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I Blame Coco (dot coco dot coco dot com) is the daughter of Sting. She signed to Island Records around the same time as Tommy Sparks and VV Brown but save a few lo-fi reggae vibe-y tracks that have appeared on youtube, there’s been little heard of her. I thought the project had perhaps been abandoned. That is, until XO’s Middle Eight just found a clip of her new single ‘Caesar’ that’s been popped on her myspace page.

Not only does is it suddenly make her sound like a pop star, but Robyn is featured on the chorus, and ooh isn’t there something about that bassline that screams Teddybears. A quick google and yes it seems she’s been working with Klas and Joakim Ahlund from Teddybears who made one of my favourite albums of the naughties. As XO says, it’s also refreshing to hear a new female artist who, as much as I might love it, isn’t bringing out a banging electro-pop ditty. I want something new for 2010 instead of a continuation. And if it’s unpolished girls who hate wearing sequins, are a bit gruff and have some swagger about them – bring it on!

Consider my interest taken from not even worth a head-turn to manically excited (particularly thanks to this picture from her myspace).

This is Yulanda Lindsay aka Dollface aka today’s obsession. First springing into the lives of pop bloggers via her part in ‘girl group in development’ The Silhouettes, the band have recently split leaving Dollface to set up her own label and go solo.

An alumni of the Brit School, she’s moved away from The Silhouettes retro sound and moved towards electro-pop with demo standout ‘Miss Jamaica’ pulling together elements of Red One’s production and her own fiesty throwdowns. Couple that with elements of Calvin Harris in the blissfully repetitive but undeniably soulful girl put downs of ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ and we have ourselves a brand new popstar if these demos are anything to go by. Citing Grace Jones, Bowie, Rihanna and Daft Punk as references, this is a lady to keep our eyes on in 2010.

Have a listen over on her myspace.

I have a new favourite pop star. Yes, only hours after RebekkahMaria I have now been drastically won over by the deliciously funky Janelle Monáe.

You may have heard her soulful tones on Outkast’s ‘Idlewild’ soundtrack, but I’ve just been introduced to her via awesome American blog Arjan Writes. Originally her EP Metropolis was released on a small label in 2007. As these things sometime do, it spread through the music lovers and built up a buzz before P Diddy signed her up to his label and Outkast’s Big Boi rocked up on production duties.

Yesterday she released ‘Metropolis: The Chase Suite’ in America and her full length debut will follow in early 2009. It’s a concept EP telling the tale of Janelle’s alter ego sci-fi android Cindy Mayweather who falls ‘madly in love with a human’. Although the two races live side by side, the androids are govered by a law that says no android can ever fall in love so it’s time for Cindi to go on the run and escape the droid control hunting her down with chainsaws. It’s bonkers, but coupled with the mash of strange hammond organ, James Bond-esque strings, funk, rock and soul, manages to completely work and sound magical.

Download: Janelle Monae – Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!! [MP3]