Shuffle

Eoin Butler's guide to singles, downloads and free audiostreams

PETER KAY'S ANIMATED ALL-STAR  BAND

Official Children in Need Medley Sony ****

Endearing mash-up of The Jackson's Can You Feel It,Fleetwood Mac's Don't Stop, The Pussycat Dolls' Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny), Chumbawumba's Tubthumping, Take That's Never Forget, The Beatles' Hey Judeand, finally, Elbow's execrable (sorry Elbow fans!) and nakedly populist One Day Like This. The Jacksons segment is the funniest, largely because it shows up just how hilariously Caucasian the likes of Bob the Builder and Postman Pat actually are.

JULIAN CASABLANCAS

I Wish It Was Christmas Today Rough Trade ***

Last week I rounded up a few contenders for the Christmas No 1 spot. But here’s a Christmas single with chance of taking the laurels. Nonetheless, it might still be my favourite seasonal effort this year. The Strokes frontman covers this song from a Saturday Night Live skit, which itself may have been intended as a Strokes parody in the first place. How meta is that?

MICHAEL NYMAN AND DAVID MCALMONT

Take the Money and Run MM ****

There are some collaborations that seem almost genetically engineered to pique the interest of jaded broadsheet music reviewers the world over. Librettist Michael Nyman and balladeer David McAlmont is undoubtedly one such pairing. What would their babies possibly sound like, we wonder? Like a really accomplished insurance advertisement is the answer.

I Felt Stupid Moshi Moshi ****

So will you when you realise Moshi is just a city in northern Tanzania. www.myspace.com/thedrumsforever

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

You Know Me EMI **

If it were possible to say so without it sounding either like an insult to a former Beatle, or (worse still) a compliment to the former Take That dancer, I’d tell you that Robbie Williams’s new single reminds me of some of John Lennon’s less inspired late 1970s solo material. But it isn’t possible, so I won’t.