For those of you who don’t know them, Phoenix are a French rock band who sing (mostly) in English and are masters of the retro-rock sound. United was their debut album and the track ‘If I Ever Feel Better‘ was the only reason that made me buy this record a couple of years ago. I am not a big fan of bands with pansy/effete vocalists but for this bittersweet beauty of a song, I am glad I can make exceptions.

Wrong is the first single from Depeche Mode’s new album, Sounds Of The Universe, due out next month. I already like the the dark, dark look of things to come.

If you thought Take Me Out from Franz Ferdinand’s self-titled debut album was awesome, the first single off their new album, Ulysses, might just blow you away. It’s a great return to form for the Scottish rockers after their disappointing sophomore album. This album is just brilliant on headphones — a lot of small sonic details and the electronica-infused grit will start tickling your ears. Their lyrics might make you cringe now and then, but these boys definitely know how to make a good tune (f)or two.

An incredibly dedicated and talented dad draws on his kids’ lunch bags everyday. Way to go, dad dude!

This is only the second Coldplay record I have in my possession. Someone gifted me the sappy, moody but not-really-that-bad Parachutes album many years ago, and I bought Viva La Vida, Or Death and All His Friends because the cover invoked a bizarre feeling of optimism in me. Even more bizarrely, I also bought it, despite not really liking Coldplay, because I wanted to see if there was any new musical reason to like Chris Martin and Co.

Sadly, I have to say that they still sound like they want to be U2. The guitars sound like a homage to The Edge, and the epic atmospherics of the album sound very Joshua Tree-like. They have Brian Eno as a producer which probably doesn’t help. I’m sure there are definitely U2 fans out there who dig Coldplay but I obviously am not one of them.

My theory is that Coldplay figured that since they were incapable of rivaling the cutting edge Radiohead stuff, they might as well try and fill be the biggest stadium rock band mould created by U2.

As a consolation, thanks to Coldplay’s massive fan base, at least I know I can get a good price at Cash Converters for this CD next week.

[The] last time AC/DC made No 1 in Britain, the country was on the brink of recession. Back In Black, the album that marked their commercial breakthrough and went on to become the second biggest-selling of all time, was released in 1980, just as inflation had reached 20% and unemployment inched towards 2 million.

›› The Guardian analyses the timings of AC/DC’s chart successes

Jim Hance does some awesome paintings that blends pop culture icons and parody art (or “twisted art” in the artist’s own words). Stormtrooper Fields Forever is my current favourite though his other works are equally impressive. I’d love to buy one of his pieces one day for my home for sure, and they are very affordable too.

You could say that if Definitely Maybe was their Stone Roses, Dig Out Your Soul is their Second Coming. It won’t win them any new fans, but those that believed the truth last time will dig this.

›› The Observer reviews the new Oasis album

With all the money they made, I suppose the Arctic Monkeys‘ Alex Turner could do whatever the hell he felt like doing. And so maybe he decided to gang up with his friend Miles Kane, start a side project called The Last Shadow Puppets and release a ballsy and ambitious album titled Age of the Understatement that would pay homage and draw inspiration from retro ‘orchestral’ pop music.

Despite the arrangements sounding somewhat familiar (maybe nostalgic is the right word here), the sweeping strings, fulsome percussions and great energy make this a very, very good album. Already I am thinking this should be one of the best albums of the year.

Now, that is old school!

For a band that gave us seminal classics like 1991’s Screamadelica, 1997’s Vanishing Point and 2000’s epochal XTRMNTR, it was quite hard to believe Primal Scream could come up with total crap two years ago, which they titled Riot City Blues. I was really hoping they would have recovered that hard edge and done something new with their newest album, Beautiful Future.

But alas, it’s another derivative, boring and patchy effort from a bunch of guys who seem to have lost their edge. With the exception of one or two well-produced tracks (like the very groovy Uptown), most of the album is just despondently disappointing.

The only reason why I ever picked up my first Kitsuné Maison compilation was because of the Beatles-esque cover art. The only reason why I keep buying the compilations is that they never disappoint with the quite careful selection of excellent electronic rock ‘n’ dance acts from the Kitsuné stable of artists. Edition number 5 does not disappoint with some great tracks and remixes from Fischerspooner, Late of the Pier, Does It Offend You, Yeah? and the Cazals.

And no, I haven’t figured out why the heck Britney Spears made it to the cover…

The Very Best of the Lightning Seeds is actually the second official greatest hits album from Liverpudlian band The Lightning Seeds. Before they released their last album Tilt, there was their first greatest hits compilation Like You Do… Best of the Lightning Seeds. The fans and purists will always bicker over what tracks should have been included and what tracks were left out. I say just get either of the damn compilations and enjoy some of the best music that came out during the 90s. (Except Three Lions, which is crap unless you’re a drunk English football fan or something.)