Yes, it’s true: The witchy Miss Florence Welch has returned!

After several months of touring ’round the world and many weeks spent recording with acclaimed British producer Paul Epworth (Adele, Kate Nash) at England’s famed Abbey Road Studios, the fiery-headed chanteuse is back with “What The Water Gave Me,” the whimsical lead single from her as-of-yet untitled sophomore effort, due out on November 7.

As she told Pitchfork in an interview posted today, their work on Lungs–especially “Cosmic Love” (my personal favorite)–inspired Welch to keep collaborating with Epworth: “The way that “Cosmic Love” turned out really made me want to do the whole next record with him. That song was written in like half an hour in a tiny bedroom studio and I always had this idea for a really big sound coming from all that clatter, and he managed to capture that on record in the best way.”

Just as with all great Florence productions, “What The Water Gave Me” weaves together echoed, otherworldly instrumentation and pleasant plucks of harp with Welch’s soulful sound; her voice quivering above crashing drums and noisy guitar licks as she throws her head back to deliver howl after almighty howl by the song’s massive finale. Add in an organ and the sobering chant of a choir and et voila: Florence is taking us to CHURCH!

As one of the most genuinely exciting new artists to have emerged in the past decade–as well as the driving force behind one of my top albums of 2009–it’s reassuring to see (and hear!) that Lady Welch is right on track with her follow-up: It’s spooky. It’s soulful. It’s flawless. Were you expecting anything less?

“What the Water Gave Me” was released on August 23. (iTunes)

With My Best Friend is You, it seems Kate Nash has decided to shy far, far away from the sweetly sung, Lily Allen-tinged ditties on her debut. Well actually, there’s nothing too shy about it.

The 22-year-old’s effort, released on April 19, finds the English songstress dabbling in the territory of defiant riot grrrl rawrrr, complete with crashing drums, jagged guitar squeals, and far more experimental, layered song construction.

Take for instance “I Just Love You More,” a slow burning, building repetition of the same line: “I just love you more than…anything.” As the cymbals crash and dive deeper with each repetition, the singer slowly spirals into jittering cries and guttural yelps recalling the Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ Karen O until completely breaking down, unleashing wild cries of “Bah, bah, bah, bah, dah, dah, bah, bah!” It’s a briefly amazing moment–and more importantly, an introduction to entirely new side of Nash we’ve never heard before.

That’s not to say that there isn’t any trace of Nash’s initial sound that brought her initial acclaim back with 2007′s Made of Bricks. With songs like the catchy first track “Paris” and the album’s lead single “Do Wah Doo,” Nash’s album blazes with the sunny piano melodies, hand claps, and blaring horns that colored her first album.

Later on with “I Hate Seagulls,” Nash closes her album in the same way she did her debut: a simple, melodious tune–occasionally silly and entirely heartfelt–which finds the singer cooing softly about all the things she hates (among them, scabs and “rude, ignorant bastards”), but ultimately returning to the one thing she does like: “You’re so nice, and I’m in love with you.”

For the most part, however, Nash isn’t so sentimental on My Best Friend is You. In fact, she’s as scathingly to-the-point and jealous as ever: “Kiss that girl and I will shrink up and I will die / And I will think of a thousand ways that I can hurt you, and you will never touch my hand,” she promises in the misleadingly sweet, twinkling chorus of “Kiss That Grrrl.”

While the singer’s musical references may have matured in the past three years from Lily Allen to Bikini Kill, her lyrics still paint her as a young spirit–at times immature and often emotional–though now with more anger and angst than ever before. Give “Mansion Song” thirty seconds and see if your eyes don’t nearly pop out of her sockets as Nash recites a caustic, damning monologue about women who allow themselves to be used. It’s a must listen, but be warned–she’s pissed.

Then there’s “Don’t You Want To Share The Guilt,” which begins simply enough with a lonely guitar strum and some twinkling bells; the tempo building slowly as Nash narrates a sad, broken love story. “I don’t know how more people don’t have mental health problems / Thinking is one of the most stressful things I’ve ever come across…” she suddenly begins to utter above the swinging beat, diving deeper and deeper into a rapid-fire monologue about life. And dictionaries. And India and pyramids and swimming and shouting. It’s dizzying, but brilliant at the same time–a perfect representation of the very manic thoughts Nash claims she cannot control.

Nash’s newest release is for fans of riot grrrl sound and ’60′s girl group pop (and quite the treat for fans of both). While I can’t guarantee that fans of her first record will take to My Best Friend is You quite as kindly, there’s just enough of a hint of sugary sweet sprinkled in between the raging rawrrr of the album to please listeners of all types.

MuuMuse Approved Tracks for the Week of April 18, 2010

5. Kate Nash – Don’t You Want To Share The Guilt
She’s speaks at the pace I regularly think at, and with just the right amount of neuroses added for good measure.
4. Britney Spears – Dramatic
“Baby, fuck you.” MMPH. The original version leaked without Heidi (mercifully). Love you, bb.
3. Girlicious – Maniac
Generic good pop; generic girl group. Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone? RIP PCD/Danity Kane.
2. Uffie – ADD SUV (ft. Pharrell)
OH MY GOD, YES. More on this soon…
1. Scissor Sisters – Invisible Light
A future classic, nu-disco sensation recalling the best of the best. Authentic, emotional, and absolutely euphoric. ON CONSTANT REPEAT.

