The Gossip - Listen Up (Single)

A brand new re-release from a band that I've heard far too much about. This is mundane effort, empty and uneventful . "1, 2 ,3 take it from me, 3, 4 so much trouble in store 4, 5 get it right,the first time" sings Beth Ditto seemingly not realising how awful the lyrics she is singing are. The instrumentation is unadventurous and they seem to rely to much on Ditto's strong voice which is undoubtedly impressive. They just don't have the quality of songs and if I'm honest I don't think they have the talent to write anything better than or on par with Standing In The Way Of Control. I won't be at all surprised to see them fade into obscurity once the hype has died down.

Smashing Pumpkins - Tarantula (Single)

Aren't we all glad these are back. Sure, they aren't all back but they are back in name. This is Tarantula, the firecracker of a comeback song that we all wished for. It's from their forthcoming new album Zeitgeist. This is a video of the Smashing Pumpkins reunion tour with Tarantula.

The White Stripes - Effect and Cause (Live on Later... with Jools Holland)

I rather enjoyed this comment from Web Sheriff, no doubt on behalf of the record companies. It tries to not be heavy handed but methinks its failed.

"Kindly remove all unreleased WHITE STRIPES torrent files / keys and links from this site / thread immediately, failing which - regrettably - a DMCA notification shall be forwarded to the site and take-down action shall follow : naturally, however, we hope that this shall not prove to be necessary.

As you will surely know, traffic on this (unreleased) album is being monitored and removed ... .. and not just by Web Sheriff, but also by Warners and their attorneys so, if you have to indulge in this activity (which Jack and Meg would rather you didn‘t), then do it off-line / do not ‘broadcast‘ it. Otherwise your details will be harvested and you may be hearing from Warners and / or the RIAA.

On behalf of the artists label, we do appreciate that - of course - you are a fans of / are promoting THE WHITE STRIPES but, by the same token, you must also appreciate that, by posting a pirate copy of the album or tracks from the album pre-release (or linking to pirate copies), you are potentially causing considerable inconvenience and we are sure that you would not want to be personally responsible (or liable) for all of the resulting damage.

Thank you for respecting the artist‘s and label‘s wishes and, if you want good quality, non-pirated preview tracks, NME magazine are offering 2 tracks by The White Stripes on coloured vinyl with next week‘s issue.

Whilst writing, we‘d add that we‘re not at all against free music but, at the end of the day, it should be (and is) the artist‘s decision as to whether or not they allow albums to circulate before release, as it‘s THEIR MUSIC !! For the avoidance of doubt, the Q101 broadcast was NOT authorised (so there are no double standards applying here).

As you will appreciate, this e-mail - containing, as it does, a position that is potentially prejudicial to our clients open / formal position - is written on a without prejudice basis and, as such, all of our clients accumulated, worldwide rights remain strictly reserved : please excuse this required formality."

To lighten the mood here is a live track from the new White Stripes album Icky Thump entitled Effect and Cause which was played on Later... with Jools Holland.

The Jam - English Rose (Classic Song)

I felt the need to post this song. I think its the most romantic song ever written, even a person such as me with a heart of stone gets emotional listening to it. So enjoy and don't worry about holding back the tears, we are all friends here.

The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army

Stop the presses! The Polyphonic Spree make an angst ridden metal album! Only joking, of course this is another feel-good, skip through the summer fields, happy clappy, in your face celebration of being alive. Do these people ever have a bad day? Probably. Do they ever turn it into a song? Of course not! This another chapter in the musical saga that is the Polyphonic Spree.

Running Away and Younger Yesterday are clear examples of how much they haven't changed. Running Away is a song that is a perfect representation of them as a band. It's like running away with the wind in my face, It's like flying, And you and I are open wide they sing with all the gusto and exuberance of a choir. We Crawl and Overblow Your Nest are the closest things your going to get to unhappy songs on this album, but even with them they manage to make into something grand and beautiful. They genuinely brighten you up with songs like Watch Us Explode (Justify) which is probably my favourite song on the album. It bubbles with joy and holds a more rocky undertone that their other work. Just listening to the album draws a smile on your face and that is a wonderful ability that they have as a band. I wouldn't change them for the world even if I had that kind of power.

Kid Harpoon - Colours (Live)

This is something from an artist you probably haven't heard of he's from the south east of England. If you truly like music then you'll enjoy this, a live version of the song Colours. Hes a real talent and I think you should all check out his Myspace page which is; http://www.myspace.com/kidharpoon