EOIN BUTLER's guide to downloads, singles and free audiostreams
FRANK OCEAN
Bad Religion, Def Jam ****
“Taxi driver, be my shrink for an hour. Leave the meter running.” If I were a sensitive black man of no fixed sexual abode, I’m not convinced a taxi driver would be my first port of call when I required a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. But Ocean throws caution to the wind on this touching track from his channel Orange album.
THE KILLERS
Runaways, Island **
On their first new release in more than four years, Brandon Flowers co opt to give fans a resounding more of the same. (Think Bagatelle covering the E Street Band.) Fine if you’re into that sort of thing, I suppose. The Killers play the Electric Picnic on August 31st. Their fifth studio album (Battle Born) drops on September 18th.
HARVEY K-TEL & SNORKIE
Babylon Bop, Music for the People ***
Somewhere, in a parallel universe, Ireland is enjoying a glorious summer and this ludicrous reggae cover of The Ramones’ Blitzkrieg Bop is its anthem.
CALEB THE LAST KING
Dearly Departed, VMG **
On the first track from his When I Was 17 mixtape, Dublin rapper Caleb the Last King claims to have been “born in the streets”. As a motorist in the city, that’s an alarming mental image. Luckily, there’s also a handsomely shot accompanying video by Arsen Hokera.
SHELTER ft ALEX REID
Stardust, Ministry of Pop *
In the recent history of ill-advised celebrity forays into music, tennis player Caroline Wozniacki rather set the gold standard with her jaw-droppingly hilarious Oxygen video. (At one point, Rory McIlroy’s girlfriend appears to set an Alsatian dog upon a man in a wheelchair. Yes, really.) Once you’ve sat through that, anything else seems rather a letdown by comparison. Sorry Alex.
