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Dangerous Muse: Every Day is Halloween

October 25, 2007

Dangerous Muse is one of the most exciting new electro-pop bands to look out for over the next few months. Mike Furey (vocals) and Tom Napack (keys) have been working diligently on their long-awaited, full-length debut album that is scheduled to hit (download) stores in 2008.

Earlier this month, the duo got into the spirit of the season and released "Every Day Is Halloween" on their MySpace page. The track is another accomplished slice of throbbing electro that features Furey's enigmatic vocals and Napack's crafty synth production.

Dangerous Muse hit the spotlight in a major way in 2006 when they graced the coveted cover of The Advocate's annual music issue. "Sexuality isn't a label anymore. You don't think of people as gay or straight or bi," argued Napack in the article that went along with. Furey agreed and added, "There's no such thing as 'out' anymore." Their own take on sexuality created a stir among some bloggers who thought that the comments where just a way to disguise their true selves.

Polka Dot Princesses

October 17, 2007

The Pipettes bring a whole new type of girl power to the pop scene.

Wearing matching polka dot outfits, this spunky British girl trio of RiotBecki, Rosay and Gwenno took the U.K. by storm last year with their critically-acclaimed debut album "We Are The Pipettes" and their head-turning performances with Amy Winehouse and Sleater Kinney. Earlier this month, the group released their CD stateside and they will embark on a U.S. tour to showcase their happy-go-lucky tunes to new American fans.

The Pipette's retro-inspired music is best describes as Happy Days meets The Supremes meets Joan Jett. It is delicious '60s throwback pop with a rebellious attitude that fits the times that we live in now. That distinct mix of authentic melodies wrapped around contemporary lyrics makes The Pipettes' music timeless.

Their approach to music-making is simple. "We don't understand why novelty can't mean longevity," says Riotbecki in a press release."One of the purposes of the Pipettes is to be able to have countless one hit wonders, to have every song a hit single."

Annie Lennox: The Arjan Interview

October 08, 2007

Annie Lennox is a woman with many different talents and interests.

Not only is she a legendary singer, songwriter and a pop icon, she is also a mother, an Oscar winner, a humanitarian and a concerned citizen of the world. On her much-anticipated new album "Songs Of Mass Destruction," she shares her concern about the state of our planet and her worries about social injustice with listeners. But no mistake about it. This is by no means a sad record. Lennox swings out, hoping and praying, using her soulful music to send out a message of compassion and equality.

You collaborated on this album with Glenn Ballard who is mostly known from his work with Alanis Morissette. What was it like to work with him?
It was a very enjoyable, creative experience. I really got on very well with Glenn, and it was fantastic every day that we worked together. It was just tremendous fun and very inspiring for both of us.

How do you approach the songwriting process. How do your songs come about?
I don't know how any of my songs come about. It is really hard to say. I work very intuitively. I usually make a start on piano and I find something that is really interesting for me, or maybe I have a keyboard and I have an interesting sound and I just start with one line and I just go on to create the song, whatever comes. There's no formula for it except that I just have to make a start.

The song "Colored Bedspread" is for me personally a stand out track with its electro-pop feel. It reminds me of a vintage Eurythmics tune.
Well, I love electro music. The Eurythmics were fairly eclectic and a lot of our influences were very diverse [coming from] a broad palette of influences. I love electro music, I think it is very exciting. There is still so many aspects and styles of music that I want to record and explore. If you listen to the album, you will hear that each song has its own particular style and many different reference points.