You most likely won't recognise her johnhancock, but Ms Furler, more commonly known by her first name... Sia. Has very likely crept into your ear canals at some point in the last decade. I would also bet my Oreo stash that you lo-oo-oved it!! Along with her continued association with British trip hop act Zero 7, the Adelaide born musician has become the go to woman for soul infused ethereal vocal hors d'ouevres. She has released four albums of magical omnipotence, collaborated with musicians such as Beck Hansen, The Bird and The Bee, Flight of the Conchords, Fatboy Slim and David Byrne,andwritten songs for Christina Aguilera's new album 'Bionic'. And last year she was recognised as one of Australia's most influential 'Out' public figures on samesame.com.au. Her new album... We Are Born, straddles the freight train of glittery bubblegum disco pop (and I don't mean the sort of gum that goes hard and loses its flavour after three chews) and jumps the rails to storm through the subterranean depths of broken hearted disappointment, only to turn the tables and drag you kicking and screaming towards the best night of funk-ma-tronic boogaloo beats of your life! From the first track The Fight with its refrain of "we made it through the darkness to the light" you know it's gonna be the good kind of bittersweet apple. Party pants engage!! The musicians who lend their individual flavours to the mix include guitarist Nick Valensi of the Strokes, Inara George and Greg Kurstin of The Bird and The Bee and Felix Bloxsom... drummer extraordinaire to the likes of Daniel Merriweather, The Presets and The Sleepy Jackson, they all melange together without cutting each other's lunch, so to speak. I must say that for someone with such a variety of vocal acrobatic chutzpah, she never leaves you feeling like you've been on the audio hurdy gurdy. Suchfluidity also extends to her sexuality, speaking in The Advocate, she made no bones about the fact that "It's not what you are, it's who you are," echoing a common assertion by a growing number of queer youth the world over. A breath of fresh air and a call to arms for an inclusionist future, head over toher Myspace for a giggle and a snapshot into life's helium-filled highs and come down skitz outs fairy dusted into form by the wild and ecstatic Madame Furler. Let's get our friends together and do a flashmob toe-sock shuffle to entice her over, it's about time she played here!! Watch Sia's Clap Your Hands below. Penny Wafer - 25th July 2010