Five decent tunes by bands that you're not supposed to like

5. The Rakes - When Tom Cruise Cries (mp3)

I don't know what happened to The Rakes. 22 Grand Job used to get played in all the indie clubs, but now their name is like Voldemort to the wizarding community. Maybe their last album was too overtly political, I don't know. But this tune is class. Look out for the mobile phone interference mid-way through.

4. The Pigeon Detectives - I'm Not Sorry (mp3)

When these lads first got famous there was nothing wrong with liking them. They were probably the most energetic act to grace the music festivals of 2007. A bit of bad PR about a wet t-shirt contest later, they're more FHM than NME. (Maybe more Nuts and Zoo than FHM.) It didn't help that their second album is almost completely shit, I suppose. But I'm Not Sorry is a massive tune. If the singles market was still relevant to the over-12s, this would have been at the top of the charts for a long time.

3. The Kooks - Eddie's Gun (mp3)

By all accounts, Luke from The Kooks is loathsome. Once you've seen him interviewed, it's hard to feel sorry for him when you hear the songs that were inspired by how he loved and lost Katie Melua. But you've got to have some strange admiration for a man who sings about erectile disfunction, haven't you?

2. Razorlight - Vice (mp3)

Johnny Borrell is a kind of loathsome that Luke Kook will never become. That's because not only does Borrell think he's a musical genius, but he also thinks he's the new Bob Geldof/Bono/Jesus (depends on the amount of coke he's had). As part of his plan to save the universe, Razorlight's new music is nothing but insipid. But their first album had some great upbeat songs. It's one of those albums that got crafted over a number of years of touring tiny, sweaty venues. More bands should take a leaf out of The Cribs' book and stay that way for longer.

1. Coldplay - See You Soon (mp3)

Let's be honest, these days Chris Martin is nearly as much of a hate figure as Blair and Bush. But before he got a Hollywood girlfriend and named his child after fruit, Coldplay made some genuinely nice music. It was delicate, sad, quiet music. Many said it was depressing. Then all of a sudden he wasn't a virginal student, so he was singing about nothing in particular (with the help of a terrible, terrible rhyming dictionary) and showing off some terrible dance moves. It's a bit like how Oasis had nothing to say as soon as they were off the dole. Ah well, See You Soon is still lovely. It's like Fix You with the twat-factor cranked down from eleven to two.