by Mikey (Gillingham, Kent. UK)
RECORD OF THE WEEK
The Black Eyed Peas ft. Tippa Irie - Hey Mama The Black Eyed Peas return with another slice of the action with 'Hey Mama', taken from their groundbreaking best selling album 'Elephunk', featuring added vocals by Tippa Irie. It has all the right ingredients for another Black Eyed Peas smash with its dash of Latino rhythm, a sprinkling of pop and a twist of a soul - this most definitely puts the fun into funk. 
The Black Eyed Peas can't do nothing wrong apart from making good records, with the addition of Fergie into their band, their success will give them more strength, for more years to come. And I have hot goss on their next single its Let's Get Retarded featuring The Darkness, monster of a hit, especially as the BEPs and The Darkness are on top form at the moment.
HOT SHOT RECORD
Northern Heightz - Look At Us Formerly known as PNK, Northern Heightz is set to release their debut single 'Look At Us'. Northern Heightz are a combination of DJ/Producer Pez Tellett and Producer/Remixers Ian Bland and Martin Neary who are complemented by the songwriting talents of Katie Halliday's and vocals. A very catchy dance tune, which should enter the chart high within the Top 10. This single has got a reminiscence of XTM & DJ Chucky's hit of last year 'Fly On The Wings of Love' which was one of the best dance tunes of 2003.
Graham Coxon - Freakin' Out Once with Blur, ex guitarist Graham Coxon releases his debut single 'Freakin' Out', its all cockney sneer and razor sharp guitars boiled up in a tune that will have Damon crying over spilled milk. Gone are the nostalgic ditties without a visible chorus and in come fast, furious pop classics in the style of the Buzzcocks. Welcome back Graham - now we know whom the real talent was.
Jamie Cullum - These Are The Days / Frontin' Brit Award Nominee Jamie Cullum releases his first single from his platinum selling album 'Twentysomething'. 'These Are The Days' is an original tune written by his brother Ben and is an infectious song firmly showcasing Jamie's pop credentials. Recently performed on the Brit Awards along with Katie Melua performing the Cure's 80s hit 'The Love Cats'. Jamie also covers a N*E*R*D* song, 'Frontin', it surely is the best cover I have ever heard, for a long time.
Enrique Iglesias ft. Kelis - Not In Love Enrique Iglesias releases his new single 'Not In Love', his second release from his new studio album '7', collaborating with Kelis on backing vocals. The uptempo boogie-monster of a track has been re-recorded for the single release. Enrique's star just keeps on rising and if tracks of this quality keep on coming he'll soon be eclipsing the success of his father, Julio.
Fountains Of Wayne - Stacy's Mom At last, finally this record gets a re-release 'Stacy's Mom' was originally released last year, and failed to enter the single chart, this time hoping to make a dent in the chart somewhere. Lifted from the acclaimed album, 'Welcome Interstate Managers', 'Stacy's Mom' is college rock genius that is set to bring the Fountains as much success in the UK as they've enjoyed in the US. The song is quite an infectious little ditty, and once it's in your head, you can't stop humming it. The video for this song features the model Rachel Hunter and her daughter Renee. (Phwoar!!!)
Jet - Look What You've Done The follow-up single to 'Rollover DJ' from last year, Jet release their new single 'Look What You've Done', taken from their studio album 'Born Again'. The Aussie rockers that do a fine line in mannerless pleasure seeking attitudes. But hey, what's this? Their new single 'Look What You've Done' is a mournful ballad with pianos, craving vocals and a John Lennon-esque style - a little bit prudish for my liking.
Jennifer Lopez ft. R. Kelly - Baby I Love U Jenny 'from the block' Lopez is back with another duet, this time she is collaborating with R. Kelly on her new single 'Baby I Love U'. How can you fault Jenny, she can't do nothing wrong apart from releasing bad movies with her ex-fiance Ben Afleck. Maybe she needs to retired from the movies and stick to music, it suits her, as for her single, it's a soft moving ballad with R. Kelly rapping over the song, the song would have done a lot better without R. Kelly. Come on Jenny you can do a lot better that this surely.
Jungle Boys - Jungle Rock / The Lion Sleeps Tonight The Jungle Boys are Mike Reed, Peter Andre, Neil 'Razor' Ruddock and Lord Brocket. These four reprobates have all appeared on ITV's 'I'm A Celebrity� Get Me Outta Here' as for the song; it falls in the category for the worst single of the week; it's more of a novelty song. 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' is actually a cover version originally recorded by Dave Newman & The Tokens, way back in the sixties, and again re-recorded by Tight Fit, early eighties, and took it to No.1. Personally you wouldn't catch me buying this, it's an insult to British music.
