Here at MuuMuse, we like to make dreams come true.

I received an impassioned email yesterday from a Muuser with a very simple request:

Hi . i was wondering if you could do a feature on the songs that are hidden gems and feature Hilary Duff’s- Holiday and also the equally amazing remix featured on her Best Of album.
I recently discovered this song myself and wonder how i had not heard it before. It’s an absolute amazeballs of a track.
With its surging dance beat that makes you want to get up and dance!!

Please do a review. Thanks

BOOM: Wish granted in the form of a “Hey, You Know What Was An Amazing Song?” post.

(Even though the last “Hey, You Know What Was An Amazing Song?” was also by Hilary Duff–”Beat Of My Heart,” which you should read now!–it doesn’t matter, because everything Hilary Duff has ever recorded is amazing.)

“Holiday” was produced by OneRepublic front-man and producer Ryan Tedder–he of Beyonce‘s “Halo” and Leona Lewis‘ “Bleeding Love” fame–and co-penned by both Hilary and her sister, Haylie Duff. Originally recorded back in 2007, the song was intended to be released on an upcoming re-release of her incredible fourth studio album, Dignity.

Peppered with chilly, twinkling synthesizers and an infectious mid-tempo shuffle (classic Tedder), the song follows a forlorn Duff longing for a love long gone–a most perfect companion for those suffering a bout of the holiday blues. “Now in the summer I miss you/And in the winter I miss you/It don’t matter what I do since you went away,” Duff gorgeously croons above the song’s sparkling bridge.

According to Duff in a XM BPM radio interview with DJ Joe Bermudez from back in November of ’07, she was planning to pen one more song before releasing “Holiday” (which she referred to as her “favorite”) as the first or second single off the re-release.

Sadly Hollywood Records scrapped the idea, opting instead to release the song (along with the Depeche Mode-sampling lead single, “Reach Out”) on Best Of Hilary Duff in 2008, her second greatest hits collection, along with an incredible remix by Joe Bermudez & Chico.

While the shelved re-release of Dignity is truly a shame, the cancellation of “Holiday” as a single is nothing short of a pop travesty. For now, all we can do now is listen to this icy gem on repeat (and pray that Duff follows through on the plan to record a fifth studio album.) Let the snow come down and wake my dreams!

Best of Hilary Duff was released in November of 2008. (iTunes)

Last weekend, my bloggy BFFL Jon ALi and I went on a road trip to Boston. And in between the scream-singing of a majority of Talk That Talk (and some Kat DeLuna, but we’re not talking about that right now), Jon played me some of his favorite mixes from Mademoiselle Gaga‘s brand new remix album: Born This Way: The Remix.

The entire remix package is actually a pretty schweet deal, full of both throbbing, cardio-friendly House cuts and unconventionally moody re-inventions of the originals.

Along with offerings by some of MuuMuse’s favorite acts (including Hurts and Goldfrapp), instant favorites from the bunch include the haunting, dissonant re-rub of “Marry The Night” by The Weeknd & Illangelo, the brooding Depeche Mode-esque “Bloody Mary” mix by The Horrors and the reliably amazing throbbing mix of “Edge of Glory” by Sultan & Ned Shepard (who’ve worked on countless smashes with MuuMuse favorite Nadia Ali).

But my all-time favorite of the bunch so far is “Electric Chapel,” a track I’d never paid much attention to when listening to Born This Way. As it turns out, the remix was crafted by Two Door Cinema Club, the UK indie-pop trio that I “Introduuced” in the early, early days of MuuMuse back around January of ’09. (I know…positively ancient!)

As Jon explained before hitting play, the “Electric Chapel” mix is basically the ultimate stripper anthem. In fact, I’ve already assembled a tasteful nun habit to perform the mix during my nightly revue at The Cock, so watch out for that.

ANYWAY…

To celebrate the release, MuuMuse is giving away FIVE COPIES of Born This Way: The Remix.

To enter to win, follow me on Twitter (@MuuMuse) and tweet me with the following phrase:

I want to be born again with @MuuMuse! #BornThisWayTheRemix http://bit.ly/uBEEUi

Five winners will be selected and notified on Tuesday, November 29. US entries only, please.

NOW DANCE, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS.

Born This Way: The Remix was released on November 21. (iTunes)

Photo courtesy of Gaga Daily.

Just one hour ago–9 PM in France–Lady Gaga strutted her way down the runway of Thierry Mugler‘s showing at Paris Fashion Week to the sound of three tracks from her upcoming studio album, Born This Way.

Much as with “Born This Way” and the “Scheiße” mix that premiered a few weeks ago (both of which were played during tonight’s show), the newly unveiled “Government Hooker” mix bursts at the seams with late ’80′s/early ’90′s House influences, including grinding beats and diva-licious, operatic vocal delivery.

“I’m gonna drink my tears tonight / I’m gonna drink my tears and cry / ‘Cause I know you love me baby,” Gaga mourns, the bass blaring hard throughout the dirty, delicious mix.

Like “Scheiße,” this is an incredibly promising tease. I’m getting some major Depeche Mode Violator vibes…anyone else? (Note: THAT’S A VERY GOOD THING.)

Many thanks to Gaga Daily for the song rip!

Sounds Like: Annie, Gwen Stefani
Genre: Electro-pop

Woman E are–contrary to the name–a one woman, two man production, featuring Ria Berlin on vocals, Uwe Doll on keyboards, production and song-writing duties, and Steve Rooney on drums.

Last September, the kitsch-pop trio premiered with their debut single, “Few And Far Between,” a catchy, sparkling moment of driving electro-pop that burned through the blogosphere to rave reviews.

Now, the London-based trio are back with a double A-side single for 2011: “Another Renaissance / You Don’t Have To Go.”

