Merry Friday, Muusers!

“Put Your Hands Up” is Nerina Pallot‘s breezy first single from her upcoming studio album, Year Of The Wolf. I’ve Muused about it before, as I love both the song and the video very much.

But now, one remix has just taken the song to THE NEXT LEVEL.

This is “Put Your Hands Up (Like It’s 1987) (We Are The Chatterley’s Mix),” a mix that does exactly what its name implies: Adding in some ’80′s-tastic synthesizers and shimmering electronica, Andy Chatterley (record producer, remixer and husband to–you guessed it!–Nerina Pallot) makes the already sunny springtime single shine ten times brighter.

Couples that remix together, stay together. Put your hands up!

“Put Your Hands Up” was released in the UK on April 24. (iTunes UK)

A few weeks ago, I muused about Nerina Pallot‘s infectious new springtime single, “Put Your Hands Up.” Now, the official video for the song has arrived!

It looks as though Pallot’s taken a cue or two from her friend Kylie Minogue‘s “Come Into My World” for her own clip, twirling ’round the streets of London town looking pretty and blissfully crooning her gorgeous, ’60′s-tinged pop ditty.

It’s a simple, darling video for an equally breezy song–a perfect match!

“Put Your Hands Up” will be released on May 23. (iTunes UK)

On May 22, UK singer-songwriter Nerina Pallot will release “Put Your Hands Up,” the first single from her upcoming fourth studio album, Year of the Wolf.

Originally considered for inclusion in Kylie Minogue‘s 2010 album Aphrodite, the song was ultimately passed up in favor of another track with the name name–the Starsmith-produced “Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love),” penned by the Nervo Twins. (Don’t feel too bad though: Pallot penned both title track “Aphrodite” and the third single, “Better Than Today” with her husband, Andy Chatterley.)

Like a modern update to a ’60′s-tinged pop ditty, “Put Your Hands Up” features gorgeous instrumentation and bright, swinging melodies that bring to mind the classy, catchy sophistication of Natalie Imbruglia‘s deeply under-appreciated latest effort (see “Want”).

Although she’s already performed the track live in its acoustic form, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to hear the single version, which surely promises to be even more of a pop treat.

“Put Your Hands Up” is Pallot’s first single from her upcoming studio album, Year of the Wolf. (iTunes)

Working with Kylie is like working with every artist I have ever wanted to and continues to be as exciting and fresh every time we do something new.

As promised, here comes part two of my interview with the sensational producer, remixer, songwriter and musical director (amongst other titles!), Mr. Steve Anderson.

Go ahead and read on to learn about Anderson’s unreleased electro-ballad with Britney (“Grow”) and much, much more Kylie gossip (Unreleased tracks! Scrapped setlist ideas!), as well as Anderson’s thoughts on remixing, the music industry today (including a killer list of artists to watch), and his latest project: Launching his latest chanteuse Elouise into the seemingly impenetrable territory that is North America.

Click “Read More…” to read the full second half of the interview.

Missed part one? Or just want to brush up on last week’s installment? Click here to see the first half!

Read More…

In case you didn’t know, Kylie Minogue is a legend.

Despite the pop singer’s unjustly limited visibility in the North American market, Kylie Minogue is a beloved musical icon in most other territories around the world. Her sheer popularity and nearly revered status is to such a degree that the only real way to describe it would be–at the risk of a barrage of anonymous heckling–to that of her contemporary, Madonna.

It is a wonder to think, then, that after over 23 years in the music industry, 11 studio albums, and over 68 million albums sold, following some of the most incredible international career highs and record-breaking accomplishments of a female musician in modern pop history, Kylie Minogue has only just now crafted one of her best records to date.

When it was announced that Kylie would begin working with legendary pop producer Stuart Price in the middle of 2009, the collaboration was almost universally celebrated amongst fans. Then again, it wasn’t altogether that surprising of a collaboration either.

Price is, of course, responsible for some truly killer modern disco records, including The Killers‘ Day & Age, Frankmusik‘s 3 Words, and the Scissor Sisters‘ upcoming Night Work, and of course, Madonna’s legendary Confessions On A Dance Floor. Realistically, it was only a matter of time before the two would unite.

As a result, Aphrodite is exactly the kind of record that one would expect when crossing Kylie Minogue with Stuart Price. That is–one of the most sleek, cohesive releases of her entire catalog. To put it simply: Yes, it does live up to the hype.

