Edwyn Collins - Magic Piper (of love) (Setanta)
It's funky, it's jazzy, it's got a flute bit - it is, without doubt the grooviest single of the year. It's also got a cool video. If there is any justice in the world, it will be bigger than 'Girl Like You'. The other 3 tracks are good, but 'Magic Piper...' is fucking brilliant.

Posh - Threesome (Rhythm King)
This is a limited edition 3-CD single box set, each sold separately. I recommend buying all three if you can. All 6 tracks (2 on each) are tacky, poppy pieces of '80s-style bubble-gum. This is the kind of music to wear pink fake fur, stiletto heels and glitter in honour of.

CD1 has the everyday tale of having a 'Porn Star' boyfriend and the self-explanatory 'Can We Borrow Your Boyfriend'

CD2 features the flirty '80s-ness of 'Toys' and a trip to the sea-side in a live version of 'Mermaid'.

Finally, CD3 has the seductively slow tale of love, murder and weed killer, 'I Confess' and the silly little ditty 'Geisha Girl'.

A mix of the tackiest stuff from the '80s which, compared to the Spice Girls, doesn't seem that bad.

Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People (Nothing)
The best track from 'Antichrist Superstar', with it's industrial barrage, tribal drumming and shit-cool lyrics. Backed with a kicking remix featuring jazz samples and a fast techno drum beat. Also included are their corruption of the Eurythmics 'Sweet Dreams' and one of the weirdest tracks from 'Antichrist..' - 'Cryptorchid'.

Sublime - What I Got (MCA)
The first and last tracks, different versions of 'What I Got', are like Beck without the pretensions. Funky folk with a nice, easy and very enjoyable groove. Also included are a light-hearted acoustic cover of Boney M's 'River of Babylon' and 'All You Need', a kicking ska/punk number.

The Levellers -'What a Beautiful Day (China)
What can you say about the Levellers? This track has a poppy chorus, some fiddle and nasal vocals. It is pure Levellers, not very different from anything else they've released. But hey, at least it's fun. Ditto the other tracks.

Dolores Keane - Telling Me Lies / Never Be the Sun (Dara)
Two brilliant tracks from one of Ireland's best vocalists. 'Telling Me Lies' is a tender tale of lost love, while 'Never Be the Sun' is a beautiful duet with Emmylou Harris. Musically somewhere between folk and country, but don't let that put you off. An incredible voice will stand out no matter what the style of music.

Sludge Nation - One Last Rush (Rhythm King)
Taken from their debut album "Doolittle".. sorry "Blow Your Speakers", this is pure Pixies flattery (read imitation). The title track is a fast guitar crashing, vocal whining piece, while 'Day Boy' is not a million miles away from Ireland's own Pixies-lovers - Revelino. 'Time' is an odd little instrumental, a mix of crashing guitars and B-movie sci-fi fx. Recommended if only for the purple vinyl format.

Rollins Band - The End of Something (Dreamworks)
This starts slow and jazzy, then builds to a crashing guitar shouty bit, then slows intensely, and so on. No, it's not 'Liar', but it could easily be. Dated. The supposed remix is dire, adding echoes to the vocals and some white noise underneath is not a remix. 'Threshold' is over nine minutes of noise. Does anyone care anymore?

Santa Cruz - Heaven Only Knows (MCA)
Three uninspired and fairly uninteresting songs. Mainly acoustic with vocals in an exaggerated English accent. Brit pop by default, not good enough to be anything else. The last track, 'Horse', is a very naff attempt at Space rock. Avoid.

Nu-Birth - Anytime (XL Recordings)
Bad, unoriginal, derivative, dated dance music. This is Ibiza dance-floor crap. 6 mixes of the same track and they're all dire.