The story of Nashville-by-way of Australia’s Butterfly Boucher is an all too common one these days. Her debut on A&M Records, Flutterby, was well-received by fans and she later had a song placed on a critical scene of “Grey’s Anatomy.” But A&M couldn’t figure out how to maximize her potential, and didn’t really try hard to do so, so Boucher was granted her freedom, which she embraced with the vigor of someone who wanders the desert to find an oasis. Her new album, Scary Fragile, on her own imprint, Situation Operation (she is managed by alt-pop powerhouse label Nettwerk Music), reflects the last few years of trying to make music for the right reasons. This woman can write songs really well, and it’s just mind-boggling that labels can give up on talent like her’s so quickly. Boucher sings in an endearing Australian accent and her voice is unique and easy to pinpoint – and she’s hip without being hipster, melodic without being predictable. The album kicks off with “I Found Out,” which is clearly an anthem of liberation that flat-out rocks. And on a mostly solid sophomore effort, the other standouts are “Gun For a Tongue,” which may remind you of Luscious Jackson; the summer rock feel of “Keeper” and the haunting beauty of “Bitter Song,” which is the same track used by “Grey’s Anatomy.” (LABEL: Situation Operation)

Butterfly Boucher MySpace Page

We were admittedly late to the Metric party, but after hearing the band’s fantastic new album Fantasies, we are officially smitten. And how cool is this: they just made a video for “Sick Muse,” the song we’ve been putting on mix discs since the album’s release.

The clip itself is simple one: the camera stays still while the band members play, or dance, or sing, or whatever they feel like doing. And if Emily Haines doesn’t have the cutest dance ever, we don’t know who does. Swoon. And as a bonus, this player - which defaults to auto-play, grrrr - contains videos for “Gimme Sympathy” and “Help I’m Alive” as well, along with audio streams of the entire Fantasies album. Sweeeeeeet.

We’ll be honest: we’re not posting the clip for “Beyond Therapy,” the debut single from Los Angeles song bird Courtenay Green, because it’s a knockout song. The song is cute enough - though it doesn’t bear even a passing resemblance to the Hollies or New Pornographers, two bands to whom she’s compared in her press release - and Green is quite the fetching lass. Nope, we’re posting the clip for “Beyond Therapy” because the video is awesome, a throwback of sorts to early ’80s clips.

In fact, it’s rather fitting that she made a throwback clip for the song, because the song itself is a the kind of song that would have stood a much better chance of climbing the charts in 1981 than it will today. Green has good pitch, and she’s not flashy (thank God for that, as we have more than enough of those kinds of singers as it is), but her voice sounds wafer-thin compared to the girls currently dominating the charts. Not her fault, of course, but it’s definitely going to pose problems for her, which is why she was very smart to make a clip that will endear her to Gen X music lovers. We see Green singing the song in one of those karaoke bars where the songs have their own videos - not sure if anyone does these anymore, but they were all the rage in the early ’90s - and the video within this video is dead perfect. Star wipe, diamond wipe, heart wipe…yes.

Props to Green for playing to her strengths. Who knows, maybe we’ll eat the words above about her commercial prospects. Wouldn’t be the first time, and we would have no problem getting this one wrong.

Straight from Norway comes the indie-pop sensation Maria Siversten. This quirky 24 year old loves to drink, speaks her mind, and is the proud owner of her very own psychological disorder–synaesthesia, a sensory condition that makes her see colors and shapes when she hears tones or sounds. Her lyrics are blunt, simple, and to the point in a twisted web-of-a-way that often leaves you wondering what her songs are about, but the overall effect is garge-style-scuzz-rock that’ll have you dancing around the room, remote control-microphone in hand.

For the most part Ida’s debut Fortress Round My Heart (RCA) has been well received, earning her a spot on Blender’s 1001 Downloads: Top 144 Songs of 2008. (She came in at number 109.) Rolling Stone Magazine called Fortress “warm and tuneful” but also warned listeners that Ida could ”go easier on the drunken confessionals.” There’s no doubt about the fact that her record is soaked with the remnants of some heavy drinking, but it does make for some interesting tunes.