The album launches with its first single, “All The Lovers.” Currently a Top 10 single in the UK, the song is a solid representation of the bulk of Aphrodite, though far from the finest cut on the record. In fact, the soaring chorus and glittering electronica offer only a taste of what’s to come.

With much of the record, the producers on the job have taken Kylie’s disco diva connotation and added a more complex, edgier layer of dance production. Cuts like the Calvin Harris-produced, Jake Shears-penned “Too Much” are evidence of this next level sound, sounding something like a thousand glitter-filled balloons bursting all at once inside of an intergalactic vortex.

“Get Outta My Way,” the projected second single off of the album, is bound to be another success on the charts. It also happens to be a somewhat rare turn of defiance for Kylie, a singer best characterized by swooning love ditties and breathy enticements. This song, as Kylie announced to the crowd at Splash before performing the Aphrodite mega-mix, is about respect.

The singer’s confidence is only pushed further with the album’s Nerina Pallot-penned title track. Showcasing Kylie at her bossiest in some time, “Aphrodite” explodes with a militant, foot-stomping beat and a searing bolt of fiery energy: “I’m fierce and I’m feeling mighty / Don’t you mess with me, you don’t want to fight me!” she warns throughout the song’s storming chorus. Judging by the fact that both this song and “Get Out Of My Way” double as the album’s strongest selections, it’s safe to say Kylie wears her sass well.

In “Closer” and “Illusion,” two personal favorite cuts, Minogue and Price divine dark disco magic: The former, a slow-building haunter that shares connections to both her older work (“Confide in Me”) and a glimmer of Madonna’s Confessions; the latter a complex mesh of ’90′s house and Ace of Base-like synthesized bliss. Throw in a relentless throbbing bass and a few sex sessions worth of heavy breathing, and you’ve got nothing short of musical bliss.

Later on, both “Looking For An Angel” and “Everything is Beautiful” function as nothing short of definitions of the word “lush.” Warm, layered slices of piano-encrusted electronica stack one on top of the other as the singer’s lulling voice climbs over the melody : “If I lie with you long enough, I can see the things I’m dreaming of,” she coos during the song’s chorus, “Let’s go through the ritual, until everything is beautiful.”

Then there’s “Cupid Boy,” an unstoppable tour de force of jagged electro, moody guitar strums, and impossible girlish delight. The song features a surging, sonic-powered bridge of distorted vocals and an utter jaw-dropper of a chorus, colored by hard synth rhythms, an angelic chorus, and swelling, echoed swirls. “If only you knew, I shimmer for you,” Kylie coquettishly offers as the song begins, forever producing the same glee-filled moment of euphoria with each listen thereafter. Yes friends–this is what would be referred to as a “Kylie moment.”

But the opening moment of “Cupid Boy” is far from the only “Kylie moment” of the album–the euphoria felt during the middle eight of “All The Lovers,” the glitchy dance breakdown at the end of “Can’t Beat The Feeling,” the hands-in-the-air glee that is the chorus of “Put Your Hands Up (For Love)”–all of these fleeting moments of divinity only add more glow the hot pink, heart-shaped aura that surrounds all things Kylie.

At a time when a new musical endeavor made by a woman in pop over forty may end up looking like a desperate attempt to latch onto the latest trends and cheap production tricks of the girls on top at the moment, Kylie Minogue’s latest could not be perceived as more authentic to her artistry: Aphrodite is literally the essence of Kylie in audio form. The sparkling instrumentals, the euphoric, angelic coos–everything in this album is an authentic, unapologetic encapsulation the stuff of Kylie Minogue.

This isn’t just an incredible album, or even an album of the year (although it most certainly qualifies to win the title for both). As with Madonna’s Confessions or her own sister’s defining triumph, Neon Nights, Aphrodite is a complete and utter musical moment–a release for the ages, and ultimately, a classic in the making that will go on to become a glittering milestone in Kylie Minogue’s already illustrious career.

