EOIN BUTLER's guide to downloads, singles and free audiostreams

JAPE

You Make the Love Music Is for Losers ****

The first official single from Jape’s Ocean of Frequency album (follow-up to 2009’s Choice Music Prize-winning Ritual) is an unabashed pop number in the vein of David Kitt’s early work. “How on earth did you get into my jeans?” he wonders at one point. Practice mate, practice.

VILLAGERS

Cecelia Her Selfhood Domino ****

A longstanding live favourite given the video treatment courtesy of Adrien Merigeau, Cecilia Her Selfhood tells the story of one elfin singer- songwriter and his tireless crusade against statue vandalism. Or maybe that’s too literal an interpretation.

ROB WADE

My Life Story **

Rob Wade is a 30-year-old electrician turned rapper from the mean(-ish) streets of Ballybane, in east Galway, where (to judge by this video) the gardaí have adopted a zero tolerance approach to badly staged street fights. youtube.com

TONY BENNETT & AMY WINEHOUSE

Body & Soul Columbia ***

The smoothie veteran crooner’s Duets II album includes collaborations with artists as disparate as Lady Gaga and Willie Nelson. Unsurprisingly, however, most of the pre-release publicity has focused on this, the last recording by the late Amy Winehouse. Although it’s not an especially memorable swansong, Body Soul is nonetheless a timely reminder of a talent that has been extinguished.

LADY GAGA

You & I Interscope ***

The fourth single from Gaga’s Born This Way album was produced by soft-rock legend Robert “Mutt” Lange. Fun fact: there is now only one degree of separation between the most controversial pop singer of the decade and Ipswich Town FC’s 1978 FA Cup single Ipswich, Ipswich, Get That Goal.

NICOLA ROBERTS

Lucky Day Polydor ***

The former Girls Aloud surprised just about everyone with a debut solo single that was (whisper it!) a pretty decent record. She doesn’t quite repeat that feat here, but she is wearing the shortest skirt in history in the video – if that’s any consolation! youtube.com