Happy Halloween, Muusers!

Did all my fellow New Englanders survive Snowmageddon? Kind of a holiday buzz-kill, right? Whatever. Even though it kind of feels like the holiday’s already passed, the Witching Hour is finally upon us! I hope wherever you are, your festivities will be filled with scary vampires and zany zombies, two-years-too-late Jersey Shore costumes and countless slutty mice.

To ring in the holiday, MuuMuse is happy to Excluusively offer (the rather ghoulishly titled) “Turn My Flesh Inside Out,” produced by Jeff “Jadion” Wells.

Set against a deliciously dark, throbbin’ beat, the mix weaves back and forth between my ol’ buddy ol’ pal Simon Curtis‘ filthy R∆ track “Flesh” and one of Brit Brit‘s best album cuts (for now, at least…Femme Fatale Single #5, please!) “Inside Out,” better known as the world’s greatest ode to hookin’ up while you’re breakin’ up.

The result? A whole lot of sexy. Seriously–this is one sweaty, storming smash of a mix! It’s hot, hot, HOT!

DOWNLOAD NOW.

PS: If you liked that, check out Jadion’s SoundCloud page to hear the equally yummy Ke$ha/Godney mash-up, “Blow Until The World Ends.” (God, I wish that was the original title of Brit’s single. Mmm papi!)

R∆ was released on June 7. (iTunes)
Femme Fatale was released on March 29. (iTunes)

Though only 19 years old, Charli XCX has making a name for herself in the British pop circle for years now.

After rising to underground fame as a Londontown club kid and unleashing a smattering of songs to the Internetz, the young electro-pop singer has opened for several high-profile acts, including Robyn and Peaches.

As a result, she’s made several small-but-significant splashes in the mainstream press already, including an introduction in The Guardian back in 2008 (cleverly dubbing her “The Fisher Price Fischerspooner“), a profile in Dazed Digital, and a feature within an Interview Magazine article in 2009 spotlighting the rising “Brit Pop Girls” of the time, including Little Boots and La Roux. And while her own launch has been delayed far longer than the other girls highlighted within the group, hers may be the most promising and intriguing yet.

Earlier this year, Charli unleashed the unbelievably killer “Stay Away”–a jagged warning shot fired against grinding, gritty synthesizers that easily ranks amongst my favorite singles of 2011. “Do you remember what I said the first time that we met? Stay away,” she desperately pleads above the demented beat, crafted by American producer Ariel Rechtshaid. It’s gorgeous and haunting; the kind of song that simply can’t be played enough, and a dark, sexy slice of what both reviewers and she herself have lovingly dubbed “Goth-pop.”

Now the teenage chanteuse returns with a new song for the end of November: “Nuclear Seasons.” The song, which is available for free on her official website, plays like a darker take on the slick ’80′s revivalist pop sheen of Gwen Stefani‘s solo career (though I’m hearing a bit of No Doubt‘s “It’s My Life” in the verses as well), added to Marina + The Diamonds‘ damning, dramatic vibrato. “You taste the blast and it shook your bones,” she cooly croons as she ruminates on an explosive relationship on the rocks. Don’t drop bombs, baby!

Along with some of the aforementioned artists, she’s also giving me some serious Sky Ferreira vibes: She’s young, free-spirited, mysterious and fiercely rebellious (never too afraid to toe the line between outspoken and all-out bitchy, as her thoughts on Gaga and La Roux may attest). And like Ferreira, she’s responsible for more than a few pop ditties that utterly slay everything else playing on the radio today.

In short, I’m a big fan of Charli XCX.

Though there’s still not too many tunes floating around by the young London-bred singer just yet, she’s quickly become one of my latest obsessions–and certainly one of my most anticipated acts for 2012. Watch for her debut to hit in 2012, which features more production by Rechtshaid, as well as “Dancing On My Own” producer Patrik Berger, and Teddybears member (and older brother to fellow Robyn hit maker, Klas Åhlund), Joakim Åhlund.

(Oh, yeah–and the XCX stands for “Kiss Charli Kiss,” which the singer herself calls “unbelievably crap.”)

“Stay Away” was released on May 15. (iTunes UK)

Calling all Lovatics!

You still busy twerking to “Who’s That Boy”? Werking to “All Night Long”? Occasionally taking a break to scream-sing “Skyscraper” in the shower? Well, good–now it’s time to experience a taste of Unbroken LIVE.

In case you haven’t heard, Demi Lovato‘s hitting the road this fall for A Special Night With Demi Lovato.

The concert dates are as follows:

11/16 Fox Theatre Detroit, MI
11/18 The MGM Grand Theater @ Foxwoods Mashantucket, CT
11/19 Hershey Theatre Hershey, PA
11/22 The Midland by AMC Kansas City, MO
11/25 Verizon Wireless Theater Houston, TX
11/26 Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie Grand Prairie, TX
11/27 Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts New Orleans, LA
11/29 Peabody Opera House St. Louis, MO
12/01 The Cobb Energy Perfroming Arts Centre Atlanta, GA
12/03 Rosemont Theatre Chicago, IL

To celebrate the tour, MuuMuse is proud to be giving away 5 PAIRS OF TICKETS to ‘A Special Night with Demi Lovato.’

