Monster by Meg Myers

Genre: Alternative rock
Sounds like: Fiona Apple, Alanis Morrissette, Marina + The Diamonds

Meet Meg Myers, a rising musician based out of Los Angeles.

While details about the singer are still somewhat minimal, we’ve got one excellent tune to work with: “Monster.”

The song was co-scribed and produced by Doctor Rosen Dosen, the up-and-coming producer responsible for a couple of MuuMuse’s favorite remixes over the past years for acts like Britney and Lady Gaga, as well as his exciting collaborative project with a slew of rising female pop stars, including Kay and Jessie And The Toy Boys, called GIRLS.

Yet Myers’ sound is a complete departure for Rosen: There’s no pop beats to be found here–only jagged riffs and raw, vulnerable lyrics: “My love, too much/Your love, not enough,” Myers sadly croons above a slow-strumming guitar before launching into the song’s haunting chorus: “Oh, what it takes out of me to lay by your side!”

As Rosen explained to me, the song’s stripped production is a nod to ’90′s alt-rock–from Nirvana to Portishead. “What have I done? I’m a fucking monster!” Myers bitterly yelps at one point, her voice quivering with all the anguish of a classic Morrissette angst track.

Although Myers’ 6-track debut EP isn’t due for release until later in January, you can already hear two more cuts from the EP on her official website, including the piano-tinged, hook heavy “Adelaide” and “Poison,” which surges with a slightly more modern electro-rock flare (and was also featured on Rosen Rosen’s Girls Vol. 1.)

What I like most about Myers, as with fellow alt-rock chanteuses Skylar Grey and, to a somewhat more pop-oriented extent Marina And The Diamonds, Lana Del Rey and Sky Ferreira (when she’s in a more punk mood), is that she provides a breath of fresh air in a rapidly smothering climate of club-pop. Don’t get me wrong–I live for the stuff, but there’s more than enough room for some snarling, kick-ass rock chicks to come clawing their way to the top of the charts and adding some much-needed variety to radio.

Coupled with comeback LPs from industry veterans like Garbage and No Doubt a little later in 2012–along with the rumored, much-delayed return of Fiona Apple (dear God, let it be!)–this might just be the year that (good) rock finally makes a comeback.

“Monster” is available as a free download at Myers’ official website.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Doctor Rosen Rosen‘s (100% free!) debut EP Girls: A crunchy, catchy electro-pop confection featuring collaborations with four of pop’s leading up-and-comers, including Jessie and the Toy Boys, Meg and Kay.

To celebrate the EP’s release (today!), take a listen to the fourth track on the album: “Sex-Ed,” featuring vocals by Canadian songstress, Anjulie.

SEX-ED (feat. Anjulie) by DOCTOR ROSEN ROSEN

Anjulie plays teacher, teacher on the final track of the Doctor’s EP, merrily skipping atop squeaky electro-pop beats and a bouncy bass line. Armed with cheeky lyrics and killer pop hooks, the song brings to mind the ’80′s revivalism of Gwen Stefani‘s delicious solo records and Sky Ferreira‘s own ode to the dirty deed, “Sex Rules.” “Boys want girls, but girls need men,” Anjulie chants during the song’s bridge. Better start shining up that red apple!

According to Rosen Rosen, the song “pays tribute to some of my favorite 80s female artists like Madonna, Janet Jackson, Taylor Dayne and Pebbles.” A few of our favorite girls here at MuuMuse!

Have a listen to the naughty lil’ electro-pop banger above, and be sure to download the entire EP today. Don’t forget: It’s FREE!

Noted scholar Beyoncé Giselle Knowles once famously posed the question: “Who run the world?” The answer according to many–including Doctor Rosen Rosen–remains loud and clear: GIRLS.

The up-and-coming writer, producer and remix extraordinaire (a prominent feature within such official remix packages as Lady Gaga‘s “Telephone” and Natalia Kills‘ “Mirrors”) is now set to prescribe his debut EP to the masses: GIRLS: VOLUME 1.

Containing four songs, the good doctor’s first-ever compilation benefits from a vocal assist from four of pop’s most promising bubbling-under females, including 3 single-monikered songstresses: Meg, Kay and Anjulie.

Kicking off the collection, however, is “Five O’Clock,” a collaboration with mannequin-minded, leotard-loving L.A. songstress, Jessie And The Toy Boys. (She’s certainly been seeing a lot of love ’round these parts lately, eh?)

Regarding the record, Doctor Rosen Rosen had this to say about his time spent recording with Miss Toy Boys:

Around that time, I was listening to a lot of the 80s girls groups that were produced by Prince (Vanity 6, Sheila E, Appolonia), which inspired the punchy Linndrum-sample-heavy beat of the song. A day before our session, I started the track and came up with the pre-chorus “Hello Hello Hello.” I was nervous to show her the idea because she was one of the first artists I worked with in Los Angeles, but she was in to it and we quickly wrote the rest of the song together. One of the things I love about working with Jessie, is that her lyrics always engaging and paint a vivid story… in this case “you’ve got till five o’clock to get your shit out.

Five O’Clock (feat. Jessie & The Toy Boys) by DOCTOR ROSEN ROSEN

The song is a slap-happy bout of tongue-twisting, fire-spitting lyrical jabs and hyper-speed space-pop, crossing together the bouncy ’80′s funk-lust of Vanity 6 and the rowdy grrrl rebellion of Le Tigre. “I don’t want to be a hater, but you ain’t a pro skater / But you’re a bus boy at Denny’s, you’re not even a waiter.” BURN.

