by Mikey (Gillingham, Kent, UK)
RECORD OF THE WEEK
3 Doors Down - Here Without You The awesome 3 Doors Down release the brilliant song 'Here Without You' from their second album 'Away From The Sun'. This is honest, hard working rock'n'roll with attitude and immense talent. Since the release of their debut album, 'Better Life' the 'Down have honed their craft through extensive touring and relentless 
writing culminating in songs with the tunes and the swagger that will see them launched into the stratosphere. 'Here Without You' is one of their standout tracks and deserves your attention.
HOT SHOT RECORD
Gemma Fox featuring MC Lyte - Girlfriend's Story 'Girlfriend's Story' features MC Lyte, is the first single to be taken from Gemma Fox's debut album and is a beautifully funky, head nodding R'n'B track reminiscent of early TLC and SWV, laid down with the help of US hip hop producer Chucky Thompson. Not a bad debut song from Gemma Fox, it's a nice R'n'B number that will set your toes tapping along.
Alex Cartana - Hey Papi Born in Brighton but raised on the sun-kissed Balearic island of Majorca, 23-year-old Anglo-Hispanic singer-songwriter Alex Cartana blends the passionate exuberance of her upbringing with the gritty urban authenticity of her current London home. Hey Papi - co-written by Alex and Big Brovaz Entertainment - is Alex's ravishing debut single. A Latino-flavoured, R&B pop explosion that relocates the lyrical sensibility of Madonna's Papa Don't Preach to Prince's funkier-than-thou Alphabet Street, Hey Papi remains first and foremost the lean, spirited new sound of Alex Cartana.
Boogie Pimps - Sunny Boogie Pimps are back with their follow-up single to 'Somebody To Love' with 'Sunny'. German duo Boogie Pimps take you back to the 1970's with their infectious take on Boney M's 'Sunny', which was a disco sampled version of the original hit by Bobby Hebb in 1966. This is most likely to be a smash hit, especially on the nightclub circuits. If you liked their debut single, you like this.
Busted - Air Hostess The elder statesmen of pop-punk return with another genius track from their not so awesome 'A Present For Everyone' album. 'Air Hostess' is fun filled bubblegum for those who find McFly a little too 'for the kids'. Charlie and the boys sing the praises of their flight attendant whilst admitting to their pant-wetting fear of flying. So if you have an inspiration for a bit of pop-rock, go down to your local record store and pick a copy for yourself otherwise just leave it on the shelf, and hopefully it will sink without a trace.
Fefe Dobson - Everything The new pop-chick on the block releases the first single from her debut self-titled album, and it's a corker. 'Everything' is a fusion of a Sheryl Crow style country-rock tune with the youthful enthusiasm that has served Avril Lavigne so well. Fefe has hit it big in the US and has toured with the ladykiller, Justin Timberlake. She's set to follow Stateside success in the UK and 'Everything' is the first thrilling broadside.
H.I.M. - Solitary Man Following on the Ramsus, Finnish Band HIM release their new single Solitary Man taken from HIM's magnificent 'And Love Said No' best of album, 'Solitary Man' is the epic goth rockers' unique take on the Neil Diamond classic. Big, bold and beautiful, HIM are set to become one of the biggest Finnish goth bands in the world, along with the Ramsus. So if you into loud rock music, this is the one for you.
Streets - Fit But You Know It Mike Skinner (aka The Streets) returns with another tale of street "beer lairyness" with this little tune that bounces along like Blur doing the theme to Sesame Street. Chugging along on a basic uninspired indie guitar hook, this is a tune going nowhere like bad beer boy poetry, and poor self-parody. When debut album 'Original Pirate Material' crept up on us a few years back it did so in a sea of mediocre garage and lame Brit hop with a breath of fresh air, drunk humour and brutal honesty. All the work of the unknown Skinner, it fused garage, two-step beats with dramatic strings, and a large dose of emotional hooliganism. This latest offering rehashes a tale of junk food romance and reeks of a tired and limited imagination.
