By Mikey (Gillingham, Kent, UK)
RECORD OF THE WEEK Pet Shop Boys - Flamboyant Pet Shop Boys return with a great follow-up single with 'Flamboyant', this track can be found on their Greatest Hits package 'Pop Art'. For a band that's been in the music business for over 20 years, they have really done well, and survived 2 decades in the music industry, I have been a loyal fan of the
Pet Shop Boys since the very beginning, when they first released their awesome best selling single 'West End Girls', which made the band where they are now. As for this single its awesome, its brilliant, and it should be an instant hit, on this side of the planet, buy it, make it a hit.
HOT SHOT RECORD
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You Another piano driven song, falls in the vein of 'Falling', but her new single 'If I Ain't Got You' is a soft sweet ballad, it's a carefully written tune and the vocals make your hair stand on air. Another great R&B song from a great singing sensation, Alicia Keys will certainly have the great hallmarks of a great songwriter and singing legend to be compared with the greatest icons of the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, name check a few. The single can be found on her best selling album 'The Diary of Alicia Keys'.
Atomic Kitten - Someone Like Me / Right Now 2004 Liz, Jenny & Tash return for one last time with a double A-sided single. This is their last single 'Someone Like Me', while they take a yearlong break, while Jenny and Liz embark on their solo careers. Liz herself wrote this single and she plays the piano, it's quite a haunting melody and it really works. And on the flip side, a re-recorded upbeat version of there first single 'Right Now'. This is a great ending for a break, never fear, they will return in a year's time; they have a huge fan base.
Basement Jaxx ft JC Chasez - Plug It In 'Plug It In' is the third killer single to be lifted from Basment Jaxx's significantly acclaimed album 'Kish Kash', featuring vocals from N-Sync member JC Chasez. It's a rapturous impact of pop punk hollering turbo rave anthem. All the hallmarks indicate yet another Jaxx assault is on the way! Not a bad track at all, for Basement Jaxx fans, a superb dance anthem all rounder.
Beyonce - Naughty Girl Following the more laid-back 'Me, Myself And I', Beyonce is back to her old booty-shaking self with 'Naughty Girl', yet another single taken from her multi-platinum selling debut album 'Dangerously In Love'. Combining Bollywood-style strings and a sample from Donna's Summer's classic, 'Love To Love You Baby', the Destiny's Child star is sure to set pulses racing with this sexy track.
Dilated Peoples ft. Kanye West - This Way Conscious rappers Dilated Peoples join forces with Kanye West on the superb single 'This Way'. The track is the first to be lifted from the Peoples third album 'Neighbourhood Watch' and is destined to become an anthem with its feel good catchy chorus and gospel backing. Just an average type of song, which you either like or you hate.
The Distillers - Hunger The Distillers, not a lot could be said about the band, they are an average punk rock band with a female lead, bringing their taste of punk rock music to the music scene with their second release 'Hunger', taken from their debut album 'Coral Fang'. This is a sort of tune that Courtney Love has neglected in favour of refined rock perfection. Raw, exhilarating ultimate chaos full of passion, pain and energetic genius; this is fem-rock at its very best.
G-Unit - Wanna Get To Know You G-Unit's new single 'Wanna Get To Know You' is based around a Marvin Gaye sample 'Come Live With Me Angel' it shines, and gets a love vibe going on with its cool RnB-tinged hip hop track with featuring Joe as a guest vocal. As for the single in its entirety, it's not my thing, its just re-treading where others left off, such as P. Diddy or Notorious B.I.G. This isn't my type of song, its just feels other rappers have touch on this, which does not make it unique at all.
Norah Jones - Sunrise 'Sunrise' is the first single from the multi-Grammy award winning singer's second album 'Feels Like Home', and is another understated, chilled-out jazz number. Her soothing voice is the perfect antidote to a stressful day - just sit back, relax and enjoy. Jazz music has really taken off this year in a big way, first Joss Stone, then Katie Melua, and now Norah Jones releases 'Sunrise' which is a kind of a summery jazz tune number, and it's a catchy one indeed, excellent stuff.
