frans hals: this month i've covered something a little more obscure. harking back to the nme c86 era, "frans hals" by mccarthy was a perfect slice of marxist indie-pop. throughout september 2010 it will be available to download for free from here!

you cage: something a little darker this month. "you cage" was originally by throwing muses. throughout august 2010 it will be available to download for free from here!

the first picture of you: the sun is shining, holidays are hopefully just around the corner, so here's a nice summery tune for you! "the first picture of you" was originally by the lotus eaters. lovely. throughout july 2010 it will be available to download for free from here!

let the happiness in: we're back from primavera sound in barcelona and ready to face the world! june is my birthday month, so this time i'm giving you a special treat of not just one, but two (or one and a half, strictly speaking) free songs for the june instalment of respect. i've spliced together two lovely songs from big favourites of mine: david sylvian's sublime "let the happiness in" and pale saints' 1989 debut "sight of you". throughout june 2010 it will be available to download for free from here!

say hello, wave goodbye: something a bit more upbeat for the start of the summer! (well, relatively upbeat for me...) the fifth respect release is here (a few days early, as i'll be away over the weekend). this time up, it's a radical reworking of one of my favourite songs from the '80s, "say hello, wave goodbye" which was a hit for soft cell. you can listen to it now, and throughout may 2010 it will be available to download for free from here!

say hello, moseley: good gig news - i'm playing the moseley folk festival again this year! this is rapidly turning out to be one of the best little festivals of the year, and i'm glad to confirm that i'll be playing the bohemian jukebox stage again. don't know which day yet, but i recommend going for the whole weekend anyway.

wave goodbye, london: bad gig news - the felt tribute gig at the lexington on 9th may is cancelled, i'm sorry to say. delays in the launch of the felt fanzine have meant that the gig has had to be rescheduled. shame, as i was looking forward to airing my version of "primitive painters".

easter parade: a seasonal release for the fourth track in the respect project! "easter parade" was originally by scotland's finest, the blue nile. you can listen to it now, and throughout april 2010 it will be available to download for free from here!