“When does patience become endurance? Does indifference mean internal bliss?” Berlin ponders on “Another Renaissance,” her candy-coated vocals bopping along the song’s gleeful hand claps and synthesizer sounds.

Yet despite the sugary sweet sound of both songs, Woman E pack a distinctly sophisticated bite in their lyricism, elevating their musical output from simple pop ditties to crunchier confections. “You don’t have to go, you can stay undecided / You don’t have to try and make sense of the silence,” Berlin riffs on top of the brooding beat of “You Don’t Have To Go.”

It’s not quite Depeche Mode, but it’s still much more dense than your average ‘party in da club’ electro-pop throwaway track–and we can always appreciate some more of that.

The band is currently offering the double A-side for free on Bandcamp.

“Another Renaissance/You Don’t Have To Go” will be released on March 14. (iTunes UK)

And you thought Sophie Ellis-Bextor was bad: After almost seven years, three singles and two EPs, Dangerous Muse still have yet to release their debut album, Take Control.

Despite the fact that they’ve got a full album boasting production by the likes of Swedish pop masters Bloodshy & Avant, Esthero and Josh Harris waiting in the wings, the men of Dangerous Muse have opted to go the slow and steady route, unveiling their music at a rate of approximately one single every two years.

Now, we’ve (finally) got another taste of what lies ahead.

To celebrate their latest single (“I Want It All”) hitting #1 on LOGO TV’s The Click List this week, the sexy electro-pop NYC duo have just released a free download of an upcoming album track: “Fame Kills.”

Produced by the group themselves (along with David Siskovic), “Fame Kills” is a nearly 7-minute electro-pop epic filled with chugging, Depeche Mode-friendly beats and frantic, glittering ’80′s synthesized sounds. “Fame will tear us apart / I press my lips against my arm,” singer Mike Furey croons through the song’s heavy vocoder.

The occasional silly lyric aside (“Like fish in disguise”?), “Fame Kills” is a storming, brooding little number that ties in well with the luscious noir pop that made us love the group in the first place, including “Give Me Danger” and “The Rejection.”

I dare say it makes me excited to hear the rest of the record–but this rate, it looks like we won’t be hearing it until, well…August 2019. Fingers crossed!

Take Control will (allegedly) be released in 2011. (iTunes)

Here we go again: The end of another year in music!

2010 may well be remembered as the Year of the Future (if not the Year of All Hearts–hint hint!): A year of fembots, androids, bionic women and time-traveling adventures deep into the 22nd century.

Space-age love stories and robo-dramatics colored a large portion of the year’s biggest releases in pop, no doubt a response to the reign of the machine on the pop charts as synth-pop productions continued to dominate the digital airwaves in 2010.

Below is the list of MuuMuse’s Top Albums of 2010, which was based on a variety of factors–from individual song and single goodness, to the complete album experience, to overall artistic integrity, to an album’s ability to ‘stick’ as the year progressed. Basically I’m trying to say that it’s a bit of a hot mess, but I tried my very best.

There’s also a rather controversial dishonorable mention prior to the Top 40 list that will likely blow my chances for that much coveted position as editor of Rolling Stone. DAMN IT.

Now…LET’S DO THIS.

Without further ado…the list!

Meet Saint Saviour.

The London-bred vocalist is perhaps best known for lending her pipes to Groove Armada, as well as a bunch of other acts including The RGBs, The Slips, and Joe & Will Ask.

Now the singer will be taking a stab at going it solo with the release of her debut single, “Woman Scorned.”

Like a cross between a classically trained vocalist and an indie rocker begging to be unleashed, Saint Saviour delivers with a wild energy on her rollicking, rock-tinged debut.

The comparisons that can be drawn to other vocalists are many-numbered (and all valid): From Kate Bush to Antony Hegarty to Liza Minnelli to Martha Wainwright to Beth Ditto to a touch of fellow saint, St. Vincent. Weird warblers unite!

But wait–there’s more!

As a MuuMuse Excluusive, check out Saint Saviour’s stunning take on the Depeche Mode classic, “Enjoy The Silence”–both of which are available for both stream and download.

Listen below to hear Saint Saviour’s soaring rendition of the original, which is reverent enough to be deemed a proper church hymn. Talk about a woman after my own heart!

DL: Saint Saviour – Enjoy The Silence

The singer will be performing her first ever live show in London at Bush Hall on October 23, and tickets are currently on sale now.

“Woman Scorned” will be released both digitally and as a limited edition 100-press 7″ vinyl on October 11.

To hear more from Saint Saviour, check out her MySpace.

Okay, I get it now.

Just in case anyone wasn’t in the know quite yet, Hurts is an up-and-coming English dark disco duo (composed of Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson) who’ve been the subject of much praise over the past few weeks/months in the blogosphere. (See XO, see PopJustice.)

After seeing a tweet from Sony Records announcing the limited sale of their signed debut single, I decided to finally give a proper listen to the song, entitled “Better Than Love.” (I wasn’t kidding about being a sucker for anything ‘signed’ or ‘limited edition’–I’m such a collector’s edition nerd.)

While it’s never a good idea to get too wrapped up in anticipation or hype, what I’m hearing is a mixture of the damning electronica chills of Violator-era Depeche Mode and moments of clever lyricism a la the Pet Shop Boys. And as for the video’s visuals? I’m convinced this is a merely a behind-the-scenes clip of a Louis Vuitton spread set to sound.

Their whole campaign is simplistic, moody, and wildly pretentious (I don’t believe color–I’m sorry, colour–exists in their vocabulary), but I kind of adore everything about it.

Now go ahead and cry your eyes out at the discotheque.

“Better Than Love” will be released on May 24. For more, click here to visit their official website.