McFly - 5 Colours In Her Hair Here is Busted Part 2, but they are called McFly, their Beach Boys-esque debut single '5 Colours In Her Hair' is one of those tracks guaranteed to be lodged in your head after just one listen, with its ludicrously catchy 'do-do-do-do-do' hook. As for the song it's a cheesy number, awful single of the week. Two members of the band were in the original line-up of Busted, but they left the band before Busted got off the ground. Most radio stations have shied away from playing pop driven songs, and this song will be a casualty, but it probably do well, if loyal Busted fan base will switch over and buy their music, this type of music is garnered for the younger teenage generation.
Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama Out 'Take Your Mama Out" sounds uncannily like Elton John in his early seventies pomp, its beautiful melody and palpable sincerity makes you feel churlish for even noticing. As is typical with Jake Shears' song writing, here he takes a traditional love song and gives it a gentle twist. It's difficult to imagine any artist short of Morrissey who might suggest mending a broken heart by turning to your mother, and he would never suggest taking her out on the town to get blitzed on cheap champagne.
Twista - Slow Jamz This track has already topped the US charts, and now looks set to blow up on this side of the Atlantic. 'Slow Jamz' is a mid-tempo rap number with a soulful chorus, which name-checks such R&B legends as Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross and Michael Jackson. Actually this single is not bad at all, it's quite an infectious number. Not a great fan of rap music myself, but this number is really contagious, once you get into it. Watch out for this single it could be the unexpected hit of the week, the song is getting loads of airplay and it could surprise everyone of going to No.1, the charts can be so unpredictable these days.
OTHER SINGLES RELEASED THIS WEEK
Art Brut - Formed A Band
Boxer Rebellion - In Pursuit
Engineers - Home
Gary Jules - Broke Window
Iron Maiden - No More Lies
Hayley Westenra - Wuthering Heights
Hazel O'Connor - One More Try
Lulu - Keep Talkin', I'm Listening
Mad Action - Just Like Fresh Air
Martin Solveig - Rockin' Music
Ohm - Forget Who We Are
Reactor - Feeling The Love
Seal - Waiting For You/Love's Divine
Simply Red - Home
Slides - Can You Feel It?
Sophia - Oh My Love
Stylus Junkies vs UB40 - Food For Thought
Surferosa - Lucky Lipstick
Tejo, Black Alien & Speed - Follow Me, Follow Me
Vinyl Dialect - Ouch
Single Release Schedule
April 5
22-20s - Why Don't You Do It For Me?
Amy Winehouse - In My Bed/You Send Me Flying
Belles - Never Said Anything
Ben Taylor Band - Day After Day
Big Brovaz - We Wanna Thank You
Blueskins - Stupid Ones
Cassius Henry - The One
Crystal Method - Born Too Slow
Dark Globe - Break My World
Drowning Pool - Step Up
G-Unit - Wanna Get To Know You
Honeyriders - Colours
Immune - Elek
Jersey Street - Love Will Be Our Guide
Joy Zipper - Baby You Should Know
Kotipelto - Reasons
Limp Bizkit - Build A Bridge
Lucky Jim - You Stole My Heart Away
Michelle - The Meaning Of Love
My Chemical Romance - Headfirst For Halos
Narcotic Thrust - I Like It
Ordinary Boys - Week In, Week Out
Paul Van Dyk featuring Second Sun - Crush
Polly Paulusma - Dark Side
Robin George - American Way
Sandy B - Make The World Go Round 2004
Seachange - News From Nowhere
Shania Twain - She's Not Just A Pretty Face
Sharlene Hector - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
Sluts Of Trust - Leaving You Wanting More
Sophia - Oh My Love
Special D - Come With Me
Stateless - Down Here
Stylus Junkies vs UB40 - Food For Thought
The Bandits - No Shoes On My Feet
The Offspring - Can't Get My Head Around You
The Rasmus - In The Shadows
The Zutons - You Will, You Won't
Tia - Truth Hurts
Wiley - Wot Do U Call It?
Zoot Woman - Taken It All
April 12
Agnetha Faltskog - If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind
Air - Surfing On A Rocket
Amplifier - Neon
Ashanti featuring Blackchild - Break Up 2 Make Up
Bellefire - Say Something Anyway
Beta Band - Assessment
Brian Jonestown Massacre - If Love Is The Drug, I Want To OD
Bronx - They Will Kill Us All (Without Mercy)
Concretes - Say Something New
Dido - Don't Leave Home
Eamon - Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)
Engineers - Home
Fabolous - This Is My Party/Make You Mine
Hawksley Workman - We Will Still Need A Song
Hilary Duff - Come Clean/Why Not?
