EOIN BUTLER's guide to downloads, singles and free audiostreams
ALISON VALENTINE
Peanut Butter, HeavyRoc Music ****
She went to finishing school in Switzerland and describes her music as “SebastiAn and Janet Jackson go to the beach with the Tom Tom Club”. And if you don’t already hate her, the Peanut Butter video depicts Alison Valentine paddling a surf board on the Hudson with a hipster idiot from Central Casting. Nonetheless, damn... this is a catchy pop song.
THE AVALANCHES & DAVID BERMAN
A Cowboy Overflow of the Heart, (Demo) **
They enchanted us with their sound collages on Since I Left You in 2000. But, ever since, The Avalanches have observed a silence worthy of a trio of Trappist monks. This demo does little to rectify the situation. A Cowboy Overflow is a poem, read by Silver Jews' David Berman, to a scarcely audible musical accompaniment. After 12 years, frankly, it sounds like the Avalanches are taking the piss. soundcloud.com
MUSE
Madness, Helium 3 **
Matt Bellamy, on the other hand, knows a thing or two about productivity. In 2000, Muse were derided as Radiohead copyists. Twelve years and numerous multi-platinum albums later, the band could charitably be described as a bunch of clueless dubstep grandads desecrating George Michael’s Faith. Proper masters of reinvention they are: onwards and downwards.
FLO RIDA
Whistle, Atlantic *
If Flo Rida were a Gaelic footballer, he’d be one of those lugs you throw in at full forward when your other options are exhausted. He’s big. He’s not particularly talented. But if you give him the ball and a yard of grass, you never know, he might just land you the score of the summer. Whistle is a laughable effort with lyrics that would make Spinal Tap’s raunchier numbers seem positively cryptic. And it has sold 3.1m copies worldwide. (To morons, obviously, but that’s beside the point.)
