The Greatest Rabbit Fur Coat Cash Machine

The above title might read like a passage from Toni Morrison's Beloved but it's just my way of bringing three pieces of music, newly released this week, to your attention.



Cat Power's 'The Greatest' is not the sultry singer's best of album (as the title might make you think) but is undoubtedly her finest release of her career. She's dabbled with hit and miss solo albums before - as well as being the vocalist for the last Handsome Boy Modelling School release - and this is clearly her most consistent album. And is her patchy live form a thing of the past too? Her next date - how apt! - in New York is on Valentines Day if you wish to find out.



Jenny Lewis is better known as the lead singer in Rilo Kiley but - true fact alert - as a birthday present to herself, she has made this side project of an album with the Watson Twins. And thus 'Rabbit Fur Coat' is her gift to us. The voice is as magnificent as ever as strains of alt-country, soul and even gospel make their way into your head. You'll even forgive her cover of The Travelling Wilbury's 'Handle With Care', quite possibly the most self-knowingly uncool cover version of all time. Which makes it pretty cool. Many Happy Returns indeed.



And for any US users of itunes, make sure you snap up their free download of the week. Inexplicably, they're offering British band Hard-Fi's current single 'Cash Machine'. It's my favourite three minutes and forty two seconds of music in 2006. And as they're the closest thing we have right now to The Clash, you should heed my advice and check them out. Lest we forget, London is Calling...