Janelle Monae

the song is basically an outtake from their latest, Skeletal Lamping

Probably a good thing I've avoided this, then.

I want to say the lines Just like a candle snuffed at dawn/You're here, you're near, you're there, and then you're gone strike me as really beautiful, especially as sung. (That is, assuming I am hearing the line correctly. I still don't have a lyrics sheet, since my CD copy came with a smashed up case and I am sending it back.) I also like the color imagery/symbolism in her lyrics, something I don't think I fully understand, which makes it interesting to me. We haven't talked so much about the lyrics, which may be a good thing since there are certainly some weaknesses, but I think at times they are pretty good.

I also like the little spoken segment in "Mushrooms & Roses." It sounds as if she is momentarily taking off her mask as a performer and actually talking the way Janelle Monae would, unveiling in the safety of all the distortion on that track.

I still don't know what she's saying right before "Take the Bus." It sounds like "confusion is a walrus," which I'm pretty sure is wrong (though it makes a nice Sonic Youth/Beatles mashup).

her lyrics can be sorta lol

the comment that oh maker sounds like the moz has become very distracting to my listening

her lyrics can be sorta lol

I still don't know what she's saying right before "Take the Bus." It sounds like "confusion is a walrus," which I'm pretty sure is wrong (though it makes a nice Sonic Youth/Beatles mashup).

― _Rudipherous_, Wednesday, May 26, 2010 6:26 AM Bookmark

ha, I keep going o_O at that line everytime I hear it and then completely forgetting about it until the next time

are they really singing "take her back to wondaland, she thinks she left her undapants"?

the problem with the of montreal song is that they didn't seem to think they should tailor it to monae, this just sounds like an of montreal song stuck in the middle of the album

yeah, exactly

On the Letterman and Ellen performances, when she sings the "whether you're high or low" part it doesn't sound quite right to me. Is it off key, or does it maybe just not sound right to me because of my expectations based on the recorded version. Is there anything weird about it music theory wise (anybody)?

iirc it's just the vagaries of live performance; unless you are Celine Dion, you are not going to hit every single note that comes out of your mouth perfectly and she is pressing a lot on that phrase, making it sound simultaneously unsteady and awesome

Hmm, I dunno. There's something about that part of the song, and the chorus, that doesn't sound quite right. Like you want it to be a perfect pop song, but the "high or low" part doesn't quite hit the right notes. I would also like to hear from someone who knows music a little bit technically...

BUT having said that, love this album. Oh, Maker is genuinely pretty, and a great shift in tone. I also like the way the album is, on the whole, damn fast.

Dan knows music a lot a bit technically. She just didn't hit the notes, it happens sometimes.

Yeah, but I was talking bout the recorded version.

In which there's no problem?

Not trying to labor the point. Just saying: to my ears, that part of the song, on the recorded version, doesn't sound right. Maybe it's just me.

Again, she's jarringly out of tune on Locked Inside. It's painful.

xp I think it's just you.

It doesn't even sound like she's trying to hit the same notes (as she hits on the album version) on that high or low part ,in the two live performances. The fact that it's the same in both performances makes me wonder if it's just a mistake, like why would she make the same mistake twice (as if I've never made the same mistake twice). I don't hear anything wrong with "Locked Inside" but I don't think I'm particularly sensitive to things being out of tune to begin with.

I feel as though I am with this album where I would normally be after two or three months of listening to an album, because I've listened so much, and I'm not longer as completely absorbed as I was on the first many listens. I'm not saying I don't like it a lot, just that the initial spell is no longer there. Probably I should just take a break from it. I am thinking that the moderate weakness of some of the songs as songs (so yes, I'm agreeing with that view to some extent) could be an issue in the long run.

^^^dope display name imo

Thanks, I usually don't play with that stuff. What is she saying though?

that lyrics are lol

http://vimeo.com/11723505

Again, she's jarringly out of tune on Locked Inside. It's painful.

― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Friday, May 28, 2010 3:38 PM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I'm listening to this now and between this and the Kelis thread, I'm thinking autotune has completely ruined people's perceptions of what actual singing sounds like.

She is eclectic. Isn't that SunnO))) in the Tightrope video? Love this song.

Last minute and a half of Tightrope is straight-up amazing, like Curtis Mayfield amazing.

― rhythm fixated member (chap), Monday, 24 May 2010 01:08 (5 days ago)

I just watched Tightrope and while it was ok for the first three and a bit minutes, it REALLY takes off towards the end. Love the visuals of her being led away while everyone else cavorts too. If she pulls this shit throughout then I'll have to give this a good listen.

I think you would probably like this album. You seem to like a lot of albums with a big ambitious sweep to them. This has that and mostly makes good on its big ambitions. (Incidentally, I am not feeling disconnected from it the way I was the last few times I listened to it before my last set of posts--maybe I was just listening to it when I was too tired.)

My dabblings in R&B are not especially extensive but I did like that Badu album everyone went mental for. I'll give it a listen!

This definitely has huge crossover-appeal (even to a degree which may make some people unhappy).

Last minute and a half of Tightrope is straight-up amazing, like Curtis Mayfield amazing.

― rhythm fixated member (chap), Monday, 24 May 2010 01:08 (5 days ago)

i dunno i think it's bad, real bad, michael jackson

lol jk i just wanted to say that

loooooooool

I don't know anything about R&B as has been pointed out on here extensively but I own more records by James Brown/Flaming Flames/The J.B.s than any other artist and this ticks a lot of boxes for me. I can't wait to hear the album.

as someone who loved tightrope, i have to say that i don't think the rest of the album lives up to it.

The Reverend, seriously? Like I listen to much music with autotune or think the rest of the album is out of tune? It's just that song ffs.

ok i need to get around to hearing this

brb listening to autotuned Ghena Dimitrova

'dance or die' is xxxtra dope for real

man this is dope. any haters on some kneejerk popism HOW IS THIS MORE ADVENTUROUS THAN AMERIE REHASHING ONE THING STILL needs to back down

build that strawman high, son

The Reverend, seriously? Like I listen to much music with autotune or think the rest of the album is out of tune? It's just that song ffs.

― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Saturday, May 29, 2010 11:27 AM Bookmark

Okay, my bad for strawmanning you, but I don't hear it at all.

deej otm

xp seriously though deej, what do you mean by that? i don't follow.

(altho tbh I don't really think anyone here [rep]ped for the last Amerie album like that)

haha im totally exaggerating/strawmanning there

but there was a huge thread of "how is this more adventurous than [pop r&b artist x] [pop r&b artist y] & its like, look -- its a genuinely unique record! just because we can now acknowledge that, hey, the-dream is a really unique artist, doesnt mean that all 'outsider' alternative-y artists are overrated. this record is good

naw, I totally agree

but to some of us, this particular 'outsider' alternative-y artist is being overrated! -- this is like the most critically acclaimed album of the year

yeah, the rhetoric around the album is ridiculous, but who gives a shit, the music itself is great

in our circle i dont see much bullshit -- matt p's review was pretty good i thought, & looked at the record for what it was w/out hammering 'the rest of R&B' with it. obviously some cornballs will always see anything vaguely 'alternative' as superior but thats unavoidable, whether this record is great or wack.