I’m not sure if it’s the lack of proper pop tunes lately, the current buzz about the Sigur Rós album, or the fact that I’ve wasted away the greater half of this day Wikipedia-ing ’80′s horror film classics for some precious morsels of behind-the-scenes tidbits that I hadn’t already known, but I’m bored.

And so, in my state of cow-like zen, I’ve been listening to music that isn’t quite usual for me. Not on my radar, if you will. After hoping onto one of my favorite, most quirkiest of blogs 8/1, I found a whole smorgasbord of indie, offbeat samplings. And for some strange reason, found myself intrigued.

So what can you find there? Well, there’s Joan As Police Woman (pictured left), who I’ve heard of many times before, though never listened before today. Hauntingly melodic, acoustic stuff. Check out “Start Of My Heart,” the smooth, down-tempo ballad…It’s quite rich. Then we’ve got The Mutineers, who have a bit of an early 90′s throb, a smooth shellacking of summer grooves, and all sorts of trendy lyricism. There’s also a song-filled post on Adam & The Amethysts, who sound to me like a cross between The Cardigans, Martha Wainwright, and The Beach Boys. Neat!

I think my friend XO may be feeling a similar round of indie fever lately, as he’s just featured Zooey Deschanel and M Ward’s collaborative effort, She & Him in his latest post. Mosey on over and check it out, little doggies.

But it’s not all about weird noises and being holier-than-thou here in the pop world. Sometimes, it’s about Russia. So check out ElectroQueer’s fast and furious interview with the Russian superstar, Sergey (pictured right). He talks about being into ladies that are naked and Russian pride. Mmm…What?

Chart Rigger has basically hit the glittery nail on the head with his review of Cyndi Lauper‘s Bring Ya To The Brink that I neglected to ever write. I’m shocked at how much I agree! Though I have to say, not only is “Lyfe” skippable, it should never have been recorded in the first place. A terrible, tacky attempt to sound modern. Do what you do best, Cyndi! It is the folly of most maturing musicians to attempt to stay relevant as they continue to put out records. We liked you for a reason, so stay true to yourselves! Somewhere, Madonna‘s ears are burning. End rant.

So that’s about all lately. Coming up soon, I’ve got an exclusive little interview with the Swedish duo I blogged about earlier, Kuryakin! Stay tuned!

I promised myself that I would muster the strength to review the dueling duo of comebacks, a la Donna Summer and Cyndi Lauper) in one go, but I just can’t do it. Why? Because I’m stuck. Stuck! I cannot move past track two of Lauper’s quite-better-than-okay return to the dancefloor in full length album form, Bring Ya To The Brink.

The track in question, “Into The Night Life” was produced by the Swede duo Ã…ström and Bobäck and penned by Max Martin, which in many ways is all that needs to be said regarding the track’s excellence–the man never fails, plain and simple. Pegged as the second single and following the rather disappointing first single “Same Ol’ Story,” “Into The Night Life” is a proper return to grace upon the dancefloor which rivals the best of her contemporary Madonna‘s 2005 attempt.

The song is a quick grow. Tripping chains (one forum member referenced this as Britneyesque “Freakshow” sound) and a skipping synth keep the song chugging along at a proficient pace, with a nice mix of tunnelized synths and siren-y blips in the background. All that, of course, until the icing on the cake: the chorus. “I’ll take ya ’til you’re all spun up,” Cyndi blasts within a glorious Eurodance surge of electricity sent throbbing through the speakers. A hands-up, iconic moment of old-school synthesized glory, it’s nothing short of arresting.

Additional moments of perfection include, but are not limited to:

+ The two second instrumental lead in to the chorus.
+ The sassy “hey, hey, heyyy” bits.
+ The double entrendre of the line “Turn you over baby ’til it’s never enough.” Not really much of an entendre, really…just explicit references to the type of sex the listeners of this kind of music tend to engage in. I’m looking at you, ear sexers.
+ The line “Shirtless wonders wreck my sight under the light.”

I highly encourage you to grab hold of this track. You can listen to a streaming version of it here at Spinner. And if that didn’t motivate you to move enough, perhaps starring in the music video will. Go to Splash Bar in New York on May 20th (tomorrow) at 6:30 P.M., and you’ll be featured!

I won’t lie…I’m tempted to show up. Maybe I’ll wear a silly Roisin Murphy hat.

So sorry about the lack of updates lately. Really I’m not, but it looks better to say that I am. I’ve just returned back from school, and I’ve decided that my room needs renovating. My chi just doesn’t flow like it used to here. My chakras are all unaligned, and I just can’t see out my third eye as well as I used to. Therefore, I’m introducing some negative space into the mix. A new workspace for a new me! And all that.

So what’s new in the world of Muuse? Not much, really. It’s actually a time of reflection here…for once I’ve been dwelling on the same albums, producing the same amount of content. It’s a strange feeling for me…content-ness. I’m not a fan. I remain highly amuused by the album releases of Santogold, Martha Wainwright, and Charlotte Sometimes. This has yet to change, and is causing a certain degree of anxiety from within. Sam Sparro‘s? Not so much.

After only three weeks, I’m completely over Madonna‘s Hard Candy, and have deemed it completely forgettable.

Needless to say, I’ll be attending the sugar lady‘s Sticky & Sweet Tour in October.

The new Cyndi Lauper song “Same Ol’ Story,” in its non-live-screaming-fan version, isn’t so bad, but it isn’t actually “good.” It’s just fine. Sadly, the use of the word “fucking” is not in reference to any form of intercourse, thereby hindering any amount of brilliance the song may have redeemed itself with upon first play.

The b-side to Lorraine‘s current single “When I Return To The World,” called “Beyond Sky,” is a little bit self explanatory, as it’s over-the-moon good. It’s a heavenly orchestral composition that lazily floats by with a killer addictive chorus, so don’t miss it. You can hear it now at their MySpace!

After two weeks, Lady GaGa‘s “Just Dance” still pawns. Hard.

So does Lindsay‘s “Bossy.” Forget who’s singing for the moment if it offends your sensibilities.

And that’s that, for now at least. Yes, I know–there’s nothing new here. Deal with it until something new slips through the cracks!

MuuBits–like Cubits, only slightly less relevant to your daily life.

Cyndi Lauper has finally returned with a brand new album release, Bring Ya To The Brink, coming on May 14th in Japan, and the 29th in America. The tracklisting features a wide variety of producers, including some rather exciting names:

1. “High & Mighty” (Scumfrog)
2. “Into The Night Life” (Peer Astrom of Murlyn)
3. “Rocking Chair” (Basement Jaxx)
4. “Echo” (Peer Astrom)
5. “Lyfe”
6. “Same Old Story” (Rich Morel)
7. “Raging Storm” (Rich Morel)
8. “Lay Me Down” (Kleerup)
9. “Give It Up” (Digital Dog)
10. “Set Your Heart” (Rich Morel)
11. “Grab A Hold” (Dragonette)
12. “Rain On Me” (Axwell)

I can’t wait to hear the Kleerup and Dragonette collaborations. A lot of these songs have already been performed while Lauper’s been on the True Colors Tour. I can’t wait to hear them in HQ!

Source: PopJustice! Forums