Oh, why look–it’s a gaggle of trendy artists! Not sure how you’d refer to them as a bunch…a gaggle? A clustering? A murder, perhaps? I’ll have to get back to you on that one.

Santogold, Pharrell Williams, and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes have all joined up to produce “My Drive Thru,” a little ditty in honor of eally, really old shoes. Remember Santy’s rant on racist labeling? Note how they refer to her in the header of this article about the Converse Anniversary.

The song is a bit all over the place, coming off like the Scissor Sisters playing in space with a country twang. Generally, I like it, even if it seems to go on for longer than it should. Happily, the song was uploaded alongside a Kingdom Hearts fan video, which is probably a hair more entertaining than the actual video will be.

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.

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!