an album’s worth of material that was anywhere near as relevant and fascinating as their 1986 debut Flaunt It. The sleeves and titles – for singles like Albinoni Vs. Star Wars, Success and Dancerama - were still pretty cool but you don’t get any of that visual appeal when buying MP3s only, in this case, the most mediocre sounds of art pop. *

The Wurzels - I Am A Cider Drinker 2007 (EMI Gold)

Released on April 16, here we have the classic Wurzels hit rerecorded in aid of the BUI Prostate Cancer Care Appeal. This is the band that, in the 80s, the Pope pulled over his Popemobile to watch in Canterbury. Then in the 90s they played at Buckingham Palace only for the Queen to ask for “the noise” to be turned down. And now in the 00s Robbie Williams opens his shows with Wurzels numbers, they collaborate with British Sea Power and the band’s Steve Clint Stallone is played by Steve Coogan in Thursday Night Fever. But none of this kudos outweighs the fact that guest vocals on this single come from Tony Blackburn. **

Future Sound Of London – Cascade (iTunes)

With last year’s Teachings From The Electronic Brain compilation, Virgin are really setting the history of FSOL straight. The only band reviewed this month to be the subject of a question on University Challenge, their latest reissues are four digital-only singles. These are probably the best value digital singles you’ll ever download though, as each is made up of each least six parts totalling well over 40 minutes. There are two from 1994’s ambient epic Liferorms (the title track and Cascade) and two from 1996’s Dead Cities (My Kingdom and We Have Explosive). It’s the Cities material that has dated, all big-beat hooks and little in the way of subtlety. But the Lifeforms material holds strong, especially the suite of mixes for Cascade – the must buy item of this set. ****

Lily Allen – LDN (iTunes)

She was robbed at The Brits but you can commiserate by getting this live, acoustic version which is available only on iTunes. £0.79 gets you 4:01-worth of LDN recorded last year in concert at Bush Hall. ****

Moby – Go Remixed (mute.com)

The Downloadable Deluxe Version of Go, the Best of Moby, scored just two stars in this column back in our Christmas issue because too many versions across countless download sites smacked of record company cash-in rather than the almost hand-crafted product you’d expect from Moby. Fortunately this download edition is different from its CD counterpart, but is much easier to get your head around. It drops two tracks (the CJ Bolland Mix of the James Bond Theme and Moby's own Old Skool Mix of Feeling So Real) but adds two in its place (Bob Sinclar’s Main Vocal Mix of We Are All Made Of Stars and the Slipping Away/MHC Edit of Escapar). But if you only download one track from this set, make it Rollo and Sister Bliss’ (a/k/a Faithless) take on Honey. ***

Moby – Go Remixed (mute.com)

The Downloadable Deluxe Version of Go, the Best of Moby, scored just two stars in this column back in our Christmas issue because too many versions across countless download sites smacked of record company cash-in rather than the almost hand-crafted product you’d expect from Moby. Fortunately this download edition is different from its CD counterpart, but is much easier to get your head around. It drops two tracks (the CJ Bolland Mix of the James Bond Theme and Moby's own Old Skool Mix of Feeling So Real) but adds two in its place (Bob Sinclar’s Main Vocal Mix of We Are All Made Of Stars and the Slipping Away/MHC Edit of Escapar). But if you only download one track from this set, make it Rollo and Sister Bliss’ (a/k/a Faithless) take on Honey. ***

Dinosaur Jr - Almost Ready (dinosaurjr.com)

Next month, April 30 to be precise, sees a new album called Beyond from the original Jr. line-up, their first in 18 years. “Some groups can change line-ups without anyone noticing,” their website observes, “but that was never the case with Dinosaur Jr. The pieces that fell away over the years were missed. But now they have all been collected together in one place. For how long no one can say. So just dig it while it is.” This free taster from the album is also available on their MySpace at www.myspace.com/dinosaurjr. ***

Mr Hudson – Why Must I Always Play The Clown? (iTunes)

One of the surprise highlights of Amy Winehouse’s current UK tour is the support band, Mr Hudson and The Library. An odd mix of The Police, 80s drum pads and quality pop songs, with a backing vocalist with a nice line in steel drums. They’re signed to Mercury and this is their first single, available exclusively as an iTunes download. ****

Keane - Live From London (iTunes)

One of the latest in a series of concerts recorded exclusively for iTunes, Keane’s eight-track acoustic set comes in somewhat shorter than previous releases by the likes of Coldplay but is still well worth a listen for some interesting takes on tracks from Hopes and Fears and Under The Iron Sea. They kept the between-song chatter in on the individual MP3s but, as the fans say, you really had to be there on the night as Dirrtylicious - a highlight of the show - is strangely missing from the album. ****

