jbrotherlove

experiments in wordpressionisms

May 18, 2010 0

Janelle Monáe fulfills her promise on ‘The ArchAndroid’

It feels like many moons since Janelle Monáe broke onto the independent music scene with her EP, Metropolis, Suite I: The Chase in 2007. Three years later, fueled by plenty of critical praise, fan support, a 2009 Grammy nomination and a deal with Diddy’s Bad Boy imprint, the diminutive powerhouse presents her full-length debut, The ArchAndroid.

I love it.

The ArchAndroid contains parts two and three of Monáe’s four-part “Metropolis” concept. And while the concept (and Monáe’s trademark black and white uniform) may be too precious for some, the album’s genre-bending magic is hard to deny. Monae’s voice had been comparisons to Lauryn Hill and Alicia Keys (most notably on the album’s slower songs), but The ArchAndroid‘s sound belongs to Monáe alone.

After a trademark orchestral intro, The ArchAndroid jumps into a tightly edited trio; “Dance or Die,” “Faster” and “Locked Inside” are full of the radio-friendly energy we previewed with first single “Tightrope”. The rest of the disc morphs from Doris Day-flavored pop, new wave, jazz, hip hop and psychedelic rock; produced like a soundtrack from a film or musical.

Monáe’s voice, part delicate songbird, part rockstar, handles each permeation with ease. With only brief appearances by Saul Williams, Big Boi of Outkast, Of Montreal and Deep Cotton, The ArchAndroid captures her talent in full bloom. The biggest knock I can give the album is it’s about three tracks too long. And there are a few songs I like less than the others. But I can’t blame Monáe for wanting to give her all.

Major kudos to The Wondaland Arts Society who has guided Monáe’s vision impeccably since the beginning of her “Metropolis” project. It’s a great case study in how independent artists are concentrating more on well-executed art direction (Brittany Bosco and Rahbi come to mind as examples of other indie artists with a dedicated approach to their musical identity).

The ArchAndroid is sure to garner critical praise and awards along the way (Grammy are you listening?) The biggest challenge may be radio airplay. Black /urban radio, still stuck in a payola-esque era of brainless programming, is a wash. (Seriously, are there any innovative artists who listen to Radio One?) However, pop/dance radio stations would do well to add songs from The ArchAndroid to their playlist.

I’m giving the disc an A for a promise fulfilled.

via my last.fm journal

Apr 12, 2010 1

HBO’s Treme: A good (and big) meal

HBO's Treme wall promo

A blog post, because I started commenting on Latoya’s blog post on Racialicious and got long-winded.

I’m a devout fan of The Wire and admit it’s the main reason I’m tuning into Treme. Like many, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the premiere. Watching the first episode felt like a first visit to the new restaurant everyone’s been buzzing about. It was a good meal; a big meal. Although, the seasoning felt heavy-handed and unfocused last night.

Admittedly, with a cast as large and diverse as Treme, creating an experience in which each ingredient shines while complementing the overall dish is tricky. More intriguing is how Treme will tackle the historic and social relevance of Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans’ strong culture and music history in an hour-long drama.

And about the music.

Music plays a intrinsic role on Treme (it’s New Orleans, after all). As another character (or characters), music will have its own storyline(s). The question is whether music will be the scene-stealer each episode. It felt that way last night. But I’m hoping future episodes will feel more balanced.

Undoubtedly, David Simon and friends will shower us with a variety of twists and subplots by mid-season. And each episode will beg for repeated viewings to extract its subtleties. Also, there’s sure to be a plethora of analysis (Dave Walker’s blog is a great resource).

Thankfully, the colorful characters seem compelling enough to carry the weight. I don’t want to make too many assumptions about them this early (although, Khandi Alexander can do no wrong in my book). I’m just getting to know them. But for now, I’m keeping my Sunday night reservation.

Jun 1, 2009 2

Love for Nurse Jackie

My new favorite television show may very well be Showtime’s new original, dark comedy Nurse Jackie. Award-winning Edie Falco stars as Nurse Jackie Peyton, a no-nonsense ER nurse with a bad back (and a small addiction to pain meds). The acting is top notch and the writing is quick and acerbic, as seen in the following scene from the pilot.

Dynamic duo Wendy and Lisa handle the score. And for additional eye candy, Lebanese hottie Haaz Sleiman plays gay nurse Mo-Mo. The series should be another win for Showtime once it begins airing in June 8. You can watch the first episode of Nurse Jackie online now.