Steph Cosway battles her way through the latest offerings from acts including Madness and Deadmau5 in this week’s singles club.

Madness: Sugar & Spice

It’s incredibly easy to hate any Madness song purely on principle. Madness are, after all, an incredibly annoying band. New offering, Sugar & Spice is sickly sweet and over indulged with your typical Madness “real-life” cheesy, lackluster lyrics. It’s just begging to be hated. Unfortunately it’s also exceptionally catchy. Much like an embarrassing wart, this song is a major grower. If you wish to remain a Madness hater I suggest you avoid it all costs otherwise you might just have to admit that Sugar & Spice is actually rather good – for a Madness song anyway.

Deadmau5 feat Rob Swire: Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff

There is no denying that there is something exceptionally cool (or sexy if you will) about a Canadian man cavorting in a giant mouse head. Weird, yes but hey his music is rather snazzy too. In a pretty forgettable and repetitively boring kind of way. No matter how perceptively “cool” Deadmau5 may be, on CD his music lacks any real spice. Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff is 80’s synth meets 90’s drum and bass: i.e. perfect at 2am in a club for some dancing after a few G&Ts but not one for the walk home.

Black Box Revelation: I Think I Like You

Sleazy, grubby and just a little bit dirty. I Think I Like You is the bad boy of indie songs. The one you wouldn’t introduce to your parents. The one you’d sneak out of your room for sordid listens. The one you wish had popped your musical cherry. By golly you need this song in your life. Unlike the overrated indie offerings of bands like the Arctic Monkeys or the Enemy, Black Box Revelation come with a bluesy bite that is nothing less than infectious. This is what indie should sound like every day of the week. I demand you listen to it.

Twin Atlantic: You’re Turning Into John Wayne

Don’t get me wrong, you’ll not get a prouder Scot than I. I can sing every word of Loch Lommand, I’ll stick up for Gary Caldwell till the bitter end and I even own the odd tartan skirt BUT bloody hell Twin Atlantic make me cringe. That accent… Ouch. What can you really say about a band who pronounces America “Ameerakin”? This band are definitely more disclaimer than Proclaimer. Avoid at all costs folks.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart: Come Saturday

At last it’s happened. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (what a name for a band) have done it! They have created the insomniac’s ultimate cure! This song seriously takes mediocre rock to a whole new level of boring. Think Pulp without Cocker or Morrissey on valium. It just doesn’t work and never will. I never got past the first listen.