Singles Released 30 June 2008

Riton's brand new alter ego may lay claim to all things Germanic and Krautrock, but for his first single he's plundering the distinctly Italian sound of 'La Serenissima' - a Renaissance tribute to Venice by Reverberi Gian Piero Giordano Laura...a trick tried once before by DNA who took the track to number 34 in the UK charts in 1990 albeit with considerably weaker beats.

The strength of beats cannot be questioned in this new version, however, with clear, crisp bass and claps reminiscent of, of all things, Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. The likelihood of 'La Serenissima' creating a huge dancefloor buzz is uncertain - how well would a string quartet go down in a techno club? But what it has done is made home listening to dance music an enjoyable and rich experience once again.

Richard Brown

Following on from 2007's fantastic debut 'Could They Be Jealous Of Us', Younghusband gives us a deeper glimpse into his oeuvre with this accomplished EP. From the upbeat scuzz of the lead track 'Mass Kiss' (a sunkist postcard to his Scottish roots that recalls early Teenage Fanclub and BMX Bandits) to the ethereal psychedelia of the decidedly non-Gallic 'French Grammar', these four tracks expand upon last year's debut single 'Could They Be Jealous Of Us' to give us a quartet of engaging and intelligent compositions.

R K Starstedt

With a name like 'Wild Beasts' you would expect a band with big riffs and Gillan type howls being all very metal.So it comes as a bit of a disappointment that 'The Devils Crayon' turns out to be a funky art pop tune and although a very good one at that it's no 'Back In Black' or even 'Wheels of Steel' which considering their name is a bit of a missed opportunity.C'mon guy's are you to scared to rock.

Wild Beasts, more like ....wait for it .... Mild Beasts!!

Nick Foster

'I Woke Up Today' clatters into the consciousness with a drum intro reminiscent of either Sly Stone's 'Dance To The Music' or The Stone Roses' 'I Am The Resurrection', depending on your generation. However, within thirty seconds it reveals itself to be an Arcade Fire / Clap Your Hands Say Yeah hybrid sung at the top of their collective voices. With a sound like that of a fully-grown Born Ruffians or a Pavement with a new lease of life, Port O'Brien are a band I'd very much like to hear blasting out from a festival stage this summer.

Richard Brown

It’s testament to Liam Finn’s songwriting ability that we’re not constantly reminded that his dad is that bloke in Crowded House. Except I just have, oh well… Nevertheless, the 24 year old singer-songwriter from New Zealand has more than enough talent to stand on his own two feet, and set him apart from the legions of acoustic singer-songwriters around.

Sharing more in common with Sufjan Stevens and Bright Eyes’ experimental-tinged folk than the James Morrison’s of this world, Finn’s latest single Second Chance is a lucid slice of dream-like indie pop that winds unsuspectingly towards a surprisingly raucous crescendo, before descending into what sounds like a muted homage of Battles’ Atlas. But for all the musical twists and innovation, the lyrics – although musing on the nature of growing old, are disappointingly dull in their aesthetic: ‘Remember me? / honestly I don’t / remember who with you are’, is not the most inspiring chorus of all time, and sounds vaguely like a conversation between pensioners.

That said, Liam Finn’s an interesting little talent to look out for, and one that well-suited to this summer’s sodden festivals.

Dave Allen

The first taster for San Francisco's The Dodo's debut UK album 'Visiter' suggests great things are to come and they will if the tracks contained there are anything like this tasty infusion of afrobeat with frenetic acoustic rock.

The definite McCartney lilt to singer Meric Long's voice adds a calming edge to the otherwise mania particularly in a decidedly rabid middle eight.

So, yet another act to add to an every growing list of exciting American acts about to wrest the baton back from the oily grip of tired Britpop.

Richard Brown

Unbeknown to the mainstream press, The Crimea were actually the first band to 'do a Radiohead' when they gave away their second album 'Secrets of the Witching Hour' for free months before Thom Yorke and co happened upon the idea. Now their new single follows suit and can be picked up gratis from 7digital.com. It's well worth taking the time to download too, with the band on the kind of form that made 'Tragedy Rocks' such essential listening with Davey McManus' fragile voice drenched in soothing reverb atop a modern electrro-pop sea shanty.

Richard Brown

Following up their first single 'Barcode' are one of the new hopes for a tattered and bloody EMI roster, The Corrections. 'OCD' trades very well on a chorus as big as the underlying bassline and the end result sounds like Kasabian with talent and, crucially, more than one song. With five band members each trying to outdo the others in decibels one must also tip the proverbial hat to the producer. Expect more when they release their debut album later this summer.

Richard Brown

Recent winners of that oft-poisoned chalice, the opening spot at the V festival, The Brightlights are now setting their sights higher with their new single '3'. Unfortunately, if we rated singles out of 10 on Culturedeluxe that's likely to be the number they'd be awarded as '3' is bland jangly indie-pop aimed squarely at daytime radio and vocallist Leon Blanchard has a voice so grating he makes you yearn for the nasal drawl of Luke Pritchard. It may just be my headphones too, but there seems to be an incredibly irritating 'click' percussion which should have been removed from the mix at the earliest available opportunity...along with the vocals.

Richard Brown

If you're the type of person who thinks "I'd rather like Christina Aguilera without the vocal histrionics" or "I'd rather like Kate Nash if she lost the cheesy Chas 'n' Dave cockneyisms" then

a) There's still no hope for you
b) There is at least a singer for you and her name is Eliza Doolittle. (Yes, just like in My Fair Lady...that must have been a pain in the arse growing up!)

'Piano Song' is, not to state the bleeding obvious, a piano song...but one with genuine class and a timeless mid 20th Century backing. All signs are pointing to Eliza, and not Duffy, being the dominant UK female come Christmas time. My, fame is fleeting these days.

Richard Brown

He's been at the forefront of jolly pop music for over two decades and now Paul Heaton, ex of the Housemartins and The Beautiful South, has gone solo - although you wouldn't really know it. 'Mermaids and Slaves' jangles along like somewith off 'London 0 Hull 4' and is really only a female vocal away from fitting snugly on 'Carry On Up The Charts'. Which is excellent news for fans of Mr Heaton as this is an upbeat, harmonica-led pop gem and, while the subject matter is a bit bizarre, that's never stopped him in the past, has it?

Richard Brown

'Council Estate' and the forthcoming album 'Knowle West Boy' both offer hope that Tricky is finally refinding the form which made 'Maxinquaye' and singles such as 'Black Steel' (which this is closest to) such essential listening over a decade ago.

Buzz-saw guitar, glitched-up drum production and vocals straight out of the Keith Flint school of 'angry punk' combine on a track that bleeds energy and will almost certainly sound best live and deadly.

Richard Brown

'Just a Song about Ping Pong' is fast, frantic and a lot of fun whilst 'Whip It' is a competent cover of the Devo classic. Not bad at all.

Nick Foster

After the glitz, glamour and glory of comeback single 'Century', the Blondes return to more familiar territory for follow-up single 'Guilt'. While still benefitting greatly from the added dancefloor sensibility that Erol Alkan's prodution affords it, this is more in the vein of their classic early singles like 'Giddy Stratospheres'.

Richard Brown

Phillipa Brown (Ladyhawke) lists plenty of influences on her MySpace page but strangely doesn't include 80's girl band Bananarama.

Now why is that so odd I hear you ask, well although comparisons to Stevie Nicks and even Joan Jett have been hoisted on the young New Zealender, to my ears 'Paris is Burning' sounds almost identical to 'Robert De Niro's waiting' by the aforementioned girly trio.

My problem is that I can't decide if that's a good or bad thing?

Nick Foster

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