Plummet - Cherish The Day Plummet is finally coming out with a follow up to their classic debut single "Damaged". This is a little deeper or shall I say less commercial that the previous single. This one has a really good rhythmic beat to it and has a combination of haunting vocals and sheer beauty. While this single is in the very early stages, the two mixes alone are enough to carry this to the forefront. The exciting thing about this single is waiting for the Xquizit DJ X Mix along with the new US mixes and the label that will put it out. Either way, you can't go wrong with this amazing follow up.
The Stills - Changes Are No Good 'Changes Are No Good' is a banal and somewhat perplexing departure from the NYC band's previously released EP, 'Rememberese'. The song features spacious and lightly jangling guitars reminiscent of the finer 80s pop bands, but the sound is scaled back, drained of any excess sugar, and fitted with what equates to a "bored Interpol" atmosphere. Further enforcing the retro-failure vibe, the track is equipped with a marginally danceable beat, which the band never expands upon through any suitable means.
OTHER SINGLES RELEASED THIS WEEK
Atmosphere - Trying To Find A Balance
The Bandits - No Shoes On My Feet
Bloc Party - Banquet
Closer - Gossip
Coheed And Cambria - A Favour House Atlantic
Demon - In The Park
DJ Hell - Listen To The Hiss
Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Godhopping
Exit 52 - Dandelion EP
The Glitterati - Here Comes A Close Up
HAL - Worry About The Wind
Nick Holder feat. Jemini - No More Dating DJ's
Horrorpops - Miss Take
Josh Martinez - Hard Fall
Mclusky - That Man Will Not Hang
Monkey Bars feat. Gabrielle Widman - Shuggie Love
Patrick & Eugene - The Birds And The Bees
Ty feat. Roots Manuva - Oh U Want More?
Single Release Schedule
May 3
Acoustic Love Experience - Painted Pony
Ash - Orpheus
Auf Der Maur - Real A Lie
Baby Bash - Suga Suga
Buddahead - When I Fall
Christina Milian - Dip It Low
Gabrielle - Stay The Same
Gomez - Catch Me Up
Gunther & The Sunshine Girls - Ding Dong Song
Hybrid - I'm Still Awake
Ingo & Eseni DJ - Scare Tactics/Drifting
Keane - Everybody's Changing
Lostprophets - Wake Up (Make A Move)
Natasha Bedingfield - Single
Polyphonic Spree - Two Thousand Places
Ronan Keating & LeAnn Rimes - Last Thing On My Mind
Tali - Lyric On My Lip
Tiesto feat BT - Love Comes Again
Truth - Ready Now
Twen2y4Se7en - Hide
Von Bondies - Tell Me What You See
May 10
2Play featuring Raghav - It Can't Be Right
Adem - These Are Your Friends
Alanis Morrisette - Everything
ATL - Calling All Girls
Avril Lavigne - Don't Tell Me
Charlatans - Up The Lake
Dead 60s - You're Not The Law
Fabolous - This Is My Party/Make You Mine
Faultline - Wild Horses/Biting Tongues
Frankee - F.U.R.B. (F**k You Right Back)
Glen Tilbrook - Untouchable
Goldfrapp - Strict Machine
Gomez - Silence
Icarus Line - Party The Baby Off
Jagged Edge - What's It Like
Jay-Z - 99 Problems/Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Joss Stone - Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' On Me?)
Katy Rose - Overdrive
Kevin Lyttle - Last Drop
Method Man featuring Busta Rhymes - What's Happenin'
Mohair - Brown Eyes Blue/Something To Remember
Morrissey - Irish Blood, English Heart
Pete Doherty - Babyshambles
Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound
SJ & Baby Doc - What You Do To Me Baby
Three Doors Down - Here Without You
Zero 7 featuring Sia - Sommersault
May 17
411 featuring Ghostface Killah - On My Knees
Bikini Atoll - Cheap Trick
Brand New - The Quiet Things That No-One Ever Knows
Calling - Our Lives
Candice - Hello
Cassidy featuring R Kelly - Hotel
Chikinki - Ether Radio
Chingy featuring J Weav - One Call Away
Corrs - Summer Sunshine
Cribs - What About Me?
