It was bound to happen, a mixture of laziness, forgetfulness and complete apathy meant that last week's tracks section never quite appeared. Apologies for that. Hoewever, you can now feast your ears and eyes on what we've been listening to this week, including Metronomy, Maps, Fuck Buttons, Them Crooked Vultures and many more... Please note that the missed week will never happen again. Not this month anyway.

First up is Metronomy. Scandalously omitted from this year's horrendously uninteresting Mercury Music Prize list, the band are re-releasing their brilliant debut album, Nights Out with added bells and whistles, including mixes, B-sides and new tracks. One of these new tracks is the unashamedly languid 'Not Made For Love', which shows that not everything that Joseph Mount gets his hand on has to be a party anthem...

Electro shoegazer James Chapman brings the latest chapter of his Maps project to fruition with new album, Turning The Mind released on 28th September. The album was recorded with Tim Holmes of Death In Vegas at the Contino Rooms, and will hopefully help pass the time before we may possibly be served up a new DiV offering. The first single from the album is 'I Dream Of Crystal', which is bothering me slightly as it reminds me of something that I just can't put my finger on. So, answers on a postcard please...In the meantime we'll go with St Etienne meets Spiritualized. You've got to love that massive, overblown orchestral hook! 'I Dream Of Crystal' is out today...

Also out today, also overblown and slightly more mental is the new single from Bristol's much loved radio-presenter botherers Fuck Buttons. 'Surf Solar' is the track and it's one of those buildy songs that never really goes anywhere but is pretty ace all the same. Like a darker 'Higher State of Consciousness' with less dreadlocks and more penguins...New album, Tarot Sport will follow on October 5th through ATP Recordings.

New York's Alberta Cross love Verve, a fact that won't be lost on anyone who checks out their new single 'ATX'. It's got the groove there, and vocalist Petter Ericson Stakee does a pretty good 'Stars In Their Eyes' Mad Richard, but there's a healthy dose of good ol' USA added to the formula in the way of shrieky guitars and top end vocals. A bit of Nick McCabe-like restraint wouldn't have gone amiss, and the track seems to outstay its welcome a little bit by the end, but kudos for the effort...The band are touring the UK very soon.

Best song title of the week goes to The Silent Years who release new single, 'Taking Drugs At The Amusement Park' on October 5th. Nice lo-fi pop from the Detroit five-piece, who unfortunately haven't been kind enough to provide us with a video. You can however listen to them on their Myspace

The continually annoying comeback award goes to Gossip, who evidently didn't want to be one of those 'The' bands anymore. If someone can provide me with an example of a more grating noise than Beth Ditto's voice, then please don't, as I'll have to rip out the inside of my ears. 'Love Long Distance' is the new single, and it's a really good example of someone shrieking over a crap early 90s house tune. the longer distance between us and Beth Ditto, the better, quite frankly. They've kindly disabled embedding on their Youtube Channel, which we can all be thankful for, however, you can hear the Fake Blood remix below which to be honest, is better. Although they could have made it an instrumental...

Far more worthy is Thom Yorke's percussion heavy, haunting cover of Miracle Legion's 's 'All For The Best' which forms part of a new tribute album to singer Mark Mulcahy. Entitled Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs Of Mark Mulcahy, the album features covers done by the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Michael Stipe and Frank Black and also serves as a tribute to Mulcahy's wife Melissa who sadly passed away recently. You can hear Thom Yorke's offering below...

More of a curio than anything else is new track 'Waves' from Erol Alkan's Boys Noise. I'm featuring this more because I think Erol used to live in my flat, than anything else. It's a strange little electro track from a man who is usually happy to take a backseat as producer or DJ, so maybe this will help him to break out into the puclic consciousness. Let me know if you want your post forwarded!!

Finally, in tribute to their recent introductory performances at Reading and Leeds, here's a little taster of the upcoming Them Crooked Vultures record. The promo has a very QOTSA feel to it in both looks and sounds, but is definitely something to get excited about...and oh my Christ it's good to hear DG back on the drums...