"All the divorcees applaud the deportees"

Hiya!

Monday already? Let's have a gander at these singles, then.

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

The Blood Arm - Suspicious Character (City Rockers)

I saw The Blood Arm support Maximo Park about eighteen months ago, well, I say support, but what I mean is totally and utterly upstage. I came away from that gig with a song in my heart and that song went, "I like all the girls and all the girls like me". I adopted this epithet as my mantra (it's funny because it's true!) and as far as mantras go, it's a surefire winner, guaranteed to make you strut down the street with your chest puffed out, turning the ladies', or indeed the fellas' heads as you go. It's also guaranteed to make some people think that you're a wanker, but who cares about them? They don't have the confidence that you have. They're most likely extremely insecure and cry themselves to sleep at night. Some of them might even tell you as such, thinking that it's for your benefit, but they're wrong. All YOU need to know is that you like all the girls and they, in turn, like you back. Now get out there and fucking work it! That song is 'Suspicious Character' and it'll change the way you walk. Buy it! Your cock will thank you for it.

Lily Allen - LDN (Parlophone/Regal)

Ooh, Lily! Summer's over now and you've decided to release the sunniest track on your debut? Not to worry, 'LDN' is still a belter and we here at Yer Mam! still love you, despite the fact that you seem like a bit of a nob. And I don't even like London! It's nicer up north, y'know?

Ame - Rej (Defected)

Defected, like the choon vultures they are, have picked up this doozy, originally released on German label, Sonar Kollektiv late last year. There's a bunch of remixes, all of which pale in comparison to the phenomenal original, a swooping, rushing, dark monster that gets better every time you hear it. If you don't already have this, then by all means, fill the Defected coffers even more.

Datarock - Fa Fa Fa (Discovery)

This was a whole lot of fun when it turned up on Annie's DJ-Kicks mix last year and it still is, only slightly less so. This is bargain basement, Happy Shopper DFA or Rong Music, but at least it's cheap and cheerful, even the chorus, where it goes all 'Long Train Running'. Disposable disco then, but not without its charm.

The Datsuns - System Overload (V2)

Still with their pedals to the metal and their feet firmly planted in 1972, The Datsuns are so bloody-mindedly retro that it seems churlish to criticise them. They did things differently back then you know and at least The Datsuns do this kind of thing way better than fellow Antipodeans, Jet or Wolfmother do.

Dirty Pretty Things - Wondering (Mercury)

If nothing else, you know where you are with Dirty Pretty Things; any release from them is going to sound a bit like The Libertines. Criticising DPT for sounding like The Libertines though is a bit like castigating the Queen for being a bit regal, so what of the tune itself. Well, it's not one of their best, but Carl Barat sounds so relaxed in his skin that it's breezy enough to not annoy you, yet also as inconsequential as that bit of fluff you've just pulled out of your navel. In short, not bad, but pretty much the dictionary definition of inessential.

DJ Shadow - Enuff (Island)

While it's nice to have Shadow around and while it's also nice to hear Q-Tip on the radio again, this just isn't very good, is it? The Outsider is not without its high points, but this definitely isn't one of them. Not good enuff.

Loney, Dear - The City, The Airport (Something In Construction)

Another week, another lovely piece of Scandinavian indie-pop. I have it on good authority that Loney, Dear is a one-man band, but this sounds like a whole army of brass instruments, tambourines, strings and other such instruments. Beautiful stuff.

The Pipettes - Judy (Memphis Industries)

Another possibly futile attempt from The Pipettes to make that leap into the mainstream, where they deserve to be, yet can't seem to break into. They even say 'arse' in a borderline cynical attempt to get people's attention. Don't bother girls, you're too good for them anyway.

The Streets - Prangin' Out (679)

Mike Skinner's doing a good job at trying to fool the world that The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living is a good record. This is the third single now, so he's exhausted all the decent tunes now. As an added extra, Pete Doherty chirps in with a needless verse about his own drug experiences. Just say no, kids.

The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Impossible Sightings Over Shelton (Fantastic Plastic)

Above average Brit punk from this none-more-English beat combo. Bands will soon have to learn though that, due to an increasingly flooded market, unless you're doing something a bit different within the template, any good work you do will most probably go unnoticed. So in other words, TVEGC are good, if unremarkable.

Yo La Tengo - Mr Tough (Matador)

Brilliant soul-pop from the venerable Yo La Tengo, one of many highlights from the superbly-titled, I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. Cracking falsetto from James McNew too.

Zero 7 - Futures (Atlantic)

The original with Jose Gonzalez is forgettable chillout guff, but the Rub 'N' Tug remix is absolutely superb, just as we've come to expect from Tom and Eric. Lovely.

That's it for now,

JMx