Latest singles reviewed

BADLY DRAWN BOY
Year of the Rat Twisted Nerve
*
Oh, dear, Damon Gough's been hanging out in LA a bit too long, and now he's hugging everybody and spouting hippie-dippy guff about making a "new energy". Pass me your hat, dude, I'm gonna barf.

Lou's fab 1972 sputnik gets relaunched onto the dancefloor with a remix by the Dab Hans crew. They've speeded it up and brought the brassy bits to the fore, but thankfully kept it reasonably cheese-free.

From their upcoming album, For Some Strange Reason, here's Christy's lads with a Blurry, beaty tune for all the boys and girls. I prefer the B-side, a fab versh of Bowie's Rock 'N' Roll Suicide with guest Gerry Fish.

Moby, Chuck D and Flava Flav - is this a rap remake of the Three Stooges? No, it's a hard-assed protest dance tune aimed at those Keystone Kops in the White House. Remember - it takes just one bum to hold back a nation of millions.

Eamon took the angry, vengeful option, but Mike Skinner shows his metrosexual side on this top tearjerker about being given the old heave-ho. My gosh, it's the tune of the summer, oh yes, oh yay - but let's see if some fit bird named Frankee puts out a response song.

Those muppets from Busted are twanging the strings on this updated theme from the new Thunderbirds movie. Where's International Rescue when you need them?

Glasgow's Metaphrog make the celebrated Louis graphic novel; Germany's Hey and Iceland's Múm do the wistful, surreal music. Not badly drawn at all.