Depeche Mode - The Complete Depeche Mode (iTunes)

Following on from the our review of Bob Dylan’s 800-tracks-for-£169.99 The Collection digital box set in RC 332 comes this equally wallet obliterating – but incredibly tempting – iPod filler from Depeche Mode. It has 644 songs in total, and a 54-page digital booklet. That’s all of their studio albums, plus three live albums, Songs of Faith and Devotion Live, Playing The Angel Live and the classic, 101. Then there’s the singles compilations, the remix compilations, two hours-worth of “digital only remixes” (including far too many versions of John The Revelator than is healthy). For completists – and this would make completists of anyone – there’s one hours-worth of tracks snappily entitled Previously Unreleased Rehearsal Recordings and Rare Acoustic Performances, followed by two more round-ups: the 22-track Rare Early Live Performances and the 41-track line up Rare, Deleted and Promo-Only Remixes. Amazing. ***

DJ Reggie - Holla Dayz Inn (ryan-adams.com )

Ryan Adams fans will be well aware that DJ Reggie and Adams are one in the same. In fact Reggie is just one of three pseudonyms that Adams spent last year working under. He’s recorded eight off-shoot albums so far, all of which are available from his website. That’s Holla Dayz Inn, A Reginald Gangster, Hip HopBreaker and 4:20/20 as DJ Reggie, his rap and hip-hop alter-ego. Then there’s the more hardcore doppelganger, The Shit, which has released Christmas Apocalypse, This Is Shit, …Hits The Fans, Hillbilly Joel, General Ulysees S. Hospital and Self Portrait. And, for an even hardcore image of the artist, download Feel The Laser where this time he’s masquerading as WereWolph. **

Inspiral Carpets - Keep The Circle (mute.com)

Great to see the Carpets touring again this month and, if you have some gaps in your collection, they’ve just released this download-only compilation of “rare B-sides and udder stuff.” It’s got the flipsides of their 13 Top 40 singles and some rarities including a previously unreleased version of Saturn 5 (featuring Mark E Smith) and Garage Full Of Flowers, the band’s the first ever recording which was hitherto only available on a 1988 limited edition flexidisc. If you don’t download the whole thing, be sure to also check out the Satanic Wurlie mix of Cobra and the vocal and instrumental versions of St Kilda. *****

The Ordinary Boys – Last Christmas (theordinaryboys.com)

Recorded as a Christmas present for fans, Preston and co. come clean on their pop aspirations with this cover of the Wham! classic, available only from the Ordinary Boys official website. All you have to do is give them your email address in return, so they can add you to their mailing list. No chance of this one being bootlegged as it’s available only as a very low-fi- 64 kbps .WMV file. **

Brian Eno/David Byrne – My Life In The Bush of Ghosts (bushofghosts.wmg.com)

One of the most influential electronic/cut-and-paste albums of all time has been given the remastered makeover treatment for CD and, online, is one of the most detailed and interactive reissues we’ve come across in some time. Visually, David Byrne has made available Polaroids, studio shots and alternative album sleeves from the original 1981 issue. And musically the duo have made the complete master tapes available for two tracks for anyone and everyone to mix, remix, and meddle with to their hearts content. You can hear some of the results people have been coming up with on the site, and then rate them and leave your own reviews. *****

Scissor Sisters - Land of a Thousand Words (Sebastien Tellier Remix) (iTunes)

Using his own new lyrics and vocal parts, Sebastien Tellier first aired this special remix on his stint on BBC 6 Music’s 6Mix show, blending it with tracks as diverse as Queen and Herbie Hancock. It’s now available to buy online, but only via iTunes and draws heavily on US FM-style Eagles-like vocals and arrangements. ***

Thom Yorke – The Clock (Surgeon Remix) (theeraser.net)

This is the first in a series of remixes from and inspired by Thom Yorke’s The Eraser album, available as free downloads from his official website. “This was the one that made me think, we got to start getting these out,” blogged Thom on the stack of remixes he’s been sitting on since the album was releases last summer. “I was chuffed he (The Surgeon) wanted to do it as I think he is a master. He has turned it into something really hard. And disco… It made me very proud.” The remixes will only be available on the site for a limited time, so keep an eye on www.theeraser.net and Yorke-friendly blogs like Instrumental Analysis in Baltimore which reposted this and the Various Remix of Analyse at instrumentalanalysis.blogspot.com/2006/12/thom-yorke-remixes.html in case anyone had missed them first time around. ****