McFly
Please Please
Universal

McFly’s cheeky chappie amiability has taken them a long way. Two chart-topping albums, eight top ten singles and a role in a Hollywood film isn’t bad going for a band that’s never come close to matching Busted’s charisma and ear for melody. New single Please Please namechecks the boys’ Just My Luck co-star Lindsay Lohan – well, you gotta keep that Did She Really Shag The Drummer rumour alive somehow, don’t you? – and wears its 50s rock ‘n’ roll influences on its sleeve. It’s as pert and perfectly-formed as Lohan’s buttocks but, unfortunately, as memorable as her role in Herbie Fully Loaded. Next time around, boys, why don’t you try writing something that doesn’t sound as though it belongs in a Happy Days prom scene?

And after the jump, more singles reviews from Rihanna, Gnarls Barkley, She Wants Revenge, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Performance, James Morrison and Gary Numan. You’re welcome…

Rogue Traders
Voodoo Child
BMG

You know Izzy from Neighbours, right? The tart without a heart who split up Ramsay Street’s golden couple Karl and Susan? Well, even if you don’t, you’ve doubtless spotted her killer cleavage while flicking over from a dull segment about war postcards on Richard and Judy. Anyway, the actress who plays this legendary bitch – Natalie Bassingthwaighte, we believe they call her – is now fronting Aussie electro-rock band Rogue Traders. Trivia fans might like to know they’ve just scored a triple platinum album over in Strewth-Mate-Put-Some-More-Shrimps-On-The-Barbie-Land. Voodoo Child is a dirty great slab of dance-rock, built around a re-recorded riff from Elvis Costello’s Pump It Up, and properly sold by a persuasively hammy vocal from Bassingthwaighte. Like one of those hand-held fans you get in Woolies, it’s cheap, disposable and absolutely essential this summer.

More singles reviews after the jump, you lucky bleeders, from Jim Noir, Shayne Ward, Shack, Webb Sisters, Mogwai, Tapes n’ Tapes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Dirty Pretty Things…

Simply Red (or Mick Hucknall plus some other blokes) basked in the warmth of adulation at Harewood house near Leeds last night despite the rain lashing down and lightning threatening to immolate the congregation of die-hard fans.

Mick’s delivery of old favourites such as Holding Back The Years and oh… some of the other ones, went well. He then caused alarm amongst some of the watchers when he announced he would perform stuff from the new album.

It must be Lemonheads Appreciation Day or something today, since we’ve had not only a review by an old Lemonhead in his Varsity Drag guise, buy also Have You Seen Lucky by John Kastner, who’s written with Evan Dando before.

And that’s fine by us, since summery indie powerpop is always welcome here, especially when it’s delivered with the finesse of Have You Seen Lucky by John Kastner. Which this is, since this is Have You Seen Lucky by John Kastner.