Unfortunately for Ida Maria, not everyone’s a fan of her spunk-infused pop. DrownedInSound.com wrote:

While her vocal enthusiasm is commendable…there’s not enough bite to Ida Maria’s zesty jump-around-the-room pop-rock for it to really impress. Fortress Round My Heart drags its heels more often than it kicks them, leaving its makers’ explosions of endearing energy exposed as the rarest ingredient in the Norwegian singer’s writing…

After a brief description of her touring history, DrownedInSound.com goes on to say:

The object, according to the artist…was to create a record of ten short, sharp, perfect tracks; pop music that hits hard, that you can dance and drink and go crazy to. There are moments of decently sassy pop-rock here, songs that you can just about see someone singing along to…But these moments are few and far between, and are exclusively the tracks featuring a vaguely vibrant BPM count. When she eases off the gas Ida Maria’s wheels begin to fall off; when she’s careening along to the point of near control-loss, Fortress is a fun, undemanding listen.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say her record is an “undemanding listen” but there are times when you find yourself wondering what exactly you are listening to. NME.com wrote about a few of those moments saying:

The deranged booty call that is ‘I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked’ makes sex sound like a desperate pagan ritual. ‘Oh My God’ makes boozing sound less like a fun past-time than, well, a desperate pagan ritual. By the time things turn to God, on ‘Stella’, He’s having sex with the titular character while, drunk…

Overall, Scandinavian grunge-princess Ida Maria’s unusual blend of sassy melodies and self-deprecating lyrics isn’t half-bad. If you like a little dirt in your pop music you should definitely check out her debut Fortress Round My Heart on iTunes, or drop by her MySpace for a free preview.

Anya Marina is an entertainment triple threat—she’s been a radio DJ, an actress, and is now fortifying her music career with a second album release, Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II, released on Alexandra Patsavas’ Chop Shop Music label. Patsavas, one of the best-known film/TV music supervisors, placed one of Marina’s songs on the “Grey’s Anatomy” soundtrack and then signed her to the label. Marina’s unique, sultry vocal is a more alternative version of Gwen Stefani, and her playful songs on Slow & Steady are accented by the hipster production crew of Brian Karscig (Louis XIV) and Britt Daniel (Spoon). Daniel’s drum loops helped give Marina a creative spark and as a result the album is a leap from Marina’s earlier singer/songwriter fare. There are some great moments, especially on the opener “Move You,” the ultra-bouncy “Cut It Out,” and on “Vertigo,” which has an ‘80s, “Pretty in Pink” undertone. But on “Not a Through Street,” which starts out with just an acoustic guitar and Marina’s pure vocal, her appeal jumps through the roof. It doesn’t matter if the flavor-of-the-month artist is your thing or not, there will be something most everyone can like about Anya Marina. (Chop Shop/Atlantic)

Anya Marina ySpace Page

Eleni Mandell has been well under most everyone’s radar, evidenced by the fact that Artificial Fire is Mandell’s seventh studio release and there’s a good chance you haven’t heard of her yet. This time around, she claims to have pulled inspiration from her inner teenager, and that makes for a mostly upbeat, quirky romp, and quite a contrast from Mandell’s previous album, Miracle of Five, which was more crooner-ish. Mandell’s rich, soft and always on-pitch voice is still there, but there are so many other variables at work in the arrangements and production of Artificial Fire, it’s pretty impossible to become bored. That’s not to say every song is compelling, but Eleni has some real winners here, especially the title track, which features some sweet psychedelic guitar riffs, the rock swagger of “Little Foot” and the dark, sweet croon of “I Love Planet Earth.” But the best track of all is “Don’t Let It Happen,” which has a pure pop feel with a ‘50s bent, sort of like a female version of Buddy Holly. This is just another fine release from an artist who deserves a bit more of your attention. (LABEL: Zedtone)

Eleni Mandell MySpace Page

This news will make our friend Heidi happy: Metric are about to release Fantasies, the band’s fourth album, and if the first single, “Help, I’m Alive,” is any indication, these guys are about to make the jump into the big leagues. Nice combination of electronic flourishes and acoustic instruments, and a Velcro hook in that “Beating like a hammer” line. Check it out.

And for you Metric fans who want more more more, the band is also giving away an acoustic version of “Help, I’m Alive,” for the low, low price of…your email address.

If a dude admits that he likes a chick flick, he might lose certain privileges, like, you know, the privilege to not be hassled by his buddies. But soundtracks are another story, because sometimes they surprise us with songs we actually like or even ones we have listened to and purchased on our own before. As for “He’s Just Not That Into You,” which is the chick flick of chick flick titles, there are some songs on its soundtrack that will let you guys keep your street cred and then some, such as My Morning Jacket’s “I’m Amazed,” the Black Crowes’ “By Your Side” and the Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait.” But even the estrogen-heavy stuff isn’t bad - Tristan Prettyman’s “Madly” and Erin McCarley’s “Love, Save The Empty” are catchy and worth a download, and make up for the sappy James Morrison tune (“You Make It Real”) or the over-played Human League hit, “Don’t You Want Me.” But the kicker? Scarlett Johansson’s “Last Goodbye” is the closer, and it is so not bad at all - there’s no surprise she has a sexy voice, but it’s her delivery and the beauty of the song itself that will surprise the most skeptical of you all. (Warner Bros.)

