Ryan (StopMe): As I type these words, I can barely contain my excitement as I watch a far-too-slow torrent of the last ever episode of Battlestar Galactica download after it aired on US telly last night. If you’re in similar agony then here are ten more fantastic tunes to sooth the passing of the next couple of hours:

Bat For Lashes’ ‘Sleep Alone’ has organic Guitars, industrial humming and shiny Synths for a ‘Kate Bush covering The Velvet Underground with the Pet Shop Boys producing’ kinda sound. It’s from Natasha Khan’s brand new album following on from her last Mercury-Prize nominated LP.

The music to Dan Bull’s ‘Summer’ has the tranquil groove of Robert Wyatt while his chilled rhymes recall the best of Mike Skinner. Go get his new ‘Safe’ LP for more tracks to delight the ears.

On ‘The Daddy’, Gripper brings some squelching Electro-Funk enhanced with the sugar-sweet Soul of Niko’s vocals. Prepare to do some booty shakin’.

‘Bootsy Bootsy’ feels like Magic Arm’s modern drum-heavy computer-music take on Donovan’s brand of English Psychedelia. Manchester has given birth to one more band to be proud of.

I’ve been following and loving the music of Anti-Folk stars Milk Kan for over four years so it’s exciting that they’ve finally dropped their first eponymous album. If you’re itching for the new Jamie-T LP then it’ll be right up your street. The mega singles aside, ’21st Century Love’ is a definite highlight.

Mongrel were first featured on this site in September when I got hold of a killer track called ‘The Menace’. Since then they’ve recorded their debut album (and given it away free on a magazine) packed with supreme Rap/Rock hybrids. ‘Lies’ proves that they are by far, the superior Arctic Monkeys related group.

Neal Casal is a guitarist in Ryan Adam’s band The Cardinals but he’s got another trick up his sleeve. ‘Back To Haunt You’ from his solo album, has the classy velvet-smooth Country-Soul of Chris Isaac’s best work.

‘Vulture’ is the first taste from Patrick Wolf’s two new albums. If it’s anything to go by he’s jettisoned the celebratory Folk-Pop of his last magnificent LP and gone in for more of an Electroclash direction. But as always, whatever weird and wonderful sounds Patrick uses he always manages to mould them into appealing shapes.

‘Cherrytree’ has an infectious campfire-sing-along vibe that makes you wanna clap your hands and stamp your feet. Sam McCarthy’s music makes me want to listen again and again and then possibly dig out that old Cosmic Rough Riders LP.

The Acid-Jazz label have released a brilliant cover of Duffy’s inescapable hit single ‘Mercy’. The Third Degree imagine if Duffy’s recording was the cover and that their version was the original, little known and raucous Northern-Soul version. It sounds so very, very believable.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A ZIP CONTAINING ALL TEN MP3s

Bat For Lashes MySpace / Purchase
Dan Bull MySpace / Purchase
Gripper MySpace / Purchase
Magic Arm MySpace / Purchase
Milk Kan MySpace / Purchase
Mongrel MySpace / Purchase
Neal Casal MySpace / Purchase
Patrick Wolf MySpace / Invest
Sam McCarthy MySpace / Purchase
Acid Jazz MySpace / Purchase

Here’s a video of a charming acoustic performance by Sam McCarthy of ‘Cherrytree’.

Popularity: 13% [?]