Sarah McLachlan - Fallen This is a wondrous and emotional song from the world re-known singer songwriter. Sarah has been around for years with huge success worldwide and somehow she has failed to crack Britain, she never made her name in our British chart apart from the odd song, her new single 'Fallen' is taken from her forthcoming new album 'Afterglow' she shows the maturity, which we'll hear, in future albums from Norah Jones and Dido. Let's just hope this song will finally put her in league with other great music artists around. If this is you're song make this your anthem to move forward in love.
Phixx - Love Revolution How do you classify a pop band - Phixx, but how would you categorised them as a pop band or would you call them a rock outfit, as their previous single 'Hold On Me' just missed the Top 10. Now they release their follow-up single 'Love Revolution' there is a reminiscence of Duran Duran when they first started out, adding The Human League into the mix of it. Again another rock anthem for Phixx, it seems these Popstars rejects have definitely pulled some fanbase, just like Liberty X. The big question you have to ask will they last the pace as Clea are still struggling to get of the ground.
Bubba Sparxxx - Deliverance Following the soft release of his critically acclaimed second album in 2003, the king of hip-hop is back with the Timbaland-produced single 'Deliverance'. Bubba first came on to the scene with his first hit single Ugly which was a irritating track but his first album was ugly. This time around Bubba has come back after spending time in the studio with Timbaland and Organized Noize, he has delivered a great album which should see Bubba achieve great things.
Special D - Come With Me The debut single 'Come With Me' from an German Dance Act, watch this song its gonna be huge. It's catchy, its quirky and pretty addictive, if you listen carefully to the music in the background, it sounds they have knick the music from an old Vengaboys hit 'Up and Down'. A good tune and it will certainly liven up the nightclubs, a real dance trance single to hit your decks, it depends if you like it or hate it.
Stellastarr* - My Coco Despite the inexplicably crap name - that brings to mind a band in thrall to the ubiquitous continental lager - Stellastarr* are another NYC art rock group. It's fair to say that like many of their contemporaries they wear their influences openly on their sleeves. Talking Heads meets Joy Division softened up and made radio-friendly by a healthy dose of mid 90s Britpop. Still, as jaunty angular pop songs go, this is up there with the best of them. Rasping guitar lines, marching rhythms and Shawn Christensen's yelping vocals and nonsensical lyrics make this a lot more fun than the bedtime hot drink it would surely have been were Stellastarr* not, apparently, dyslexic.
The Vines - Ride Craig Nicholls and his merry band - The Vines, of psychedelic-punks, the first, is blistering assault from sophomore album 'Winning Days'. The album is pretty average with a few excellent songs. The singles are particularly good but The Vines can't really pull off a decent slow song. It is worth your money if you are going to see them but it is the sort of album that sounds good for a short time and you get tired of it easily. Their single 'Rides' is a more than average punk rock anthem, that's if you like that sort of music.
OTHER SINGLES RELEASED THIS WEEK
Amp Fiddler - I Believe In You
Aquabox - Sweet Clarity
Armin Van Buuren ft. Justine Suissa - Burned With Desire
B2K - Badaboom
Bic Runga - Get Some Sleep
Cypress Hill - What's Your Number
Despina Vandi - Gia
Elton John - The Heart Of Every Girl
Gomez - Catch Me Up
Josh Rouse - Come Back (Light Therapy)
Laura Veirs - Cloud Room
Marques Houston ft. Joe Budden - Clubbin'
Moneybrother - Reconsider Me
My Red Cell - Knock Me Down
Nic Armstrong - Broken Mouth Blues EP
Stylus Junkies vs UB40 - Food For Thought
Three Doors Down - Here Without You
Single Release Schedule
March 15
Alistair Griffin - You And Me (Tonight)
Aloud - Bob O'Lean
Anastacia - Left Outside Alone
Aqualung - Easier To Lie
B3 - Night Fever / I.O.I.O.
Bell X1 - Alphabet Soup
Bronx - They Will Kill Us All (Without Mercy)
Chikinki - Like It Or Leave It
Counting Crows - Hanginaround
Courtney Love - Mono
Cypress Hill - What's Your Number?
