In a word, haunting. Instilling unconventional vocals along with distorted ’80′s power synth sounds, Zeigeist just may be the new “it” group to lead their proudly pop-happy country to the top of the pop charts yet again. Chock full of unforgettable riffs and crisp electro noises from the year 2010, the band’s album The Jade Machine is one long breath of Swedish electro bliss. Though many of the songs featured are undeniably similar to the output of fellow Swedes The Knife (“Dawn Night” is essentially “We Share Our Mother’s Health”), the album retains an originality of its own within its more mainstream, digestable pop-electro sound. Sure, that’s not always a better thing, but it certainly works for them.

There’s even a hint of Goldfrapp hidden beneath the fragmented synthesizer, especially within “The Lake.” “Wrecked Metal” might as well have come directly from the Depeche Mode back catalog, bouncing along with the original synth-band’s familiar air of hopelessness, darkness, and pure sex. “Cuffs” is uncomfortably similar to Kelly Osbourne‘s genius pop-noir hit, “One Word,” but I’ll consider it a posthumous nod to the original. (No, she’s not dead, but that career sure is.) I’m even getting some waves of The Presets every now and then while listening. This is an incredibly promising, incredibly exciting release, and I highly encourage you to check out their MySpace now and order the album. Make sure you check out their pictures as well. I don’t know if they’re promotional or actual lives, but the visuals of their performances seem epic.

It’s quite difficult to track down a proper live, so enjoy this thirty second clip. I’ve no idea what’s happening here (there looks to be some triangle lights, a giant dancing space creature, and Liza Minelli) but it appears they make for a rather good show.

I made a little Muusical faux-pas tonight, mentioning the album but forgetting to post my review of Martha Wainwright‘s spectacular second full length album, I Know You’re Married, But I’ve Got Feelings Too. And yes, the title’s perfection is on par with the album’s contents. Now yes, this is Rufus Wainwright’s sister. She’s got a musical career of her own, you know. These things can get a little messy sometimes when siblings take on the industry, but thankfully the Wainwrights are settled comfortably into their own musical niches in life.

The opening track to Wainwright’s album, “Bleeding All Over You,” may be a little off-putting at first. With a frolicking country twang, the first few bars of the song weren’t initially captivating, and neither were Martha’s unusual vocal skills. Sort of a cross between Tori Amos and Stevie Nicks, Martha’s got a brightly eccentric, at times cartoon-ish voice that drifts the line between bold and beautiful throughout the CD. Once the song carries into the chorus however, there’s no doubt that the artist has crafted something wonderful.

But before you’ve got a chance to envelop yourselves into the mood of the first track, “You Cheated Me,” bursts in with a wonderfully catchy jaunt into vindication and anger. “You cheated me, and I can’t believe it / I’ve been calling since four o’ clock last night,” she laments throughout the chorus.It’s not Kelly Clarkson angst, but it’s tangibly tart.

“Jesus and Mary” then sweeps in, a pensive, calculating whirlwind of biblical allusions and vocal exorcism. It’s a beautiful little trip while it lasts, short as the ride may be. Oh, and that yelling middle eight is a brief moment of hallucinogenic, religious bliss, short as it may be.

And so the album continues in this fashion–or rather, in no fashion in particular. Each track is wonderfully assorted; sultry, vindictive, and often as theatrical as her brother’s work, the album closes to form a mature, fulfilling work of art.

Much in the same vein of my all-time favorite bands, The Cardigans, Wainwright has her way with the sounds and sways of typical country twang, yet never employs the genre into her music. Instead, the plucks of the guitar form the canvas for something much prettier in the long run–a beautiful composition, at that.

Please check out her MySpace here to listen to upcoming tracks from the new album!

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.

I think this could be the beginning of something really lovely. For no reason in particular, I accidentally stumbled upon the MySpace of up-and-coming artist, Charlotte Sometimes while avoiding my studies. With a genre label of “Nu-Jazz/Alternative/Pop” (ooh!), I was naturally quite intrigued. After the first song off the page (“How I Could Just Kill A Man”), I was sold. It was catchy, melodic, and full of deep, rich sound. She’s got a definite top notch singer-songwriter quality, but thankfully lacks the monotony that plagues so many one hit wonder crooners that pop up on the radio every month or so. “Love Song,” anyone? Just saying.

