This week, Matt tries to earn more than £1.60.

Badly Drawn Boy – All Possibilities (XL)

The third single from the Badly Drawn one’s second album Have You Fed The Fish?, All Possibilities finds him once again ruminating on his new found fame and features a video of him busking to indifferent commuters outside Waterloo Station. He reportedly made a grand total of £1.60 in the first hour and a half, commenting, “It’s well below the average wage, isn’t it? I’d be better off working in McDonald’s.” Personally I can’t wait for the rarities album Have You Ate The Fillet-O-Fish?

listen to all possibilities

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (XL)

One of the highlights of the fabulous Elephant album, not to mention one of the most memorable basslines of recent years (almost up there with Billy Jean). Jack is a man who sounds like he really means it and, what’s more, he probably does. It’ll have the beer-soaked indie club dancefloors packed with swaying fringes and shuffling Converse trainers. Don’t get put off by the hype, this (and Elephant) really are excellent records.

Short Break Operator EP (Radiate)

The first collection of songs from James Chapman who, by the sound of the press release, is a bit like that Matthew character out of Game On, in that he never goes out. Instead, he stays locked away in his bedroom with a load of analogue keyboards, guitars and violins and makes blissed-out melodic electronica. It sounds a bit like Simon & Garfunkel if they’d had the technology, and the inclination to employ a drum machine not a drummer. That’s good, by the way.

Grandadbob – City Approach/3am Gherkin (Southern Fried)

Sheffield’s Grandadbob are boy/girl duo Dave Johnson and Vanessa Robinson, who specialise in soulful, quirky house music. Grandadbob is Vanessa’s grandad who’s called, er, Bob. This double A-side is the second from their forthcoming (and brilliantly titled) Waltzes For Weirdos album. The Daft Punk meets FC Kahuna-esque tunes come backed with mixes from Brooks and Grand Central mainman Mark Rae.

Venus Hum – Montana (BMG)

Hideously kitsch bubblegum beats from America’s latest attempt at dance music. You know how your mum always told you not to swallow bubblegum because you’d “die”? Well that would certainly be a preferable fate than listening to this dire Europop fallacy. Apparently they’re quite a spectacle, live. They’d have to be to distract from the god-awful music.

Matt Walton 17 April 03

All singles released 21 April 03.