Daniel Wylie - Make Love To The World
Dashboard Confessional - Rapid Hope Loss
Dead Prez - Hell Yeah
Delta Goodrem - Throw It Away
Eamon - Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)
Four Tet - My Angel Rocks Back And Forth
Frances Rufelle - Smile
Happylife - Way You Hate Me
Haven - Wouldn't Change A Thing
Janet Jackson - Just A Little While
Kanye West - Through The Wire
Katie Melua - Call Off The Search
Keisha White - Watcha Gonna Do
Kid Symphony - Meet You On The Other Side
Kraftwerk - Aerodynamik
Lauren Waterworth - Butterfly Kisses
Lionel Richie - Just For You
Mark Joseph - Bringing Back Those Memories
Moguai - U Know Y
Mum - Nightly Cares
Nelly Furtado - Try
N*E*R*D* - She Wants To Move
Nickelback - Feelin' Way Too Damn Good
Powderfinger - Love Your Way
Seraphim Suite - Heart
Skylark - That's More Like It
The Age Of Jets - Rpm
The Distillers - Hunger
The Killers - Somebody Told Me
The White Stripes - There's No Home For You Here
Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris - Yeah
Will Young - Your Game
March 22
Amen - California's Bleeding
Blue - Breathe Easy
I Am Kloot - From Your Favourite Sky
Keys - From Tense To Loose To Slack
KoRn - Y'all Want A Single
Missy Elliot - I'm Really Hot
Mountaineers - I Gotta Sing
Outkast ft. Sleepy Brown - The Way You Move
Pink Grease - Fever
Reactor - Feeling The Love
Ryan Adams - This Is It
Seal - Waiting For You / Love's Divine
So Solid Crew - So Grimey
South - Colours In Waves
Surferosa - Lucky Lipstick
Sugababes - In The Middle
The Darkness - Love Is Only A Feeling
The Delays - Nearer Than Heaven
The Divine Comedy - Come Home Billy Bird
The Generator - Where Are You Now?
Travis - Love Will Come Through
X Is Loaded - Laugh, Point & Wave / The Start Of Everything
March 29
Acoustic Love Experience - Painted Pony
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
Atomic Kitten - Someone Like Me / Right Now 2004
Basement Jaxx ft. JC Chasez - Plug It In
Beyonce ft. Lil' Kim - Naughty Girl
Boxer Rebellion - In Pursuit
Dilated Peoples ft. Kanye West - This Way
Engineers - Home
Evanescence - Everybody's Fool
Glitterati - Here Comes The Close Up EP
Hawksley Workman - We Will Still Need A Song
Hayley Westenra - Wuthering Heights
Iron Maiden - No More Lies
Martin Solveig - Rockin' Music
McFly - 5 Colours In Her Hair
Michelle - The Meaning Of Love
Neo Cortex - Elements
Ohm - Forget Who We Are
Pet Shop Boys - Flamboyant
Shania Twain - She's Not Just A Pretty Face
Simply Red - Home
Tejo, Black Alien & Speed - Follow Me, Follow Me
Twista - Slow Jamz
April 5
Agnetha Faltskog - If I Thought You'd Change Your Mind
Bellefire - Say Something Anyway
Big Brovaz - We Wanna Thank You (Things That You Do)
Blueskins - Stupid Ones
D-Side - Pushin' Me Out
Dark Globe - Break My World
Dogs Die In Hot Cars - God Hopping
Honeyriders - Colours
Jersey Street - Love Will Be Our Guide
JC Chasez - Some Girls (Dance With Women)
Kelis - Trick Me
Maroon 5 - This Love
Muse - Sing For Absolution
Narcotic Thrust - I Like It
Ordinary Boys - Week In, Week Out
Polly Paulusma - Dark Side
Snow Patrol - Chocolate
The Bandits - No Shoes On My Feet
The Rasmus - In The Shadows
Wiley - Wot Do U Call It?
April 12
Air - Surfing On A Rocket
Ashanti ft. Blackchild - Break Up 2 Make Up
Busted - Air Hostess
D12 - My Band
Dido - Don't Leave Home
Simple Kid - Staring At The Sun
April 19
Deepest Blue - Is It A Sin?
Fraud - On To You
Hal - Worry About The Wind
Jesus Jones - Culture Vulture EP
Lasgo - Surrender
Pink - Last to Know
Scooter - Jigga Jigga
April 26
Ash - Orpheus
Emma Bunton - Crickets Sing For Anamaria
Ian Van Dahl - Believe
Jaimeson ft. Xara - Common Ground
Keane - Everybody's Changing
Morrissey - Irish Blood, English Heart
Natasha Bedingfield - Single
Thalia ft. Fat Joe - I Want You
The Streets - Fit But You Know It
Twen2y4se7en - Hide