And now, the video premiere for Kate Nash‘s new single, “Do Wah Doo,” which finds the young songstress taking flight in a stewardess showdown at 30,000 feet in the air.

Think Britney‘s “Toxic,” though without the poisoning, make-out session in the bathroom, or the hand-wrap-around-boobie choreography. Actually, there’s nothing really similar between the two aside from taking place on a plane. I suppose this has been a bit of a waste of your time.

Moving on, Kate’s headed stateside with a two week North American tour to promote her upcoming album, My Best Friend is You. Here are the full list of dates:

Apr 26: Toronto – The Mod Theatre
Apr 28: Boston – Great Scott
Apr 29: New York – The Bowery
May 1: New York – The Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 3: Chicago – The Lincoln
May 5: Minneapolis – First Avenue
May 7: Seattle – Neumo’s
May 8: San Francisco – Bottom of The Hill
May 11: Los Angeles – El Rey Theatre

Click here to order tickets for these shows. My Best Friend is You will be released on April 20.

No more Miss Pumpkin Soup!

It sounds as though Kate Nash has let loose from her foundations to find herself an entirely new sound for her upcoming record.

“I Just Love You More” is a brand new track from the UK singer, which offers a sharp detour away from the Lily Allen-esque array of quirky pop singer/songwriting and into the rocky, rawrrring terrain of something off a Yeah Yeah Yeahs record…or even Bikini Kill.

The crashing drums, the carnal screams…why, it just makes me love her more than ever!

To hear Nash’s new sound, click here for a free download of the track. Hurry, though–it’s only available until Monday.

Nash’s sophomore effort will be released on April 16.

This is Daisy Coburn, otherwise known as Daisy Dares You.

Daisy Dares You is 15 years of age. (!!?!)

Daisy Dares You creates “alt-pop” music that sounds to be about on par with her contemporaries, including the golden pop sensibility of Little Boots, the sarcastically sweet confections of Kate Nash, and the enunciation skills of Lily Allen.

Her list of influences is fairly impeccable (Karen O begins the list, including Natasha Kahn, Lykke Li, Debbie Harry, and The White Stripes, amongst hundreds of others), which doesn’t always mean something but seems to mean something in this case.

I find her to be both refreshing and nice.

Here are two songs to enjoy from her. You may notice that Daisy Dares You sings a song called “Daisy Dares You,” which is helpful not only because (A) it is her name but (B) because she goes on to spell it out letter by letter in the chorus. So really, if you haven’t gotten the name down by that point, you’d probably be best to move on from here.

DL: Daisy Dares You – Daisy Dares You
DL: Daisy Dares You – No. 1 Enemy

Sounds like talent in the works to me.

If you liked her as much as I did, then click here to visit her MySpace.

Wow.

This is Sarah McIntosh, better known as The Good Natured. As soon as the paced drum beats come kicking into the start of her track “Warriors,” you may also recognize her sound as an immediate success. Quite unique is the fact that every aspect of the song contains a brilliant moment: The verses, the bridge, and the immense, skittish chorus. With that childish touch of knowing innocence a la Kate Nash, Lily Allen, and Charlotte Sometimes, the 17-year-old songstress adds a dash of electro intesnity to the table along with the jazzy earnestness of her vocals.

Click here to visit her Musical MySpace!

DL: The Good Natured – Warriors

Sounds like there’s going to be one hell of a party this weekend over in London town.

First of all, Armand Van Helden will hosting This Is Not London, a club event held at Matter in London on Friday, October 17th. (Tomorrow!) The event will feature performances by Armand Van Helden, A-trak, Mowgli, The Black Ghosts, and more.

The very next day, major record label Moshi Moshi Records is throwing themselves a 10th Anniversary bash at This Is Not London at Matter on Saturday, October 18th. The show will feature performances by Kate Nash, Tilly and the Wall, Hot Chip, James Yuill, and many more! If, unlike me, you live on that side of the pond, you should totally check it out! Click on “Read More…” to see the full line up for the night!

To purchase tickets to either event, head to www.thisisnotlondon.co.uk or www.ticketweb.com. Proceeds to the Moshi Moshi show will go to Shelter, a housing and homelessness charity organization of the UK.

To celebrate all this nonsense, I’ve got two tracks for you from both events:

The first is Mowgli’s remix of Van Helden’s “Shake That Ass.” A description isn’t necessary…It’s self-explanatory insanity. Absolutely incredible…Total floor filler, loads of fun. Get it NOW.

DL: Armand Van Helden – Shake That Ass (Mowgli Remix)

Then, we’ve got a track from one of the Moshi Moshi night’s performers, James Yuill! It’s a nice and shiny builder of a track mixing acoustic, folky melodies with some ethereal synth that I absolutely adore. Go for it!

DL: James Yuill – This Sweet Love (Prins Thomas Sneaky Edit)

October 18th, 2008
Moshi Moshi Records 10th Birthday featuring…
Hot Chip (live)
Florence and the Machine (live)
Kate Nash (live) + Tilly and the Wall (live)
James Yuill (live)
Slow Club (live)
The Mae Shi (live)
The Wave Pictures (live)
Greco-Roman Soundsystem with Ross Allen
Joe Hot Chip and Drums of Death (live)