Evanescence - Everybody's Fool
Feist - One Night
Fraud - On To You
Future Kings Of Spain - Venetian Blinds
Hoobastank - The Reason
Jaimeson featuring Terri Walker - Common Ground
Jason Downs - Shut Up (Let's Hook Up)
Kurt Nilsen - She's So High
Lene Marlin - Another Day
Marjorie Fair - Stare
Method Man & Busta Rhymes - What's Happening?
Muse - Sing For Absolution
My Red Cell - In A Cage On Prozac
Nick Drake - Magic
NSM - Heat It Up
O-Zone - Mai-Ia-Hii
PJ Harvey - The Letter
Pop! - Heaven And Earth
Sarah Connor - Bounce
Sting - Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)
Story Of The Year - Until The Day I Die
System Of Life - Luv Is Cool
Veils - The Tide That I Left
Vines - Winning Days
Zena featuring Beenie Man - Been Around The World
May 24
Alarm - New Home, New Life
Barrelhouse Blues Orchestra - Jumping Jack Flash
Deepest Blue - Is It A Sin?
D-Side - Pushin' Me Out
Englebert Humperdinck - Release Me
Features - A Million Ways To Sing The Blues
Hope Of The States - The Red, The White, The Black, The Blue
Hots - The Red, The White, The Black, The Blue
InMe - Faster The Chase
Jagged Edge - What's It Like
Jessica Simpson - With You
Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Jody Lei - Just The Music
Junior Jack - Stupidisco
Kelis - Trick Me
Killers - Mr Brightside
Kristian Leontiou - Story Of My Life
Mark Owen - Makin' Out
Morjac featuring Marly - You Never Know
Sam & Mark - The Sun Has Come Your Way
Scooter - Jigga Jigga
Signum - What Ya Got For Me?
Supergrass - Kiss Of Life
V - Blood, Sweat And Tears
May 31
Beastie Boys - Ch-Check It Out
Emma Bunton - Crickets Sing For Anamaria
Faithless - Mass Destruction
Flip & Fill featuring Karen Parry - Discoland
Fountains Of Wayne - Mexican Wine
Ian Van Dahl - Where Are You Now
Kid Symphony - Never Been A Rockstar
Lulu - Keep Talkin' I'm Listening
Peter Andre - Insania
Stacie Orrico - I could Be The One
VS - Call U Sexy
Yellowcard - Way Away
June 7
Angel City featuring Lara McAllen - Touch Me
Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get It Started
Blazin' Squad - Shorty
Britney Spears - Everytime
Candee Jay - If I Were You
Cornershop presents Bubbly Kaur - Topknot
Fifth Avenue - Spanish Eyes
Kayne West - All Falls Down
Keyshia Cole featuring Eve - Never
Lemonescent - All Right Now/Bohemian Rain
Loose Cannons - I Like It When Ya
N*E*R*D - Maybe
Sarah McLachlan - Stupid
Scissor Sisters - Laura
June 14
Anastacia - Sick And Tired
Belle & Sebastian - Wrapped Up In Books
Ferry Corsten - It's Time
Five Star - System Addict 2004
Javine - Best Of My Love
Mario Winans featuring Enya & P Diddy - I Don't Wanna Know
Ordinary Boys - Talk Talk Talk
Paul Weller - The Bottle
Phixx - Wild Boys
Rob Tissera & Vinylgroover - Stay
S Club 8 - Involved
Shonagh Daly - All I Want
Styles & Breeze - You're Shining
Usher - Burn
June 21
Bellefire - You Were Meant For Me
Beverley Knight - Come As You Are
FYA - Too Hot To Handle
McFly - Obviously
Rezonance Q - Sweetheart
Speedway - In And Out
June 28
Air - Alpha Beta Gaga
Kylie Minogue - Chocolate
Lindsay Armaou - Innocence (What U Got)
Mania - Looking For A Place To Go
Savana - Pretty Lady
Will Young - Friday's Child
July 5
Blue - Bubblin'
Busted - 3AM
Janet Jackson - All Nite (Don't Stop)
Kimberley Locke - Eighth World Wonder
Shaznay Lewis - Never Felt Like This Before
July 12
Ash - Starcross'd
Jamelia - See It In A Boy's Eyes
Nelly Furtado - Forca
Sugababes - Caught In A Moment