Earlier today, Muuser Cobraestilo tweeted me with a flurry of rumored Kylie songs and producer names. While I’m not usually one for supporting the rumor mill (it’s a terribly dirty industry), I’m occasionally open to indulging in the delight of what could be. You know, just a little speculation…

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for crushed hearts and ruined dreams if none of the below turn out to be true. Without further ado:

“Love Intervention” (Greg Kurstin/Lindy Robbins)
“Satellite” (Greg Kurstin/Lindy Robbins)
“Robot Love” (Greg Kurstin/Evan Bogart)
“Too Much” (Calvin Harris)
“Ruined” (Diane Warren)
“Beautiful” (Tim Rice-Oxley and Frazer T Smith)
“Aphrodite” (Skylark and Nerina Pallot)
“Put Your Hands Up” (Skylark and Nerina Pallot)
“Better Than Today” (Skylark and Nerina Pallot)

Rumors also suggest a Nervo/Starsmith collaboration as a possible contender for the first single, as suspiciously retweeted and responded to by the Nervo girls themselves.

And now, a fairly convincing piano version of the song, “Put Your Hands Up,” performed by Nerina Pallot for her web series. I could see Kylie covering this, no?

Photo courtesy of Suck.com.

Year-end wrap up lists are nice and all, but it’s the “Most Anticipated” lists that are way more fun for me to read. The rumors! The possibilities! The inability to foresee a terrible album in the making! Who can resist the sweet, succulent taste of possibility?

Of course, there are dozens of albums being released, and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface as far as what to expect. Nonetheless, I wanted to run down a few of my own personally anticipated releases for the new year.

So, without further ado, let’s roll out some of the biggest releases hitting shelves sometime in the next year. This will be the year of some ‘Sweet 7′s, it appears!

Sade, Soldier of Love (Sixth studio album)

What it is: The band’s first release in about a decade.
Expected shelf date: February 8, 2010.
Produced by: Mike Pela, Sade.
What we know: The album’s title track is a stunning achievement. Could the album possibly be anything less?
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Smooth, icy vocals and warm jazz sounds.

Ellie Goulding, TBA (Debut Album)

What it is: An exciting, possibly incredible (though potentially dead-in-the-water) debut by 2009′s leading indie electro-pop up-and-comer.
Expected shelf date: According to Play.com, March 3, 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “Starry Eyed,” “Under the Sheets,” “Wish I Stayed”
Production by: Starsmith, Frankmusik
What we know: It’s been in the works for a while. She’s quirky, her music is interesting and fresh, and we haven’t heard a dud from her yet. Let’s just hope this is released before the hype catches up with her first.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: “Starry Eyed” and “Under the Sheets” repeated a dozen times over.

Kylie Minogue, TBA (Eleventh studio album)

What it is: Divine intervention. (That should totally be the album title!)
Expected shelf date: Unknown, probably 3Q or 4Q 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “Better Than Today”
Production by: Nerina Pallot
What we know: Hardly anything, aside from the fact that Kylie was looking to Barbarella for inspiration while recording in New York a few weeks ago.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: The slick, coquettish electronica of Body Language (“Slow”) mixed the with sophisticated, edgy dancefloor flow of X (“Speakerphone”). And a little less emphasis on the camp factor, s’il vous plait.

Girls Aloud, TBA (Sixth studio album)

What it is: A much-needed comeback album from the greatest girl group since the Spice Girls.
Production by: I mean…it has to be Xenomania, right?
Expected shelf date: Way, way later in 2010.
What we know: Nothing, aside from the fact that their official website confirmed an album slated for 2010.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: A shying away from the drum-and-bass sound and a prolonged stay in the territory of “Untouchable” and “Memory of You.”

Jennifer Lopez, Love? (Seventh Studio Album)

What it is: Jennifer ‘Lola J-Lo Jenny Rudebooty’ Lopez takes it to the streets once again to prove she still has ‘flava.’
Expected shelf date: April 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “Louboutins,” “Fresh Out The Oven,” Everybody’s Girl,” “What Is Love,” Starting Over,” “Beautiful,” “This Cannot Be Love,” “One Love,” “Keeper”
Production by: Mike Caren, The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, D’Mile, Danja, Darkchild, The Neptunes
What we know: Rap-Up’s write-up of the album preview includes terms like “electro-pop beat,” “slick uptempo production” and “guitar driven ballad.”
MuuMuse hopes to hear: A return to the dancefloor a la “Waiting for Tonight” with some guilty pleasure stompers like “Louboutins.” Minimal ballads, please.