James Fox - Hold On To Our Love
Janet Jackson - Just A Little While
JC Chasez - Some Girls (Dance With Women)/Blowin' Me Up
Joe featuring G-Unit - Ride Wit' It/More
KoRn - Y'all Want A Single
Living Things - I Owe
Madrugada - Majesty/7 Seconds
Martin Solveig - Rocking Music
Mountain Goats - Letter From Belgium
Paddy Casey - Lucky One
Polly Paulusma - Dark Side
Prince - Musicology
Riverway - Don't Start Me Off
Sia - Breathe Me
Simple Kid - Staring At The Sun
Snow Patrol - Chocolate
Tim Wright - Ride
Wolfman featuring Peter Doherty - For Lovers
April 19
Baby Bash - Suga Suga
Chris Doran - If My World Stopped Turning
D12 - My Band
Dark Globe - Break My World
Franz Ferdinand - Matinee
Fraud - On To You
Gemma Fox - Girlfriend's Story
Grand National - Talk Amongst Yourselves
Hal - Worry About The Wind
HIM - Solitary Man
Icarus Line - Party The Baby Off
Jesus Jones - Culture Vulture EP
Jolie Holland - Sascha
Kelis - Trick Me
Lasgo - Surrender
Maroon 5 - This Love
Mendoza Line - Before I Hit The Wall
Oceanlab - Satellite
Pink - Last To Know
Pure Reason Revolution - Apprentice Of The Universe
Seafood - Good Reason
Shonagh Daly - All I Want
The Bees - Wash In The Rain
The Stills - Changes Are No Good
April 26
Alex Cartana - Hey Papi
Bloc Party - Banquet
Boogie Pimps - Sunny
Busted - Air Hostess
David Byrne - Dialog Box
DJ Sharon O Love & 3 Elements featuring Leilani - Fast Car 2004
Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Godhopping
Eyeopener - Open Your Eyes
Fefe Dobson - Everything
Glitterati - Here Comes The Close Up EP
Gunther & The Sunshine Girls - Ding Dong Song
Jaimeson featuring Xara - Common Ground
Josh Martinez - Hard Fall
Lemonescent - All Right Now/Bohemian Rain
Pete Doherty - Babyhambles
Stacie Orrico - I Could Be The One
The Streets - Fit But You Know It
Three Doors Down - Here Without You
Tiesto featuring BT - Love Comes Again
Twen2y4se7en - Hide
May 3
Acoustic Love Experience - Painted Pony
Ash - Orpheus
Auf Der Maur - Real A Lie
Buddahead - When I Fall
Christina Milian - Dip It Low
Deepest Blue - Is It A Sin?
Doop - Doop 2004
Gabrielle - Stay The Same
Gomez - Catch Me Up
Joss Stone - Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' On Me?)
Keane - Everybody's Changing
Natasha Bedingfield - Single
Rachel Stevens - Breathe In, Breathe Out
Ronan Keating & LeAnn Rimes - Last Thing On My Mind
Sarah Connor - Bounce
The Charlatans - Up The Lake
The Polyphonic Spree - Two Thousand Places
Truth - Ready Now
May 10
Alanis Morrisette - Everything
Avril Lavigne - Don't Tell Me
Cassidy featuring R Kelly - Hotel
Fabolous - This Is My Party/Make You Mine
Jagged Edge - What's It Like
Jay-Z - Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Katy Rose - Overload
Kevin Lyttle - Last Drop
Morrissey - Irish Blood, English Heart
Scooter - Jigga Jigga
Zena featuring Beenie Man - Been Around The World
May 17
Chikinki - Ether Radio
Emma Bunton - Crickets Sing For Anamaria
Evanescence - Everybody's Fool
Ferry Corsten - It's Time
Flip & Fill featuring Karen Parry - Discoland
Ian Van Dahl - Believe
Muse - Sing For Absolution
My Red Cell - In A Cage On Prozac
Pop! - Heaven And Earth
Sarah McLachlan - Stupid
The Calling - Our Lives
The Corrs - Summer Sunshine
Zero 7 featuring Sia - Sommersault
May 24
Faithless - Mass Destruction
Features - A Million Ways To Sing The Blues
Five Star - System Addict 2004
Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Morjac featuring Marly - You Never Know
Speedway - In & Out
Supergrass - Kiss Of Life
V - Blood, Sweat And Tears
