Friday, February 29, 2008

Shuffle

Kevin Courtney's guide to singles, downloads and free audiostreams

THE TING TINGS

Great DJ *****

Hang the blessed DJ - here's a truly great single from the sexy Salford duo, a thumping ode to the power of drums that will snare you rapid. For the vinyl edition, the pair have collected old record sleeves, turned them inside-out and drawn their own artwork. You wouldn't get Razorlight doing that, now, would you?

THE CORONAS

Grace, Don't Wait! 3Ú Records ***

Think there's no place for good, old-fashioned uplifting acoustic rock anymore? These Terenure lads are out to prove you wrong, and this tune from their hit Heroes or Ghosts debut is another slice of feverish rock'n'roll salvation. They were pipped for a Meteor award by Westlife; even if this isn't your cupán tae, you'd have to concede they wuz robbed.

ONE REPUBLIC

Stop and Stare Interscope /Mosely ***

America's answer to Snow Patrol are signed to Timbaland's label. Watch this biiig ballad crash through every chart like a runaway RV.

JIMMY EAT WORLD

Always Be Interscope **

Anthropologists are still searching for that mythical creature, the Jimmy Eat World fan. They'll be loitering outside record shops hoping to spot the elusive species as they go in to buy this generic, Emo-lite tune, but they might be hard to spot among the more colourful, flamboyant Fall Out Boy fan.

LE GALAXIE

Le Galaxie www.myspace.com/lemusic galaxie ***

According to their press release/ declaration of intergalactic war, these four Irish electro-rockheads have developed a technology that could have universe-spanning implications. It seems to involve blending Mogwai with Kraftwerk to come up with a genre known as "musical maximalism".

JANET JACKSON

Feedback Mercury **

Welcome back to Planet Janet. Here, Janet tries the rock chick schtick, inviting you to strum her like a guitar and plug your extra- long lead into her amp.