Shuffle

Kevin Courtney'sguide to singles, downloads and free audiostreams

THE MARS VOLTA
Wax Simulacra ***

Prog-rock's dynamic duo of Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rogriguez-Lopez are back with a new album (The Bedlam in Goliath), featuring this two-and- a-half-minute burst of musical fire and brimstone. Wait a minute - only two and a half minutes? Call that prog? Solve a puzzle and unlock an exclusive free track on www.marsvolta.com/puzzle

THE KILLS
URA Fever Domino ****

Welcome back VV and Hotel, and welcome another messed-up, morphine-ravaged tune, featuring sultry vocals, subterranean synths, and a pungent air of decadence. The London duo have a new album out in March, which should include plenty of mental machine music for backstreet lovers.

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
Single Sedative Suretone/Geffen ****

Singer/guitarist Josh Ostrander, drummer Greg Lyons and bassist Vern Zaborowski have been championed by the likes of Spin magazine for their direct-to-brain guitar-attack pop. This quickfire track is from their debut album, Ameritown, a blend of everything from Clap Your Hands to Cold War Kids to skateboard punk.

THE COURTEENERS
What Took You So Long? Loog/A&M ***

They may be the next big thing out of Manchester, and singer Liam Fray may have the requisite Manc attitude, but these guys are more Libs than Oasis, and this rollicking tune doesn't take too long to build up a head of steam. Not quite as rabble-rousing as their last one (Acrylic), but that's not always a bad thing.

STEPHEN FRETWELL
Now Fiction ****

Nice-bloke singer-songwriter type? Don't be fooled by the gentle guitars and keeing voice: Fretwell has a heart of grit and steel, and there's a dark, deadly streak through even his most plaintive tunes. Blunty fans needn't apply.

ROBYN
Be Mine Konichiwa Records ****

The Swedish pop chanteuse is probably a bit too in thrall to Madonna (she's even got a song called Who's That Girl?) but if it results in such string-laden electropop tunes as this, then we don't mind at all. There's also a good dollop of The Bangles and The Shangri-Las here. Listen to her BBC Radio 1 session on www.myspace.com/robynmyspace