The Pussycat Dolls - "Don't you wish your girlfriend was raw like me?" Is there a problem with cooked women in the west coast at the moment?

The Go! Team — Bottle Rocket 2005

There are many reasons why a band chooses to re-record a song. Sometimes, there's a change in line-up, sometimes the original may fall foul of sampling rules, and well, sometimes I guess a band thinks it can do better. I don't know for certain, but I suspect that this new version of Bottle Rocket is mainly down to the first two reasons. According to rumours, Thunder, Lightning, Strike is being held back from release in America until Sony/CBS can clear all the samples it uses. So a new version of Bottle Rocket is, perhaps, a little suspect (and maybe a sign that we should stock up on the UK version to sell to our overseas friends). But it can also be explained by reason two.; as far as I can make out (and yes, I should have perhaps asked about this when I interviewed them a while back), the original version was made before Ninja joined the group, so it features a different vocal. So it's fairly reasonable to remake the track in the image of the band before they are given a big push by their new record company.

But does it work? Ah, not quite. The wonderful thing about The Go! Team is that their songs sound so compressed; tinny delights packed close together with no room to breathe. As soon as Bottle Rocket 2005 (as the hip cats, er, probably won't be calling it) begins, you can tell the difference immediately - there's so much space; it's like they've blown the song up with a pump. It's not bad, but the jump outside of Ian P's bedroom has hurt it a little (strangely, Ninja's version sounds better live).

Robyn — Robotboy

It's this year's Annie! Just look at the similarities! Five letters in their name! Both from Scandinavian countries! The blogs are fawning over them! And an almost-equal record of setting the charts on fire! (check charts: hmm, not even smouldering)

And, just like Annie, it's a bit of a shame, as Robyn's album, Robyn (boo, you could have gone for a pun, dear! Annie did and it got her, um, well, okay, you might have a point) is full of great songs drawn from the New Pop school, stopping off to pick up some sass from Missy Elliot and flick dirt in Gwen Stefani's face (Konichiwa Bitches anybody?). The album limps a little at the end; finishing with four ballads is probably something to be avoided in most circumstances, even if Bum Like You and Eclipse are rather splendid. Abby has already waxed lyrical about the double-timed cello in Be Mine, so I'll point out this track, about the oh-so-common problem of a death-dealing robot running out of power far away from home. No, really. The moment of genius in this piano and strings ballad? That'll be the first verse, as Roybn sings 'find your co-ordinates home', at which point 'home' breaks off from the verse, looping and repeating over the rest of the song. Makes you just want to give it a big hug.

Erm. Moving on…

The Shortwave Set — Is it Any Wonder

Common descriptions of The Shortwave Set include 'Saint Etienne if they started playing in the 1880s' and 'Fairly splendid, Jeeves'. Despite that, their album The Debt Collection is an enjoyable British take on the Avalanches/Go! Team/Plus Tech! Squeeze Box style. Annoyingly, Is It Any Wonder reminds me of someone, but I just can't remember who. Anyway, pleasant and mellow; just the right thing for a sunny day. Let me know when one turns up.

Scarlet — Independent Love Song

"Oooooh! I'llll shoooooww yooooouu hooow too taaake meeeee! Goooo dooown, goooo dooown!"

Wonderful meta-pop, and anyone who says otherwise is dead inside. Dead. Inside.