Like a more orchestrated version of Fiona Apple‘s voice, Charlotte delivers with a rich set of emotion-fueled pipes and an urgent vibrato. It’s a little amazing that she’s only twenty, since her vocal skills are at the same level as that of a seasoned musician. I’m also quite smitten with her self-image. She seems to bemuse herself with the idea of a stage persona versus her natural self: “For the most part I like to write poetry and hang out in my apartment and cry, but when I’m on stage I’m a man eating machine. It’s a way of being two people but still remaining myself.”

The man eating becomes apparent from the get-go off of her debut, Waves & The Both Of Us. The songs are charged with a burning energy with lyrics than are more biting than one would expect. They’re absolutely loaded with well executed vocal performances, never providing a dull moment…I’m honestly blown away by her singing ability. As for her sound? It’s a refreshing blend of mellowed hip-hop grooves a la Lily Allen, chugging guitars, a deep nu-jazzy undercurrent, and a nice melodic Regina Spektor nature, give or take a crazy pill…a winning combination, in my opinion.

So far, so very wonderful. I see opportunities of promise, and growth, and all of the squishy things that make a musician pump out tunes far, far into the future. This is the first time I’ve been excited about a new artist for some time. Give her a try, you never know when they’ll take off into the mainstream. Check her out at her MySpace, buy the album (which was actually released two days ago) on iTunes, or stream the entire album over at iMeem now!

When I heard “Creator,” I didn’t want to like her. Sure, it was good…but that’s M.I.A.’s territory! So, I neglected to listen to her debut album for many weeks. Finally, I decided to check out her video for “L.E.S. Artistes,” which came out recently. Only now do I realize that my criticism was unjust–she’s much more than the follow-up act I assumed she was trying to be.

With Gwen Stefani ska-like vocal stylings, the Yeah Yeah Yeah‘s warbling, crashing sounds, some Blondie, some reggae, the M.I.A. experimentalist beats, and a handful of tricks of her own, Santogold is the new big thing; she’s different, exciting, and promising. Her debut is an eclectic collection of the above–never too much of the same, the songs are complexly varied in their styles, speeds, and sounds.

The lead off tracks (which happen to offer the greatest departures of the album as well), “You’ll Find A Way” and “L.E.S. Artistes” are raw, biting indie-pop gems, full of explosive energy. “Unstoppable,” the reggae-tinged electro drifter, and “Creator” offer the clearest lines of symmetry to M.I.A.’s work, though they’re thankfully not perfectly exact. Then there’s “My Superman” and “Starstruck” which both move at a near snail-like pace, though they’re nothing short of hauntingly paced mind-fucks. The bonus track album closer, “You’ll Find A Way (Switch & Seiden Remix)” is an amazing reinterpretation of the original–converting the song’s original indie-rock flavor into unforgivably hard-hitting, guns blazing electro warfare. In short, there’s never a dull moment.

Playful, carefree, and explosive, the debut holds a lot of promise…I’m a big fan, plain and simple. I think the aspect I like most about Santogold is her sound…or lack thereof. She’s not any artist in particular, as evidenced within this album. She bounces around between genres, combining and stripping down, but never actually conforming to a specific niche. Come in with no expectations, and leave without labeling it, because you can’t. So do yourselves a favor and check out her MySpace here, as well as the video for “L.E.S. Artistes” below.

And if you can’t get enough, listen to the remix of “You’ll Find A Way” that I spoke of below. Heaven!

Bastard stole my shoes! What’s this? Here we have Boogaloo Stu, an outrageous revivalist of the ’80′s pop-electro scene. In pure, cheeky manner, Mr. Stu’s got enough disco, electro, and go-go underneath his spandex trousers to rival the spinning princess of disco, Ms. Minogue, herself. Right now, he’s releasing a limited copy of his latest single “Magnetic Heart” on June 30th off of his album, Enough about You, Let’s Talk About Me.

I basically have no words for this. The song’s pretty fantastic, but I can’t get over the hair. For more on this curious concoction, visit his official site here!

And for a MuuMuse Excluusive, enjoy the Future Perfect Radio Remix of Stu’s single. Personally, I think it’s quite superior!

Full of Electrocute goodies today!

As part of a MuuMuse Excluusive, you can now download their amazingly up-tempo title track, “On The Beat” for free right here! Give it five seconds. Trust me, you’ll be hooked.

