New Musick Monday

After a week of chart hiatus, we're back with a bang this week. OK, picking La Roux and Florence & The Machine was never what you'd descirbe as a risk, but still, you've got to be in it to win it. La Roux's 'Bulletproof' soared in at no.1 whilst her raven-haired counterpart just missed the top ten, at no.12. Even the Gossip album made the top twenty, more evidence if any were needed of Musick's almost Shamanistic promotional qualities.

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La Roux by La Roux



In a way, despite it's title, pop music is meant to be divisive. Lots of people hate Madonna or Kylie or the Sugababes and will write numerous vitriolic forum posts to prove it. That's good, no-one wants to please everyone all the time, surely? La Roux front woman Elly Jackson seems to have got up plenty of noses on her way to being a bona fide pop star, and this debut album is packed full of potential singles, meaning she's not going away any time soon. 'In For The Kill', Bulletproof' and 'Quicksand' are all deft eighties-saturated gems, whilst 'I'm Not Your Toy', 'Fascination' and 'Colourless Colour' show there's more to the duo then just a falsetto and some cheap synths.

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Wilco (The Album) by Wilco



Wilco are often called the "American Radiohead". Well, they were probably called it once and then that was referred to by another journalist, which was then picked up by another and so the lie is perpetuated. Wilco aren't Radiohead, they're Wilco, do you see? Anyway, this is their new album and it features a camel on the cover, wearing a party hat. This alone is reason enough to be interested, but luckily it also contains some pretty amazing music. All in all, it's better then their last one which was pretty dull, but not as good as their best one which is A Ghost Is Born.

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'Man In The Mirror' by Michael Jackson



For reasons unknown to us at least, this has become the front runner to reach number 1 following Michael Jackson's untimely death. Given the ubiquity of 'Billie Jean', 'Thriller' et al, perhaps a song that didn't reach the top twenty on its initial release but somehow seems to sum Jackson up - the allusions to changing the world and your appearance - has made it stand out. Whatever the reason, 'Man In The Mirror' is an epic song, all slow-burn build-up, finger clicks, choirs and that pained, soulful voice. In general, we've been surprised at how well the Bad album stands the test of time. Well done Michael.