19th October is a day of many great world events. In 202BC, Hannibal Barca, leader of the invading Carthaginian army, was defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus in the Battle of Zama; in 1933 Germany withdrew from the League of Nations; and in 2005, a certain Saddam Hussein went on trial for crimes against humanity. Can the release of any of this week's single match up to these momentous events? Let's find out...

Podgy Figures - I Want In
C'mon, Podgy Fingers would have been a much funnier name... There's nothing in this grime-inflected r'n'b tune that stands out from the crowd. (JD)

Lord Auch - ...To The Shithouse EP
Beginning with 'Sappho and Double Skin' and 'Drunkards Rigadoon', you could be forgiven for thinking Lord Auch are a pretty decent Nick Cave tribute band. Lead vocalist, Simon McCabe, has the creepy pub singer impression down to a T and, when the rest of the band back him up, they sound like a choir of convicts. Next to these tracks, '...To The Shithouse' sounds bizarrely funky - it's not quite Prince, mind. (JD)

Vigil Howe - Someday
Relaxed breakbeats, 70s style guitar, moog: Howe just manages to save this from fading into the background. (JD)

Air France - Gothenburg Belongs To Me
Reminiscent of early Saint Etienne, this is top drawer dreamy electronic pop music. Best of all you can download it for free from Air France's website. (JD)

Bonobo feat Andreya Triana - The Keeper
A taster of the next Bonobo album (to be released in 2010), this soul-jazz offering seems a tad too leisurely. (JD)

Turboweekend - Trouble Is
MTV-friendly synth-rock. Suddenly Denmark does't sound so exotic. (JD)

Meleka - Go
If you think no dance tune is complete without a bit of Mariah Carey-style warbling on top, this slice of house/garage may well be just the thing to tempt you away from your champers and onto the dancefloor. (JD)

Cascada - Dangerous
If I was 18, down the 'Rave Up' and all whacked on Scooby Snacks, I'd think this was Manna from Heaven. Thank God I'm not. Youth is indeed wasted on the young. (MJ)

Tigers That Talked - Artificial Clouds
An impressive, heart-on-sleeve epic with a huge chorus that inspires love at first listen. This Leeds quartet have mastered the art of restraint missing from most folk rock and, here, create a majestic soundscape from the most basic of ingredients. Sublime.(SB)

The Chapman Family - Virgins
This is an invigorating blast from the past. Virgins captures the spirit of the Wonderstuff and meld that spite onto an ear shredding post punk battlefield of meaty bass lines and shrieking guitars. The metaphorical flip-side Good Times is, sadly, not a cover of the Chic classic but is nevertheless a stately affair which is reminiscent of Jarvis Cocker in a bit of a grump.(SB)

White Belt Yellow Tag - Remains EP
Kinda like the Human League meets Ultravox ‘Remains’ should come with its own glitterball. Another record which could have been made 25 years ago, but it is no less welcome for all that. Not content with dragging us up onto the dancefloor for a fubmling grope they also want to warm the cockles of our hearts: this is achieved through inclusion of a blissful cover of The Wedding Present’s ‘Dalliance’. Whisper it softly but it may even be better than the original.(SB)

Astrid Williamson – Shut Your Mouth
Sassy indie songstress asks us to shut our mouths. How rude! That is until she follows up with the line “Until I Kiss You”. That’s alright then. Prepare to pucker up for an ubeat rock snog-a-thon. (AM)



The Twilight Sad – Seven Years Of Letters
Tell me about it! I’ve had seven years of letters from Reader’s Digest, but despite my best attempts, they won’t leave me alone. I don’t feel so alone now that I know The Twilight Sad are in the same position. Hopefully this magnificent slab of moody wall-of-sound rock will convince the powers-that-be to cease their junk mail campaign. (AM)

Darkstar - Aidy's Girl Is A Computer
Yet another glorious release from the amazing Hyperdub label. Merging Speak & spell vocals with some of the most intoxicating beats and divine chimes heard this year. As the counter ticks 8-bit oscillations begin to emerge, throbbing into the foreground adding new dimensions with each second that passes. This could be taken straight from Metal Mickey's make-out-mix, the vacuum cleaner had better watch out! (AM)



The Broken Family Band - Cinema vs House
The subject is as indecisive as the track, but somehow it works. 'I don't love you, I love you' lyrics jump out from a patchwork of different sounds, but the folk leanings come through and give the song a heart that it would otherwise lack. (CP)

Kizzy Star - The Last Time
The bombastic opening gives a false impression as the initial clatter makes room for a much more sedate and suprisingly lovely song. There is a real sense of the epic with the song that the likes of The Editors would love to capture - but rarely do, this is the kind of thing you'd expect their fellow countrymen, Idlewild, to put out and comes highly recommended. (CP)

Single of the Week

And, so it comes to pass, we are entering yet another week and thus it is time to pick the track that will receive the covetted and much sought-after TMF SOTW recommendation. It was a close run thing - Darkstar were close to achieving infamy, but they were pipped to the post at the last minute. So, without further ado, this week the award goes to...

Nerina Pallot - Real Late Starter
What can you say about a song that combines gorgeous lyrics with accomplished musicianship and an angelic voice? Real Late Starter is one of those songs that you don't mind getting stuck in your head - clear, sassy vocals and a wonderful tune prove this to be the perfect pop song. It's a real shame that the UK public would rather buy nondescript rubbish rather than spend their cash on real talent like this. Critically, Nerina Pallot has been roundely lauded, but we're still waiting for this to translate to sales - so go on, show her some support. (CP)

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