French beats master Martin Solveig might still be a virtual unknown in the U.S., but his hit “Hello” became plenty overplayed as it wormed its way up on top 10 charts worldwide.
When the single ranked 46 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in April, listeners on this side of the pond took notice. Simple lyrics repeat on top of bubble-gum beats, making it the perfect song for radios to play all summer long. In some respects, Solveig should largely thank his collaborator, another alleged unknown, who gave the song its distinct sound and voice.
Martina Sorbara is the raspy and sassy singer on the “Hello” single, and she is definitely not a newbie on the loud club circuit despite her anonymity in the U.S. As the singer-songwriter of the Canadian electropop group Dragonette, Sorbara, bassist and producer Dan Kurtz and drummer Joel Stouffer have been around since 2005.
Shortly following their first self-titled EP, Dragonette released their first album Galore in 2007, which earned them a Juno award for Best New Group at the Canadian Music Awards. Galore could be considered laid-back compared to what Dragonette’s sound evolved into in later albums.
Tracks like “Take It Like A Man” are big on Sorbara’s vocal and lyrical abilities, where instrumentation merely frames the finished product. “Get Lucky” incorporates doo-wop pretty rock, giving Sorbara’s normally edgy vocals an extra dose of estrogen.
“I Get Around” is the biggest sounding track on the album as a whole, with a pounding bass and a simple lyrical storyline.
Galore barely tipped the scales, earning a standing position of 80 on Canada’s music charts. In 2009, Dragonette released Fixin to Thrill, which fared better but kept the band’s audience primarily in Canada and Europe. The title track contains cheeky lyrics and contemporary orchestration echoing the electronic standard that’s been set by European DJs. Given that Fixin was released in Sept. 2009, U.S. audiences might not have even been ready for Dragonette’s heavy synthesizers that were not part of the top 40 palette until later in ‘09- ‘10 when the Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. familiarized the average listener’s ear with staccato bass beats.
Fixin’s Companion EP, Mixin to Thrill, was released about a year ago and is filled to the brim with remixed and dubstep-tastic versions of the title track “Fixin to Thrill.” Three new songs also appeared on the EP including “Volcano,” a track that is pure hidden treasure. Imagine ‘70s disco meeting ‘80s electro in an upscale nightclub, getting each other drunk on champagne and going strong until sunrise, and you’ve got the basic feel for the song.
In spite of Dragonette’s lengthy discography, DJ Martin Solveig still might be the band’s only hope for hitting it big on the U.S. music charts. Dragonette is currently working on their third studio album slated for a late 2011 release.
Could Sorbara finally be ready to have her big moment in America, outside of being that chick from that one song? Regardless of the answer, Dragonette should most definitely be making an appearance on an iTunes playlists near you. 
Amanda Sieradzki can be reached at minaret.arts@gmail.