EOIN BUTLER's guide to downloads, singles and free audiostreams
ED SHEERAN
Drunk
Warner *
“Irredeemably awful”, “immensely dislikeable” and “in two years’ time, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre won’t be able to find anyone who admits they bought this record” are some of the warm words Shuffle has had for Ed Sheeran in the past year or so. Can he turn things around by singing about one of my favourite hobbies? Short answer, no.
THE ORIGINAL RUDEBOYS
Travelling Man ***
These Dubliners, Sheeran's less obnoxious Irish acoustic rap cousins (they share a producer in Jake Gosling), launch their debut album, This Life,with a headline show at Dublin's Grand Social on March 31st. theoriginal rudeboys.com
TANLINES
Brothers
Matador ***
Tanlines drummer Jesse Cohen claims this "interactive" video (which, incidentally, I tried and failed repeatedly to interact with) is inspired by the 1990s sitcom Roseanne. I'm guessing that's true because, seriously, would anyone make up something that lame?
JASON MRATZ
I Won't Give Up
Atlantic **
I really wish he would.
MONICA BRANDY
It All Belongs to Me
RCA ****
"Log off your Facebook, that shit belongs to me." Between them, r'n'b divas Monica and Brandy have sold 45 million albums. It All Belongs to Meis their first collaboration since 1998's The Boy Is Mine. And, surprise, surprise, it's actually pretty decent.
THE KILLS
Pale Blue Eyes
Domino ***
The B-side to The Kills' The Last Goodbyesingle is a version of the classic Lou Reed composition. Pale Blue Eyeshas been covered down through the years by everyone from Patti Smith to Courtney Love, but Alison Mosshart manages to find its hitherto untapped menacing undertow.
GRIMES
Genesis
4AD ****
Claire Boucher, the Montreal multi-instrumentalist, is playing Dublin's Forbidden Fruit festival next summer. So this excellent electro-pop tune will likely soundtrack at one of your interminable bar queue experiences. (Or partially soundtrack it – it's only four minutes long, after all.) Grimes' debut album, Visions, was released this week.