Sugababes, Sweet 7 (Seventh Studio Album)

What it is: The grand unveiling of a new Sugababes era. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jade, Amelle, and Heidi.
Expected shelf date: February 28, 2010
Confirmed tracks: “Get Sexy,” “About A Girl,” “Thank You For The Heartbreak,” “Miss Everything,” “Wear My Kiss”
Production by: RedOne, Sean Kingston, Ne-Yo, The Smeezingtons, Fernando Garibay
What we know: How half of the album sounds. The Sweet 7 album sampler featuring Keisha leaked onto the net a few months ago. However, there’s been talk of recording new tracks.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: What we’ve been hearing. Slick, modern production and a fierce new confidence never before honed by the original three line-ups: It’s time to let Sweet 7 go Vanity 6.

Röyksopp, Senior (Fourth studio album)

What it is: The ambient, down-tempo companion piece to one of 2009′s greatest albums, Junior.
Expected shelf date: Early 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “The Alcoholic,” “The Fear,” “Coming Home”
Production by: Royksopp
What we know: From TLOBF: “Senior is more withdrawn and introspective and create an atmosphere and an ambience, to sit down and if you don’t need constant loud information all the time that’s what Senior is all about.”
MuuMuse hopes to hear: A more sophisticated, contemplative extension of Melody AM.

Uffie, Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans (Debut album)

What it is: The incredibly overdue debut of an underground trash-pop queen in the making.
Confirmed tracks: “Pop the Glock,” “Hot Chick,” “MC’s Can Kiss”
Expected shelf date: February 14, 2010, according to The Guardian.
Production by: Mr. Oizo, Mirwais, Pharrell
What we know: “MC’s Can Kiss,” the upcoming single off of the album, is an old-school-hip-hop-meets-modern-beats orgy.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Sick beatz from some extremely talented producers…and a whole lot of trash talkin’.

Britney Spears, TBA (7th Studio Album)

What it is: Don’t even get me started…don’t even get me started.
Production by: Track submissions are pouring in from the likes of Darkchild, Max Martin, Sean Garrett, Danja, Fernando Garibay, David Guetta, and many more.
Expected shelf date: Though Digital Spy reports that Jive is looking for a May 2010 release, I can’t help but assume that we’ll see this around the same time we’ve always seen Britney releases for the past three albums–the very end of the year.
What we know: Nothing really.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Icy R&B-infused electronica. Anything by Bloodshy & Avant. Anything in the direction of “And Then We Kiss.” Less Circus, more Blackout, but with soul. By the way, can we finally call this one Original Doll, Team Spears?

Honestly, It doesn’t even matter what it sounds like in the end. Why? Because it’s Britney, bitch. That’s why.

“Do you see the sign for the New Yorker Hotel and the long line of gay men?”

Queens, fairies, and muscle Mary’s of every shape and size (okay, perhaps even a few ladies–hey, Camille!) lined the streets of 34th and 8th Avenue on Sunday night to await the one and only Kylie Minogue.

Tonight marked the first of three New York shows for the For You, For Me Tour, a two week North American tour created as a way for Minogue to thank her longtime American and Canadian fans. For a career spanning over twenty-two years, complete with ten studio albums and fifty-three singles under her belt, that’s a long time to keep a fan waiting.

So…was it worth the wait?

Once inside, we were crammed together almost immediately against the stage, packed together like sardines (hey hey, writer’s cliche!). Gay, glittery sardines. We stood about six rows from the front, which in retrospect was prime real estate for the show, considering that the very front row was inhabited by the person who queued up at 2 a.m. the night before.

At only about fifteen minutes past than the show’s projected start time, the lights dimmed and the ballroom went pitch black until the dull glow of three or four blue bulbs hung overhead. Soaked in a sea of blue light, the crowd immediately began to chant, “10! 9! 8!…” as the familiar countdown of “Light Years” began booming overhead.

Then, the great reveal: Floating down on a giant, metallic skull borrowed from the KylieX2008 Tour, the superstar was decked out in a glitter-and-glitz (and admittedly, Gaga-esque) metallic leotard and a giant white fur wrap, complete with a solar system cap encircled by small, glittery planets orbiting around the head of Miss Kylie Minogue.

“Listen, can you hear the distance calling?” she crooned to the crowd, now thrown into a full-on frenzy of flashing cameras and hands held high in praise. From below, she appeared to be miles away. Even at that height, she looked as stunning as ever; the wild shrieks of the ballroom only confirming this further.

It was a far cry from the veracious introduction of Grace Jones seen in this same space only months prior. Different, elegant…just what one would expect from the Showgirl school of etiquette.

