Singles

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

JEREMIH

Birthday Sex Def Jam***

"We grindin' with passion, cuz it's your birthday/Been at it for hours, I know you're thirsty . . . " Lesser r'n'b artists might have paused at this point and wondered if they'd gone far enough already. But 21-year-old Jeremih is not a man for subtle understatement. "Birthday sex, birthday sex . . . " Not since the film Snakes on a Planehave genius and simplicity operated in neater synchrony.

COBRA STARSHIP ft LEIGHTON MEESTER

Good Girls Go Bad Decaydance Records***

Speaking of Snakes on a Plane, Cobra Starship first came into existence when Midtown bassist Gabe Saporta struck out alone to contribute to that film’s soundtrack. Back then he was assisted by Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. Here he’s supported by Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester on what is likely to be one of the summer’s biggest dancefloor fillers.

GRIZZLY BEAR

Two Weeks Warp****

Two Weeksis one of the standout tracks from Grizzly Bear's excellent Veckatimestalbum. The video, which finds the quartet wearing dickie bows and goofing around in a church, is one of the oddest things this writer has ever seen.

FLO RIDA ft WYNTER GORDON

Sugar Atlantic*

It's official: Tramar Dillard has no shame. His last hit, Right Round, sampled liberally from Dead or Alive's irritatingly catchy You Spin Me Round. This time out he's really outdone himself, taking the chorus of Eiffel 65's cheesy Europop 1999 hit Blue (Da Ba Dee)as his starting point. The latter has consequently been stuck in my head all day. Shuffle angrily shakes its fist at you, Tramar!

NICKELBACK

Burn It to the Ground Roadrunner Records*

“Were going out tonight/To kick out every light/Take anything we want/Drink everything in sight.” If there were a prize going for the stupidest, laziest, most boorish and unimaginative rock band on earth today, Nickelback would win it by a country mile. Oh, wait, there is a prize: fame, fortune and all the smoothing shine conditioner that money can buy. Well, that's nice, isn’t it?