by Mikey (Gillingham, Kent, UK)
RECORD OF THE WEEK
Natasha Bedingfield - Single This newcomer is of course, the sister of Daniel, who has had a phenomenally successful couple of years with hits such as 'Gotta Get Thru This' and 'If You're Not The One'. Her debut release, 'Single', however, clearly differentiates the London-based singer from her sibling and is a striking piece of urban-fused pop. It certainly shows, 'Single' is sassy, cool, and dripping with feminine prowess and heavily polished, a few minutes of tough funk in which she declares herself happy being without a man. A strong declaration of independence from a singer who is most certainly one to watch, in the coming year.

HOT SHOT RECORD
Ash - Orpheus The finest power-pop act to come from Ireland return with the mighty 'Orpheus', the first commercially available single to be lifted from their forthcoming album 'Meltdown'. Harder and heavier than anything they've released before but still retaining Tim Wheeler's trademark gift for melody, 'Orpheus' is the sound of a band maturing into their position as elder statesmen of British Rock. Long live Ash, a force to be reckoned with, welcome back Tim.

Auf Der Maur - Real A Lie The new queen of Goth rock releases her second single from her massively well-received self-titled debut album 'Auf Der Maur'. The single 'Real A Lie' is another epic of a rocker of impressive strength that threatens to knock Courtney Love and Brody Dalle into the pits of hollow darkness.

Baby Bash - Suga Suga Most people don't know how much work Baby Bash has put into rap music, previously known as Baby Beesh. He is well respected and well known in the west coast and has worked with the best of them. A lot of people have to open their eyes and see what Bash has done in the past before criticizing him about being "pop" or thinking that he has just came out of nowhere because that isn't the case. In a nutshell this is another hit to go in the books of Latin rap history, Bash is really one of a kind, and he deserves the fame that he's gotten.

Christina Milian - Dip It Low Three years after storming to the forefront of the pop world with the breakthrough single "AM To PM", Christina Milian is back and seemingly ready to take her career to the interstellar next level. This song is so freakin sexy, from the first beat till the last, you and your significant other will be all over each other. With new album "It's About Time" due this summer, comeback single "Dip It Low" showcases Christina's slinky R'n'B skills to fine effect. In this artist spotlight, to see just why Beyonce Knowles is watching her back.

Gabrielle - Stay The Same Gabrielle has spent over a decade surprising both herself and us. It'll be 11 years this summer since her now classic first single 'Dreams' put Gabrielle into the Guinness Book Of Records for the highest entry ever for a female artist making their debut. The single 'Stay The Same' is taken from her fourth forthcoming studio album 'Play To Win', the single is classic Gabrielle with emotive lyrics, classy production and her trademark smoky vocals.

Gomez - Catch Me Up It's been a while since Gomez released the Mercury Music award winning Bring It On, but it seems that with this single they have finally come full circle. Catch Me Up is undoubtedly the most accessible single Gomez have released since Whippin' Piccadily and certainly contains the rootsy, stripped down blues which was the staple of their first album and to a lesser extent, the follow up Liquid Skin. After the over-production and experimentation of their last outing. Hopefully this breezy, sentimental, even 'pop' tinged single will open Gomez up to the wider audience they deserve as possibly the only original band left in the UK.

Gunther & The Sunshine Girls - Ding Dong Song Gunther's 'Ding Dong Song' has sprung to life in Sweden where it has already peaked at the top of the charts. Now the UK is set to enjoy the intimate pleasures of his tra-la-la. The accompanying video - bizarrely uncensored in Sweden - sees the glamorous Sunshine Girls 'experimenting' together whilst Gunther erupts with excitement. 'Ding Dong Song' is also firmly established as a cult hit throughout Europe, with even Franz Ferdinand performing an acoustic version for Dutch radio. Well this is aimed straight to the waste paper bin, its awful, hate it so much, so whatever you do, leave it on the shelf, for the little leprechauns to find it.

Keane - Everybody's Changing 'Everybody's Changing' is a shimmering, electronic-laden ballad that sounds like it was crafted in a velvet-clad keyboard laboratory, run by a honey-voiced, Thom Yorke-esque genius. Featuring a melody that locks onto your brain and a vocal that can only be described as 'perfect', this is the kind of breakthrough track that has seen bands like Travis and Coldplay break from the indie underground to take over the mainstream.

Lostprophets - Wake Up (Make A Move) The third single from Lostprophets highly acclaimed sophomore album 'Start Something' is another monumental slab of brit nu-metal that will fill rock clubs across the land. The Welsh rockers are fast becoming the biggest and heaviest band in Britain and are certain to establish an even larger, worldwide fan base with this magnificent new track. Wake up to the Lostprophets they will rock your world.

Ronan Keating & LeAnn Rimes - Last Thing On My Mind The premier Irish heartthrob has teamed up with the gorgeous voice of US country to create 'Last Thing On My Mind' - a tear stained epic track that oozes sublime beauty. Ronan and LeAnn's voices wrap themselves around a haunting tune that is sure to create an upsurge in tissue sales throughout the country.

Tiesto ft. BT - Love Comes Again One of the most in demand records so far this year, and we have our hands on it! Tiesto teams up with BT for an absolute classic in the making! Unlike other collaborations with fellow-producers, BT does not push any buttons, but actually provides the vocals for this innovative production. If you're expecting hands in the air bunny trance, you're in for a surprise. Tiesto has turned the song into the perfect mix of dancefloor sounds and mesmerizing melodies.

Von Bondies - Tell Me What You See Following on from the single 'C'mon C'mon' and the awesome glam stomping album 'Pawn Shoppe Heart' comes the thumping new single 'Tell Me What You See', from everyone's favourite Detroit underdogs the: Von Bondies. Rammed full of darkly foreboding guitar, a screeching vocal from Jason Stollsteimer and 60s girl group harmonies from the ladies, 'Tell Me What You See' is the sound of a band on the verge of something great.

OTHER SINGLES RELEASED THIS WEEK
Acoustic Love Experience - Painted Pony
Ballboy featuring Laura Cantrell - Past Lovers
Bandits - No Shoes On My Feet
Bloc Party - Banquet
Buddahead - When I Fall
Chanelle - The Art Of Conversation
Coheed & Cambria - A Favour House Atlantic
Graham Coxon - Bittersweet Bundle Of Misery
Ingo & Eseni DJ - Scare Tactics/Drifting
Lari White - Nothing But Love
Little Menace - Come 'n' Gimme Your...
Polyphonic Spree - Two Thousand Places
Stylus Junkies vs UB40 - Food For Thought
Tali - Lyric On My Lip
Truth - Ready Now