Movie Website

It physically pains us that Kylie Minogue isn’t big in America. Heaven knows that we’ve embraced singers with thinner voices and weaker tunes, not to mention there are few pop stars on the planet as awesomely hot as the Divine Miss K. Capitol thought they had lightning in a bottle when “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” exploded, but once “Love at First Sight” scratched and clawed its way to #23, they learned the same lesson that Geffen learned a decade before: in radio terms, Kylie’s not a girlfriend - she’s a one-night stand. With the release of Boombox: The Remix Album, it appears that Capitol (who shuffled the contract off to hipster indie Astralwerks) is fulfilling their obligation to releasing Minogue’s records, and the choice is a curious one. On the one hand, compiling the remixes will rope in her gay club-going fans, but will they be satisfied with edited versions of the mixes? Astralwerks better hope so, because the mixes on Boombox are not going to play to mainstream dance popsters. The mash-up of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” with New Order’s “Blue Monday” is cute, and the Chemical Brothers add a nice dose of sleaze to “Slow,” but the majority of the mixes are relentless, thumpa-thumpa-thumpa dub-style mixes (”Wow,” in particular, is hacked to bits). If we had our way, Boombox would use single edits, with a bonus disc of full-length remixes. With any luck, a more commercial-friendly version of Boombox is in the works. (Astralwerks)

Kylie Minogue MySpace page

How does a solo artist stand out in a crowd these days? It’s not an easy task, due to the sheer number of singers and/or songwriters that seem to be on every street corner no matter what part of the globe you’re on. To help listeners and fans find you, it helps to be quite talented, and that can be said about newcomer Erin McCarley and her debut album, Love, Save the Empty. McCarley has the kind of radio-ready sound that is sure to please the “One Tree Hill” producers and fan base alike, but this sultry vocalist writes songs that run deeper and darker than that. What you’ll hear on most of Love, Save the Empty is a gloomy undertone, and McCarley openly admits that she is most inspired when sad. But that dark feel, akin to maybe Fiona Apple or Alanis Morissette, is also tempered by an accessible yet sophisticated side to her songwriting - think Aimee Mann or Luscious Jackson’s Jill Cunniff. And while McCarley does have a nice set of songs to debut to the world, the wispy Hotel Café vocal thing does get a bit tiresome after a while. It’s also what is selling right now, so you can’t fault the artist or label. Among 11 great pieces, the ones you should keep coming back to are the opening single, “Pony (It’s OK),” the peppy “Sleep Walking” and the beautifully melancholy “Lovesick Mistake,” easily the album’s best track. (Universal Republic 2009)

Erin McCarley MySpace Page

Sometimes new artists come out of nowhere to brighten our day and sometimes they help by painting beautiful images in our heads with their music - be they bright, or be they cloudy and drizzly as Dana Falconberry does on the aptly titled Oh Skies of Grey. Falconberry is an Austin Texas singer/songwriter who moved from her hometown of Dearborn, Michigan a few years back and has been hanging around the camps of Patty Griffin, Peter Buck and Alejandro Escovedo. What you’ll hear in Falconberry is equal parts sultry folkster (Griffin), rainy day alt-popster (Suzanne Vega), and bombastic arrangements that give her songs incredible character (think Laura Veirs). All of this is wrapped up in a neat package and delivered with authority on Oh Skies of Grey, and it’s the kind of moody fare that you stick in your CD player and forget about for a while, or at least until the sun starts peaking through. The best tracks among 12 varied and well-crafted ones are the shuffling, hauntingly sexy “Love Will Never Leave You Alone” and “Flourescent” as well as the unofficial title track, “Blue Umbrella.” (2:59)

Dana Falconberry MySpace Page

Our friends at AskMen.com have unveiled their annual list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women, as voted by their readers (who cast a staggering 10 million votes), and it is every bit the cornucopia of babeness that you’d expect it to be. We obviously can’t tell you who’s at the top of the list, but on a personal note, I was thrilled to see that my girl Anne Hathaway went Top Ten, even beating out smoking hot Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio to boot. Kristen Bell and Megan Fox made the top ten as well, and given the performance by the former in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Heroes,” and the performance by the latter’s stomach in “Transformers,” this should surprise no one.