More than Grace, or Madonna, or any other larger-than-life or flavor-of-the-month pop diva on the scene, Kylie Minogue possesses the greatest feminine sensibility of all. “Red Blooded Woman,” performed on top of a pommel horse a la the Showgirl Tour, displayed her coquettish charm in full. With each bend (and snap), Minogue oozed sexuality; winking to the crowd, and pouting and pursing her lips. With every coo, twirl, and flirty hair-flip, she embodied what it is to truly be “lady-like.” For a very brief moment, even I was turned on.

The For You, For Me Tour is as much a career retrospective as it is a concert “greatest hits,” showcasing the best elements of the Fever Tour, the Showgirl Tour, and a large portion of the KylieX2008 Tour. The result is a thoroughly comprehensive Minogue experience, complete with all the classics, fan favorites, and even a few surprise obscurities hidden in between for the hardcore enthusiasts.

Though the set-list would have to be about four hours long to fully satisfy the crowd’s want, plenty of the favorites made the cut, including “Spinning Around,” “Slow,” “Shocked,” “Better the Devil You Know,” the ballad version of “I Believe in You,” and even “White Diamond,” a ballad I never thought I’d experience in person.

Early along the way, Minogue debuted a song from her upcoming album, the Nerina Pallot-penned “Better Than Today.” It was simple and sweet, a glee-filled go-around choreographed between microphone stands and performed with along with two back-up singers (which you can see from her video blog.) It’s chipper and all, but admittedly, I can’t say that it truly stuck with me long after the show’s end.

Kylie Minogue knows her audience only too well, playing up her camp appeal to no end. One needed to look no further for proof than the shower sequence played about halfway through the show, featuring a video medley of her male dancers stripping down and lathering up on screen, all four eventually coming out from behind the stage, stripping down together behind a single towel, and throwing their briefs into an adoring crowd.

Mercifully, the costumier has toned it down a few notches for this tour. Gone are the abysmal Jean-Paul Gaultier geisha outfits and puff-ball cheer costumes from the X tour–in their place, form-fitting futuristic garb, complete with sexy, complimented cuts and elegant sophistication.

As far as audience approval, the fan favorites were heard loud and clear: “In My Arms” and “Love at First Sight,” both of which briefly transforming the Hammerstein Ballroom into a full-on neon rave, complete with bursts of confetti, smoke jets cascading from the stage, and a roaring crowd jumping together in unison. In that euphoric moment, as members of the audience raised their hands in the shapes of hearts, there was no finer feelings…it was pure, true love

If there were any drawbacks to the performance, they were all external to the spectacle onstage. Being 5′ 4″, i can’t say that my view of the stage was all that good amidst all the fist-pumping and sign waving. Still, I saw more often than not, and can confirm that Kylie Minogue is as stunning in person as any of her recent couture-happy photoshoots.

More than my semi-blocked vision, my experience was skewed thanks to the mouthy neighbor to my right, who’s boyfriend of four years (Jeffrey) failed to show up tonight. I mean, they had been having problems this whole week, and it probably didn’t help that he told Jeffrey to “fuck off,” but to Jeffrey’s credit, I wouldn’t exactly want to attend a concert with this guy either.

I can’t stress how bad he sucked: from shouting parody lyrics over Kylie’s own voice throughout the show, to loudly proclaiming his fandom (he owns the super-super rare Canadian promo of “Love at First Sight”), to nonsensical, eye-watering screeching, to recalling to no one in particular that had Kylie sung “Breathe” and Jeffrey shown up tonight, he would have been having sex right there in the audience.

“God, does he ever shut up?” the flamboyant man to my left whispered to me. I nodded back, “I don’t think so.” If you’re reading this gay man, I sincerely hope Jeffrey leaves you…and takes your super-rare promos along with him.

Personal highlights included the opportunity to experience “Speakerphone,” “The One,” “Confide in Me,” and the pommel horse routine for “Red Blooded Woman” in person for the very first time. And of course, the mere sight of the icon that is Miss Kylie Minogue.

A class act through and through, Kylie Minogue is one of the most gracious, genuine personalities I’ve ever encountered in a performer. With this tour, the artist at last proves to America just why she truly is the reigning showgirl of the music industry.

My only regret was in not purchasing tickets for the two preceding nights in the city–and for opting not to punch my neighbor in the face.

Photo and video credits to my faithful concert buddy, Artful Michael.