Kevin Courtney's guide to singles, downloads and free audiostreams.
KYLIE 2 Hearts ****
Hello, hello, it's good to be back. The Diva from Down Under returns with her first new single since her illness, a glammed-up piano stomper that's simple and dancefloor devastatingly effective. Dust off those platforms, cos instant Kylie's gonna get you. Whooo!
DELORENTOS Do You Realise Cottage ****
Imagine a happier Editors, enjoying a few pints in Dublin and not getting too worked up on the angst front. That's Delorentos, and this is another fine slice of superb, stop-motion indiepop from their album, In Love With Detail. Listen to six tracks from the album on www.delorentos.net.
BLOC PARTY Flux Wichita ***
Bloc-heads rejoice! Kele and the boys have recorded a brand new track with Jacknife Lee, a driving electro-indie tune that should get the sociology students stroking their bumfluff with pleasure. "We're in a state of flux," yelps Kele, but whether he's talking about relationships or the economy is anybody's guess.
RIHANNA Hate That I Love You feat Ne-Yo Def Jam **
The babe from Barbados captured the Irish summer vibe with Umbrella and went full throttle with Shut Up and Drive. Here she kicks back with Ne-Yo for a rather drippy ballad, but hey, she's been working hard, so why shouldn't she put her feet up?
KAISER CHIEFS Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning) B-Unique/Polydor **
We didn't think they had a second album in them, but Yours Truly, Angry Mob has proved quite a crowd pleaser. If I were to write a letter of complaint about this one, however, it would read: "Dear KCs, nice tribute to Duran Duran. Yours truly, Wanky Snob."
HARD-FI Can't Get Along (Without You) Necessary/Atlantic **
They're about as hard as a box of rubber nails, but the suburban knights from Staines can perfectly articulate such modern- day problems as, can we get monged this weekend and still have enough cash left on Monday for our commuter ticket? Check out an exclusive session on music.aol.co.uk featuring songs from the second album, Once Upon a Time in the West.
