ida maria, black helium, cut copy and more - singles for THE week beginning july 21!

BLACK HELIUM / CONSUMED WITH DOOM (DEATH POP) Rock/Christian Rap/Dutch Pop it says on the myspace page, but ‘Consumed with Doom’ sticks – fortunately – to the first of these. This features distortion, crunching riffs, howling, a wailing guitar solo, and then a surprisingly sweet harmony as the band come together to sing “Inside, outside, I’m insane.” CUT COPY / HEARTS ON FIRE (MODULAR) Giorgio Moroder-esque electropop that would make a perfect soundtrack to any 1980s-themed party you need a playlist for. However, despite the presence of DFA’s Tim Goldsworthy on production, ‘Hearts on Fire’ just smoulders for a bit before it goes out. NAPOLEON / SEND ME A WOMAN (MNR) Jangly guitar pop with a heart of soul, reminiscent of Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Napoleon’s compatriots Peter Bjorn & John. The barking dogs and a spoken word interlude (straight out of the Motown girl group handbook) are both neat. SCARS ON BROADWAY / THEY SAY (INTERSCOPE) Suitably apocalyptic stuff from System of a Down members Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan, whose metal roots echo through their first single. Amid the heavy guitars is a part-plea for tolerance. Rock show DJs had better stick to the radio edit. THE TING TINGS / SHUT UP AND LET ME GO (COLUMBIA) Or, to be flippant, Blondie – Rapture (the 2008 remix). That said, if Katie White is going to take inspiration from other female singers, Debbie Harry is a good choice. The spoken verse / semi-sung chorus is familiar from ‘That’s Not My Name’ but not as catchy this time around.