To enter to win, follow me on Twitter and send me the following phrase, filling in the blank with your desired city stop:

Hey @MuuMuse, I want to have A Special Night with @DDLovato in _________!

Five winners will be selected and notified on November 4. One entry per person, please. Good luck!

Unbroken was released on September 20. (iTunes)

Kelly Clarkson‘s come a long way in just under a decade.

After becoming the first (and let’s be real, still easily the best) winner of American Idol in 2002, the singer first made her official mark with 2003′s Thankful, a debut collection complete with safe-yet-amazing post-Idol balladry (“Anytime”), soulful R&B-pop offerings (“Just Missed The Train”) and slightly rambunctious, attitude heavy pop-rock anthems, including “Miss Independent” and “Low.”

The runaway success of the latter two singles quickly helped to sculpt the sound of what would become Clarkson’s grand opus in 2004: Breakaway, one of the most defining pop records of the ’00′s–a pristine collection of electrifying pop-rock anthems produced by Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Ben Moody including “Behind These Hazel Eyes” and “Since U Been Gone” that officially shed the singer’s Idol image and quickly made Clarkson’s name synonymous to any and all things angst-pop.

Following the record-breaking success of Breakaway came My December in 2007. Generally dubbed as Clarkson’s “rebel moment,” Kelly opted to breakaway (pun!) from the familiar pop mold of her past and go a slightly less radio-friendly route, penning tougher, darker, and more revealing rock tracks than ever before. The album’s development led to a very heated, very public head-to-head power struggle between Clarkson and Sony BMG label head Clive Davis, who very openly professed his lack of faith in Clarkson’s upcoming release. And while My December–which spawned “Never Again” and the devastating power ballad “Sober”–was by no means a failure (in fact, it was generally received more favorably by critics than Breakaway), its performance was ultimately underwhelming.

In 2009, Clarkson returned once more with her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted. It was another strong release (as with every Clarkson album) and a smash hit, although marked with a certain by-the-numbers familiarity, including safe, radio-friendly anthems (“My Life Would Suck Without You”) and Katy Perry album rejects (“I Do Not Hook Up”). The album’s own cover painted the album’s narrative perfectly, featuring an uncomfortable Clarkson forced to half-smile against a schlocky, candy-coated Photoshop background. It was, in effect, a quiet acknowledgement that Davis had won this round.

Two more years have passed since then, leading to Clarkson’s fifth studio release: Stronger–the most perfect representation of harmony achieved.

Combining the power-pop anthems and radio friendly accessibility of Breakaway with the darker confessional appeal of My December, Stronger plays like the perfect marriage between artistic intent and label demand. It’s an effortless combination–counterbalancing the threat of overindulgence by an artist gone unchecked and the “sell-out” sound of a label with too many hands in the cookie jar–resulting in one of the strongest, most triumphant and wholly satisfying records of the year.

Read more…

STOP ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.

Tonight, “Princess of China”–Coldplay‘s hotly anticipated collaboration with Princess Rihanna as featured on their upcoming fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto–has finally surfaced.

And now, here’s the thing…it’s INCREDIBLE. Like, thoroughly so.

Much like Coldplay’s 2008 collaboration with Kylie Minogue, “Lhuna,” “Princess of China” takes the song’s leading pop diva and places her completely out of her own element–musically, that is. The song itself is nothing even close to the radio-friendly Stargate-crafted booty jams that RiRi churns out on the regular: Instead, “Princess of China” drifts along on a hazy mixture of lush, dreamy synthesizers and a progressive stomping beat that come together to form something as fantastically strange and mystical as an ancient Mayan ritual anthem.

In some ways, “Princess of China” is the indie-rock response to RiRi’s stormy 2010 duet with Eminem (“Love The Way You Lie”)–but this time, the heartbreak’s being dealt against the sound of a thousand blaring, bleary synthesizers.

“Once upon a time we fell apart / You’re holding in your hands the two halves of my heart,” Coldplay lead Chris Martin sings during the fairy tale gone terribly wrong. Soon the song’s searing synthesizers drown into the speakers, making way for Rihanna to tell her side of the story. “I could have been a princess, you’d be a king / Could have had a castle and worn a ring / But no, you let me go,” the Bajan beauty fires back.

But it’s one shiver-inducing lyric that remains most poignant as the two singers sadly, almost deliriously sing-song in unison: “You stole my star.”

Vocally, Rihanna has never sounded better than in this moment: From the opening battle chant to the woeful cries on repeat during the tale’s agonizing close (“’cause you really hurt me”), Rihanna’s rarely displayed such versatility in a single song. It’s a testament to her (underrated) range, as well as another sign that RiRi’s still got plenty to offer in terms of emotional depth far beyond her own masterpiece, 2009′s Rated R.

“Princess of China” delivers a painful blow–a stunning victory for all parties involved, and easily one of the year’s best tracks.

