Singles of the Week

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As a a Yank held captive in this strange land, all this Jubilee hoopla is a bit perplexing. However I have been spared from participating in the celebrations, locked up as I am in the ivory tower of Music Fix HQ, toiling away on this week's hottest singles and having the honour of crowning the Single Of The Week. Now that is something to celebrate.

Nell Bryden - Buildings and Treetops
Up-tempo, rootsy-influenced pop from New York city that provides a taster for forthcoming album Shake The Tree. It's a bit C-list Radio 2 daytime for this punter. (DB)

Raging Jupiter - Someone To Me
For a self-released, self publicised first single, Raging Jupiter's debut is an astoundingly assured piece backed up with a solid, professional video; you'd never think this was stuff put together on a shoestring budget and shows that, if you're good enough, extensive production isn't a requirement. Madeleine Clark's gorgeous vocals evoke an almost Americana sound which marks the band out as something unique. Highly recommended. (CP)

Little Boots - Headphones
Further evidence, after a couple of earlier tasters, that Victoria Hesketh's second album sees the singer abandon the piano stool and head for the dance floor. While Hands was driven by silky beats, we gave it top marks on release because it married its sharp production with a deep, accomplished songcraft. This shift to the kind of minimal, sleek dance-pop best exemplified on the likes of Kylie's Fever seems something of a waste. 'Headphones' is likeable enough but, at this stage, we reserve the right to reserve judgement. (GK)

Turbowolf - Bag O' Bones
There are a lot of great British heavy bands doing the round at the moment but Bristolian rockers Turbowolf are near the top of the tree as this latest singles ably demonstrates. There may be a bit of a Queens Of The Stone Age vibe about 'Bag O' Bones' but Turbowolf infuse it with their own enjoyable brand of pschyed up power riffiing that is seeing them garner deserved plaudits wherever they go. (GB)

Aiden Grimshaw - Is This Love
The latest X Factor finalist to try and ply their trade in the big bad music industry world, Aiden Grimshaw's debut single 'Is This Love' has nothing about it to suggest Grimshaw is set to follow in the recent success of Rebecca Ferguson. Sure people might fall for his brooding charm, but 'Is This Love' drowns out his solid vocals - which often had their quirky edge during the show - in favour of some dreadful techno backing that has no place in what is essentially a ballad. Is this terrible? No. It's just utterly forgettable. (IS)

Jack Hayter - Sweet JD
The third part in Jack Hayter's expansive singles series, 'Sweet JD' sees his old London town croon set to a backdrop of electronic bleeping almost drowning out the soothing guitars buried deep within. A tribute to poet John Dunne and not the spirit, this is an altogether different four minutes of new meeting the old. (DH)

Single of the Week

Jake Bugg - Lightning Bolt
With a wonderfully rustic feel, Jake Bugg's 'Lightning Bolt' is an absolute delight. Bugg's gruff, folky vocals make it hard to believe this Nottingham troubadour is just 18, and it's all driven on by some cracking acoustic riffage before an electric guitar comes in to bolster matters. It may only be two-and-a-half minutes long but it makes a big impact. (IS)