With a bawdy band name like Morningwood, the fact that Chantal Claret and Pedro Yanowitz describe their sound as "a monster truck rally having tantric sex with a Bond girl," is just par for the course. The New York-based downtown quartet-turned-duo first stole my heart when they played the Gen Art Film Festival back in 2007 and I had the chance to chat with Claret, their fiery-haired lead singer, during sound check.

A little over a year later it feels like their music is everywhere I turn—video games, commercials, late-night TV, you name it. Their energetic hometown anthem from 2006, "NY Girls," even showed up in the "Sex and the City" movie. And now their bubblegum indie pop is taking over my iTunes; yesterday I received an email about Morningwood's new four-track digital EP and the hilarious racy video for the catchy lead track "Sugarbaby" which stars a puppet version of Claret created by a designer who has worked for Avenue Q and the Jim Henson Studio. (It's a far cry from this clip of her as a serious 9-year-old on Oprah, ruminating on heady topics like art and death.)

"I think that with a video you have the opportunity to tell a story and to introduce yourself as a band and show your personality," Claret explains. "I see this is where most of the problem lies, because a lot of people do not have characters worth getting to know at least entertainment wise." Lucky for us like many a famous redhead before her, this rising indie rock star has talent and charisma to spare!

- Caroline Stanley

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