New Music Alert ~ Janelle Monae April 5, 2008

If you love music the way I do, then you should completely understand the feeling that goes through you when you hear that artist, who’s music is so soul rocking, you can’t help but get goosebumps or chills down your back, when you hear them for the first time. From that point on, you go on a somewhat rampage to find more of their music, more of their amazing gift.

Well, that is how I felt when I first discovered this wonderful lady, Janelle Monae. Miss Monae is from Kansas City, Kansas. She was first featured on the The Purple Ribbon All- Stars “Got Purp” album by Big Boi, of Outkast. She later was featured again on the Idlewild Soundtrack, on the songs “Call The Law” and “In Your Dreams”.

Her sound to me is like a new-aged Kelis, but better. There is definitely a nagging comparsion to Andre 3000’s eclectic musical talents and style. In a way where when you hear her sci-fi storyline for ‘Violet Stars Happy Hunting’, she opens up saying “I’m an alien from outter space. I’m a cyber-girl without a face. I’m a product of metal”. You can only imagine where she’s going to go with her lyrical content.

But she also has a beautiful singing voice and can definitely take you there with her pitch and range. Sweet and sultry, she gives you chill bumps when you hear her sing a ballad.

Her band is amazing, the beats are catchy, but yet you’ve never heard of a sound quite like hers.

Personally, I read a piece on her last year over on the Clutch Magazine website. That was the moment when I craved more from Miss Monae, but there was none for me at that time.

I can’t say what made me look for her again. Oh, it was the second piece Clutch did on her in Jan ‘08, and I’ve been ok ever since. But, there is no actual album dropping from Janelle until this Summer. I must correct myself in calling it an “album” as she and her Label, The Wondaland Arts Society, have remastered the theory of how music is perceived, and called her debut a ’suite’.

To define the term ’suite’ I will have to quote what Janelle and The Wondaland Society say themselves:

The concept of the suite release was inspired by the observation that the youth of the iPod generation no longer buy or listen to entire albums. They listen to playlists. They grab their favorite three to four songs from a particular album, add those to a playlist, and then discard the rest of the album like yesterday’s news.

In order to re-excite the public, the label is forced to do guest spots and remixes, additional videos and deluxe CD releases….all in a vain attempt to intrigue the record buyer again.

With this in mind, the Wondaland Arts Society has decided to release its content in a quarterly “suite” fashion. Like successful serial programs such as Lost or Heroes, this release schedule allows dynamic artists such as Janelle Monáe to always stay fresh: she always has a new chapter or musical world to visit, a new song raiding blogs and earbuds.

As one can imagine, this suite model continually excites the consumer and music lover, while creating countless opportunities for Ms. Monáe to experiment artistically and grow creatively with her audience.

Pretty neat idea. She was recently signed to Bad Boy and did a showcase show for the Industry folks, this past Thursday @ The Blender Theater. I’ll post pics from that next.

Check out some of her tunes. My Favorite songs, actually. So I’d consider yourself lucky

I made this music player at MyFlashFetish.com.

~ f@ke