Best of all? You can snag the song above entirely for free!

The full tracklisting for GIRLS: VOLUME 1 is as follows:

1. “Five O’ Clock” ft. Jessie & The Toy Boys
2. “Adelaide” ft. Meg”
3. “Hot” – ft. Kay
4. “Wait” ft. Anjulie

And, if you’re impatient/curious/bored, you can view a rather kewl video of the Doctor spinning a hot pink vinyl of the collection, featuring a few seconds from each individual track. Sounds promising!

Liking the idea so far? Well, good: Doctor Rosen Rosen plans to carry on with this kind of release all the way through to sometime next year, with Volume 2 expected to hit in November, Volume 3 in February, and Volume 4 due out around next May.

GIRL POWER!

Girls: Volume 1 will be released on August 15. (Official Website)

Genre: Dance-pop, electro
Sounds like: Ke$ha, Uffie, Jessie and the Toy Boys

Meet Kay, nee Kay Kristin Boutillier, the newest electropop princess on the block who already seems poised for world domination.

Kay first popped up on my radar just over a year ago, when her glitchy, ambient interpretation of Nancy Sinatra‘s classic “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” began circulating. Kay’s version featured an instrumental track sampling Lil Wayne‘s “Lollipop”–an unlikely pairing that reminded me of Sky Ferreira‘s similarly haunting “Happy Dre” mash-up.

A few well-chosen buzz tracks followed–including the swaggerific “M.A.J.O.R.”, produced by MuuMuse fave Doctor Rosen Rosen, a tongue-in-cheek cover of Justin Bieber‘s “Baby,” and a dance floor-ready collaboration with Tiesto titled “Work Hard, Play Hard”–but Kay really grabbed my attention with her official first single, “My Name is Kay.”

Penned with mega-hitmakers Ryan Tedder and Evan “Kidd” Bogart, “My Name is Kay” combines the contagious teen spirit of “Hollaback Girl” with the faux-gangster posturing that Ke$ha perfected with “Sleazy.”(Unsurprisingly, the track has already been championed by ArjanWrites and Perez Hilton.)

Better still than the studio version, though, might be Frankmusik‘s “Lost the Damn Gameboy” remix, which swaps the stop-and-go vibes of the original with a driving house beat.

Kay’s as-yet untitled debut album is due out via Interscope/Universal sometime this year.

AMAZING REMIX ALERT.

Last Monday, Jessie And The Toy Boys released her debut single, “Push It.”

Yesterday, Doctor Rosen Rosen unveiled his latest offering: A brand new remix of Jessie’s track!

Much as with his sensational remix of “Mirrors” by Natalia Kills, the Doctor Rosen Rosen mix prescribes the song with an extra chilly chill pill, adding some icy electronica, brooding synthesizers and even more vocal stutters and moans than ever before.

It’s absolutely brilliant–just what the doctor ordered!

In addition to the remix for “Push It,” Dr. Rosen Rosen worked with Jessie and the Toy Boys on some original tracks for her upcoming album. If the tracks are anything half as good as this remix, this is going to be one hell of a debut!

To download the mix, check out Doctor Rosen Rosen’s official website.

“Push It” was released on February 14. (iTunes)

It’s very Sin City, for sure. You know there’s that gang of hit girls–kind of like hookers? It’s kind of what inspired my live show.

Back in May of this year, I interviewed one of Cherrytree Records’ newest acts, Natalia Kills. The up-and-coming artist was just in the midst of unveiling her brand new web series, “Love Kills, XX,” as well as preparing the release of her debut single, “Mirrors.”

Since then, Kills has found herself in the middle of a whirlwind touring schedule–first opening for Kelis in October on her European tour, and then stateside in November to tour with fellow Cherrytree Records label mate, Robyn (which I just caught last Wednesday)!

While in town for her performance at the PopJustice/High Rise showcase in Brooklyn during CMJ a few weeks ago, Miss Kills was kind enough to hop on the phone with me once again to discuss all her murderous plans to date.

Click “Read More…” to see what Natalia Kills really thinks about her recent music leaks, her live performances, and touring with Robyn. She even corrects me when I mispronounce “debauchery”!

Ever the Perfectionist, that one.

Read More…

As always, one of MuuMuse’s favorite remixers Dr. Rosen Rosen has returned to the mixing board with a healthy dose of delicious, downtempo electronica essential for immediate relief.

This time the medicine comes in the form of Tegan & Sara‘s new single, “Alligator.” If you like this, there’s much more where that came from: The duo recently announced a 17-track collection of “Alligator” remixes on iTunes out now.

There are truly a dozen or more brilliant moments within this mix, so please–don’t forget to take a dose!

DL: Tegan & Sara – Alligator (Dr. Rosen Rosen Rx)

If anyone knows how to smooth a groove out and put it on ice, it’s Dr. Rosen Rosen, who my Muusers may remember from last year’s brilliant Lily Allen It’s Not Me, It’s You remix project.

Well, he’s back–and this time, it’s official. Taking the otherwise manic original, the good doctor has taken Lady Gaga‘s new single “Telephone” and added a nasty stomp, some extra electro bells and whistles, and an insane, telephonic electronic breakdown. Et voilà! A brand new mix for mass consumption.

Come fill your prescriptions, everyone!

DL: Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce – Telephone (Dr. Rosen Rosen Rx)