Additionally, watch the video for their single “Bad Legs” below, and check out their other collaboration with Junkie XL with “Hot Pursuit,” a track from 21 at their MySpace.

The On The Beat EP is available at iTunes, Napster, and Amazon.

They’re cute, they’re crunchy, and most importantly…they’re back! Collaborating with mega producer and master remixer Junkie XL, the power-pop electro duo Electrocute have just released their newest EP, On The Beat. Combining the light hearted glee of ’60′s beach party music, garage band punk, and the throbbing pulses of today’s most modern electro sounds, the girl’s six track mini-album provides a quick, powerful thrust of addictive energy in just over twenty minutes. I was quite pleased with the total package; it’s exciting, unpredictable, and relentlessly teasing. Just listen to the first ten seconds of “On The Beat” and tell me you’re not thirsting for more. So check it out and ride the beats while they last, because before you know it, the album’s notes blare to a close and the party’s over. Click here to download the album from here, and check out their MySpace here!

Now…I present a transcript of the e-mail interview I conducted with Nicole from Electrocute! She explains a bit more about the construction of the album, delivers a bit of sass, and questions my fandom of Britney Spears. A thin line to cross, my friend. A thin one. Nevertheless, here we go!

Your new EP, On The Beat, just came out on April 15th. Congratulations! What are your thoughts on this new record?

We are just happy to be free from a label and independently releasing our own music again. It’s really fun and we feel now that we are all set up to digitally distribute our songs we will be much more prolific and it’s an exciting new world in music.

How long did it take to construct this EP?

All of our lives and about 6 months.

You worked with Junkie XL in producing this, who happens to be one of my favorite producers. What was the experience like working with him?

He is totally awesome. We also collaborated with him on some songwriting for 3 songs on his latest album “Booming Back At You” and one of the songs called “Mad Pursuit” that’s featuring Electrocute was just in the movie “21″ as well as the soundtrack CD. We love working with him. He’s a really nice guy, one of the smartest people we’ve ever met. The guys brain is just on fire. But he’s also a great sound crafter and he gave the songs a different life.

Any disagreements, or was this a very cordial experience?

He got mad because we drank so much of his fancy coffee out of his $4000 espresso machine (ha,ha)

It features a rather interesting album cover as well, haha! What’s that all about?

It took a really long time to decide upon the album cover as you can imagine. The photo was taken by Evan Lane who is extremely talented “we met him on myspace”. The shoot was really fun as it involved raincoats, bikinis, cling wrap and a fog machine. Voilà!
Having recently acquired three new members to make up a fuller live band, do you feel that your live shows have more to offer now?

Well, we’ve always prided ourselves of dishing up pretty exciting live shows compared to most. But the musicians playing with us are exceptional and it’s a lot of fun to get their different input into the songs we have created.

I wish I could go to a show–you should tour over on this side of the pond!

We tour everywhere they will have us! When’s the show?

Now what sort of music do you get your influence from to create music?

It changes all the time as we both have extremely short attention spans.

In your biography, you say that the band was inspired by the sounds of the Berlin electroclash scene. Since I wasn’t there, I would love to know what that was like. Can you describe the environment at that time?

Fun, deranged, lost, and no damage control.

What about the electro scene in America? Is there even one?

yeah, there’s all kinds of music here. we don’t really pay too much attention to “scenes”. Just great music, interesting people. They are rare but you find them everywhere you go.

Now Nicole, you co-wrote “Heaven on Earth” with Freescha for Britney. As her number one fan, I feel required to ask if you worked directly with Britney or not, and if so, what that was like? Were you aware that the song would be serviced to Britney?

Number 1 fan? I’m sure that would have to mean you have beaten out some very obsessed people, I’ve seen some of the fansites. Britney is great, she did an amazing job with the song. It’s one of the best songs I’ve ever written and I think it fit nicely to her voice.

And now, what’s next for Electrocute?
We are heading off to Europe for the month of May for a mini tour and we will commence work on a new E.P once we get back to L.A.

Any last things you’d like to say to our readers?

Look out for our new video for the song “On The Beat”. Its a collaboration with Jeaneen Lund and the ultra talented dancer/choreographer Ryan Heffington and his “Fingered” dance troupe.

I’d like to thank Electrocute for popping in and giving us all a taste of what’s happening. I look forward to seeing more!