The Monthly - February 11

1. ANNA CALVI – Suzanne And I Hot Off The Press
Londoner Calvi comes hotly tipped with this Bassey-esque track taken from her recent self-titled debut album.

2. ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI – Contact High Hot Off The Press
Forthcoming track from Australian group’s fifth album, Moment Bends, and very summery it is too.

3. CUT COPY – Take Me Over Hot Off The Press
More breezy Aussie indie synth-pop, from this duo’s recent well-received third album, Zonoscope.

4. HOLY GHOST! – Do It Again Hot Off The Press
NYC duo get all 80s on this moody pop number that’s a precursor to their debut album, released in April.

5. LADY GAGA – Born This Way Hot Off The Press
Sure, it’s more than a bit Madonna and cynically uses gay rights issues for its own publicity, but it’s also massive.

6. GIL SCOTT-HERON & JAMIE xx – I’ll Take Care Of U Hot Off The Press
Jamie from The xx is the current remixer of choice and here tackles all of GSH’s last album, I’m New Here.

7. RADIOHEAD – Morning Mr Magpie Hot Off The Press
Masters of the marketing talking point. This is my highlight of the surprise new album, King Of Limbs.

8. YEASAYER – I Remember (Villa Remix) Hot Off The Press
A beautiful track from one of my favourite albums of 2010, this remix of the latest single to be taken from Odd Blood lets the song take you over for a full eight minutes.

9. JAMES BLAKE – Measurements Hot Off The Press
Another big tip for greatness in 2011, Londoner Blake marries fragile vocals with ghostly, dubby melodies and this comes from his recently released self-titled debut album.

10. FLEET FOXES – Helplessness Blues Hot Off The Press
Their bucolic folky formula ain’t broke, so they didn’t fix it. New album of the same title’s due soon.

11. PLASTIC PENNY – Caledonia Mission New To Me
This obscure UK band re-recorded this song from The Band for their 1968 album Currency.

12. ALICE COOPER – Billion Dollar Babies New To Me
Straight up glam rock from Alice from the 1973 album of the same name that topped the US & UK charts.

13. DEL AMITRI – Roll To Me Rediscovery Of The Month I
Heard this in a pub and figured it was actually quite pleasant. A 1995 single for the Scottish faux folkies.

14. TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD – Sixteen Tons New To Me
Tom Waits put a compilation together for Mojo mag recently which featured this US #1 from 1955. Ace.

15. HUI OHANA & JERRY BYRD – How D’ya Do? New To Me
It’s not summer yet, but this might encourage the sun to come out. Byrd is the #1 inductee into the Steel Guitar Hall Of Fame. Fact.

16. COMMON – G.O.D. (Gaining One’s Definition) Rediscovery Of The Month II
As befits a song whose lyrics are tattooed on to me, this crops up on the headphones quite often. It’s everything hip hop can be – thoughtful, considered, erudite – but so often isn’t. Definitely worth listening to the lyrics if you haven’t already.

P.S. The photo at the top is an attempt to make The Monthly posts a little less text-y, so to accompany them from now on I think I'll put up a photo from the past month, something topical that sums that month up. This is of a deserted rail station, typical of my past month's commuting experiences after I've moved to the other side of London.