However, after a quick glance of the list, I realized something: for as oversexed as everything has gotten these days, rock babes are in disturbingly low supply. Only one singer made the top ten – yes, Scarlett Johannson made an album, but she doesn’t count – and it should surprise no one that it’s the girl that doesn’t go anywhere without her umbrella, ella, ella. From there, though, the pickings are slim. Christina Aguilera is at #35, and Miss Sasha Fierce (Beyoncé) is at #50. Really, #50? That’s the best she could do?

Being the site’s head music geek, I looked at the list of rock babes – and we admit that we use the word ‘rock’ loosely, as these women are all pop stars – and imagined someone assembling a mix of their music and only their music. Along with Rihanna, Beyoncé and Xtina, you can add Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger (#65), Jessica Simpson (#70), and, gulp, Britney Spears (#90). Aiiiiieeeeeeeee! That’s the iPod from hell, right there, though I do think “Umbrella” is a monster jam. Still, imagine going to a party, and all they played were the above artists. Admit it: you’d leave the party. However, if those women were all present at the party, you’d stay, which means that while the voters were asked to look beyond sex appeal and rank the women that have the qualities they would most like in a companion (intelligence, humor, character and ambition), it’s clear that when it comes to music, sex appeal is still driving the car, intelligence is in the back seat, and character is tied up in the trunk.

Ambition, however, is riding shotgun, which brings us to the singer at #32. Katy Perry. Now, if we’re just looking at photographs, I can see why guys would dig Katy Perry. She looks like the slutty third Deschanel sister, and talks about kissing girls, which is catnip to horny guys. There is just one small problem with her: she’s the phoniest phony in all of Phonyland, and a sorry excuse for a pop star. Add her to the party playlist and the people present at the party, and I’m leaving. Give me Kylie Minogue (just missed the cut, we’re told) over Perry any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Please, please give me Kylie Minogue.

The sad, unspoken part of all this is that the performance of women rockers on this list is certainly a ripple effect of how much we devalue music these days. Ten years ago, this list would be crawling with singers. Twenty years ago, there would have been more singers than actresses. Today, we get Katy Perry. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fine list of women overall – hard to argue with Keeley Hazell, after all – but the music fan in me feels like this list serves as a stinging indictment of how completely screwed up the music business is these days. Sigh.

To view AskMen’s list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women, click here.

Erin McCarley was born in Dallas and cultivated her music career in San Diego, but she now resides in Nashville, home of country music and great songwriters. And right now, she is fitting in as one of the top pop artists on Music City. McCarley was on the Ten out of Tenn compilation recently and her debut album, Love, Save The Empty, on Universal Republic, comes out in early 2009 (January 6 to be exact). Folks, you need to keep an eye on Miss McCarley, because not only does she know how to craft infectious pop, but she delivers it with a humble charm and with a compelling voice. Here are a couple of samples courtesy of the label:

“Pony (It’s OK)”

“Love, Save the Empty”

Erin McCarley MySpace
Page

Erin McCarley website

and since I know you’re all wondering what Erin looks like, here is a link to photos

Like a VH-1 dream lineup, The Hotel Café in Los Angeles is presenting Winter Songs, a collection of both original and classic holiday tunes by today’s hottest female artists. The Epic Records release is a benefit for the Susan G. Komen For the Cure, and it also benefits anyone who has the chance to hear it. Among some of the best original holiday songs in years are the unofficial title track, “Winter Song,” by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson, and Colbie Caillat’s stunning “Mistletoe.” Some of the classics are predictable and a bit pedestrian, such as KT Tunstall’s take on “Sleigh Ride” or Priscialla Ahn’s wispy take on “Silent Night.” But Fiona Apple’s “Frosty The Snowman” and Katy Perry’s “White Christmas” are throwback versions to a bygone era, and show something you may not have known – that they both can sing very well. Taken as a whole, this is one of the more unique and semi-awesome holiday albums to be released in quite some time, and the cause should give you that much more of a reason to pick it up. (Epic)

Hotel Cafe website

…well, you know.

There is no quicker way to our hearts during the holiday season than by covering “Fairytale of New York,” the staggeringly awesome duet between the Pogues and the late, great Kirsty MacColl. So congratulations, Amy MacDonald: we liked your debut album well enough, but this live version of “Fairytale,” recorded at the Barrowlands in Glasgow, permanently puts you in our cool book. Her bassist and duet partner does a mean Shane MacGowan impression to boot.

Amy MacDonald - Fairytale of New York (Live in Glasgow)