Shuffle

Kevin Courtney's guide to singles, downloads and free audiostreams

ARCTIC MONKEYS Brianstorm ***

It's difficult second album time - will our Sheffield heroes go emocore or folktronica? No, this is classic mardy Monkey business, but what are the dancing girls doing in the video? Pandering to music TV, lads? Tut, tut. Down- load this from Sunday.

BRIGHT EYES Four Winds Polydor ****

Conor Oberst and his batallion- storming indie gang whip up a righteous fury of fiddles and guitars on this Fisherman's Blues-style anthem, from their upcoming new album, Cassadaga. The B-side, Stray Dog Freedom, is pretty damn good, too.

DRY COUNTY Attention Lazybird ***

If it's a shot of barren, broken electro-folk you're after, then you'll definitely get served here at Dry County, Dublin-based purveyors of dark, digital beats. Just don't expect champagne.

An Anglo-Irish band named after Rolling Stones tune Sister Morphine, featuring Simple Kid's "legendary" brother, Alzy, and sounding like a shotgun wedding between the Velvets and Marianne Faithful . . . how can a rocker resist? It's available on vinyl and download; listen free on their website www.sistermusic.com

JOJO Anything Blackground Records *

As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti, someone was eventually going to sample Toto's cheesy classic, Africa, and repackage it as a teen r'n'b tune. Pity it had to happen in my lifetime.

REM No 9 Dream Warner ***

The janglemeisters from Georgia have joined with a bunch of artists on a Lennon covers album, Instant Karma (out in June), to call attention to the ongoing genocide in Darfur. This dreamy one suits them perfectly, though it does remind you that REM used to write great songs as well. Available to download on iTunes.

She can drink the other popsters under the table, but Amy puts her money where her mouth is with another accomplished stab at authentic 1960s soul. The title track from her fab album may not have the punch of Rehab, but it certainly hits all the right lows.