Artist La Roux

On the surface, La Roux is Elly Jackson—she’s the voice and face of the British synth-pop outfit, appearing solo in music videos as well as on the cover of the groups’ self-titled debut LP. (Then there’s the matter of her fiery locks and the French translation of “La Roux,” which means “red-haired one.”) But as it was with the group’s obvious forebears The Human League and Eurythmics, there’s a less visible hand cueing up the bleeps-and-bloops that belongs to keyboardist Ben Langmaid. Langmaid shares production and songwriting duties with Jackson, and it’s easier to discern his contributions in the duo’s live show—though it’s not like anyone will be watching Langmaid, even when the long-lined synth lead of “In For The Kill” kicks in.

Updated 05/20/2010