Mylo Xyloto will be released on October 24. (iTunes)

As Muusers may know, I’m madly in love with the boys of Garçon Garçon.

(If you haven’t been properly Introduuced to the synth-pop Aussie duo yet, check out my initial write-up from back in December.)

In advance of their upcoming EP, due out sometime before Christmas, the boys have just put the finishing touches on their first-ever music video for “Stay in Touch,” the lead track off of the upcoming release.

Now, MuuMuse is proud to Excluusively premiere the video for “Stay In Touch.”

Set to an all new mix of the track by James Frew, the Alex Goddard-directed clip finds the boys hitting the high seas on what very well may be the silliest voyage ever caught on film.

Watch as Nick and Nathan row, row, row their boat in search of home in this cheekily low-budge journey, complete with paper pirate hats, fishing misadventures…and even a run-in with a mystical mermaid!

The clip, which features a brief cameo by Agent Provocateur supermodel Tiah Eckhardt, “is basically about being lost at sea and trying to find your way home,” says Nick. “It’s a kinda cute take on the ‘stay in touch’ theme.”

Um, kinda cute? It’s utterly adorkable!

And just for a little MuuTrivia: Those paper props? Those were done by Benja Harney from Paperform, who recently completed a 3D pop up book as a limited edition of Kylie‘s Aphrodite (!!!) and has also done store window concept for luxury giant Hermes.

Garçon Garçon’s debut EP, which is set to include several exciting collaborations, will be released later this year.

Since I first wrote about soulful Scottish crooner Emeli Sandé back in March, the singer’s gone on to release her debut single “Heaven”, a stunning moment of soaring strings and a tripping drum ‘n’ bass beat. The song evidently struck a chord with listeners across the pond as well, clocking in at #2 on the UK Singles Chart after its release in mid-August.

Not too shabby for a debut single, eh?

Now, the singer is about the release “Daddy (feat. Naughty Boy),” the second single off of her forthcoming album Our Version Of Events, due out on November 20.

Once again working with producer Naughty Boy, the singer delivers her rich, spine-tingling vocals across a gorgeous landscape of dramatic strings, break beats and damning church bells. Like “Heaven,” “Daddy” is a stunning track that leaps from genre to genre, lying somewhere in between R&B, UK grime and a majestic James Bond theme.

The singer tells the story of giving in–to someone or something–that’s only causing harm. “He’s out your system, yeah it took you a while / You got your family back and you got your smile,” she starts to sing. But as the song progresses, resistance soon grows futile. “He pulled you closer, said he’ll never let go / You couldn’t trust him, but you never said no,” the singer achingly croons above the crashing drum ‘n’ bass.

So who or what exactly is at the heart of this narrative? Is it a good-for-nothing guy, or perhaps a jagged little pill? According to Sandé, it’s “addiction to anything”–so make like a choose-your-own-adventure book and pick your own ending to this tragic tale.

The song easily positions Sandé as one of the year’s most impressive and talented new acts, and if her debut album is anything even close to her genius lead singles, we’ve got a serious early contender for Album of 2012 on our hands.

“Daddy (feat. Naughty Boy)” will be released on November 20. (iTunes UK)

BOO, Y’ALL!

Halloween is right around the corner!

It’s time yet again to begin searching for the perfect (tastefully slutty) costume, buying several pounds of candy corn no one’s ever going to eat until it goes stale (but isn’t it already stale? I digress), and figuring out the right party to attend–and I’d rather be caught dead than think my Muusers are out there celebrating the holiday without a spook-tacular playlist ready to go for the night!

That’s why MuuMuse has got just the treat for you…

Cover art courtesy of T. Kyle MacMahon.

BooMuse: A collection of the spookiest, most spine-tingling pop remixes…ever!

It’s MuuMuse’s creepiest collection to date, complete with 12 terrifying mixes that’ll have you unleashing one blood-curdling scream after another the dance floor. Monsters, ghosts and zombies…OH MY!

The tracklisting is as follows:

1. Britney Spears – Scary (Nick* & Paco Graveyard Groove Remix)
2. Rihanna – Disturbia (Edson Pride Leadtrip Mix)
3. Utada – Devil Inside (Richard Vission Experience)
4. Ke$ha – Cannibal (Brian Cua Extended Club Mix)
5. Wynter Gordon – Til Death (Wawa Remix)
6. Katy B – Witches Brew (2nd Incantation)
7. Lady Gaga – Monster (Tommie Sunshine & Jon Kennedy present WART!ME Remix)
8. Garbage – Bleed Like Me (Kuppers Klub Extravaganza Mix)
9. Natalia Kills – Zombie (Kleerup Remix)
10. Róisín Murphy – Demon Lover (feat. Wiley) (Audio Monsters Remix)
11. Kelis – Scream (Russ Chimes Club Mix)
12. Madonna – Supernatural (Dubtronic Extended Version)

So, the only question is…

DO YOU DARE?

Thank you to T. Kyle MacMahon for creating the fabulous cover art (and the oh-so-adorable BooMuse!)