Yeah I'm loving this after a couple of plays. The skits are going to get old very fast but apart from the album seems like a bit of step up from the last album. It's not quite as all over the place, like she's grown up slightly. Some of the production is just excellent too.
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 3 September 2013 19:03 (eleven years ago) link
Production on It's Code is some amazing 70's Stevie Wonder magic. We Were Rock & Roll is another highlight, should have been the second single. No idea why she put out Dance Apocalyptic as a single, easily one of the weakest songs.
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 3 September 2013 19:07 (eleven years ago) link
ponderous bossanova showtune janelle on "look into my eyes"
feelin' just as spotty and boring as the archandroid but i'm glad i at least love one song off of it so far
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 3 September 2013 19:08 (eleven years ago) link
Even through this super lo-res stream that Miguel track sounds amazing
― Evan R, Tuesday, 3 September 2013 19:18 (eleven years ago) link
w00t got the vh1 stream working
― "Dave Barlow" is the name Lou uses on sabermetrics baseball sites (s.clover), Tuesday, 3 September 2013 19:28 (eleven years ago) link
yeah these skits are wearing on a second listen already
― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 3 September 2013 19:38 (eleven years ago) link
So happy Of Montreal aren't in the vicinity of this album.
― Van Horn Street, Tuesday, 3 September 2013 19:44 (eleven years ago) link
ghetto woman is a good time
― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 3 September 2013 20:49 (eleven years ago) link
Is it true Monáe and Susan Rice are lovers?
― _Rudipherous_, Tuesday, 3 September 2013 21:03 (eleven years ago) link
Susan Rice the National Security Advisor?
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 3 September 2013 21:07 (eleven years ago) link
Rice is on record as being anti-android so likely not
― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 3 September 2013 21:12 (eleven years ago) link
The song with Prince isn't very Prince-y and also isn't very good.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 3 September 2013 21:26 (eleven years ago) link
beg to differ on the latterwhat an experience is the major new weak track for me
― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 3 September 2013 21:27 (eleven years ago) link
in the pitchfork feature on her today, it's revealed that prince called the head of BET directly to demand that monae perform at the awards
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 4 September 2013 15:56 (eleven years ago) link
makes sense, her vocals are about as blank and devoid of personality as the average Prince protege
― 2 Steenz (some dude), Wednesday, 4 September 2013 17:22 (eleven years ago) link
the new album sounds pretty good to me. "queen" is easily her best song imo, like the solange one a lot. the final track was amazing. nice little album.
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 4 September 2013 17:37 (eleven years ago) link
now that she's gone ahead and made a pretty normal R&B album i wonder if people will realize they got sucked in by the artifice or if they're still be a lot of writing about her being futuristic or w/e
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 4 September 2013 17:38 (eleven years ago) link
feel like I like her more in theory than in practice
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 4 September 2013 17:39 (eleven years ago) link
it's hard for me to STAY excited about any of the tracks on the album. but i like most of em.
― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 4 September 2013 17:45 (eleven years ago) link
I've only heard the tracks on the Pfork preview and Q.U.E.E.N. seemed like the best of the lot - agree that the material is likeable but not jaw-dropping. nothing grabs me instantly the way, say, Badu's best stuff has.
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 4 September 2013 17:46 (eleven years ago) link
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 4 September 2013 18:38 (33 minutes ago) Bookmark
idk in a funny way i kinda think her straightest moments (like much of the settled second half here, in partic tracks 10-12 and 16-18) are actually when the schtick (perhaps unintentionally) works best - the normality takes on the artifice (instead of vice versa) and the weirdly synthetic effect is like offworld cheap plastic flamingo ersatz exotica, akin to dr buzzards or maybe even the little thread david toop mined with his ocean of sound comps in the 90s
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 September 2013 18:31 (eleven years ago) link
'cant live without your love' especially is like a single tear of saline solution from an optic module, i mean it's not a credible soul ballad or even a musical score, it's just... a sort of cognizant sad pretty thing perfectly observed
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 September 2013 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
don't really add up to much tho this album i agree
the tryhard stuff is only surpassed in wackness by whatever the dull damp squib of the final track is supposed to be
still, impeccably high production value pleasant as ever
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 September 2013 18:37 (eleven years ago) link
idk I think there's something to be said for how the whole rebel robot in love with a human narrative acts as a weird frame for the queerness at work here. I don't have fully-realized thoughts on it yet, but I don't think it's just gimmicky window-dressing trying to gussy up a simple R&B album. Also helps that the songs are good. I'm all for artifice when it's this fun. Not nearly the slog The ArchAndroid was for me. The back half is kind of lacking though.
― Greer, Wednesday, 4 September 2013 20:16 (eleven years ago) link
was the interlude where a caller says "ROBOT LOVE IS QUEER" helpful at all in forming that insight
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 September 2013 20:33 (eleven years ago) link
Gonna be honest and say I skipped the interludes on early plays.
― Greer, Wednesday, 4 September 2013 20:48 (eleven years ago) link
^______________________________________________________________^
― The Reverend, Thursday, 5 September 2013 07:28 (eleven years ago) link
this woman is like catnip to me
― The Reverend, Thursday, 5 September 2013 07:29 (eleven years ago) link
even "robot love is queer" or no, there's def. a queer subtext underpinning a lot of the album that didn't feel nearly so pronounced on archandroid
― The Reverend, Thursday, 5 September 2013 07:32 (eleven years ago) link
last song is kind of dippy, as others have have mentioned
― The Reverend, Thursday, 5 September 2013 07:33 (eleven years ago) link
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/9504295145_cb8cd35748_b.jpg
rad, i didnt realise these actually were paintings
― r|t|c, Thursday, 5 September 2013 10:29 (eleven years ago) link
http://57821.tumblr.com/
got sucked in by the artifice
I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean. The artifice in the music? The artifice in the music was part of the music. I've only listened to the new album once, but I think the more ballad-like songs on the ArchAndroid were stronger melodically (and gaver her singing more room to stretch) than they are here, and what I like about those songs had little to do with the sci fi genre-smashing packaging (if packaging is what was meant by "artifice").
and the weirdly synthetic effect is like offworld cheap plastic flamingo ersatz exotica, akin to dr buzzards or maybe even the little thread david toop mined with his ocean of sound comps in the 90s
I don't think I've ever heard the Toop compilations (or if I have, I've forgotten what's on them), but there's definitely a continuity between this and some of the 90s exotica/cocktail revival stuff. I specifically thought I heard some borrowing from Esquivel on one of the later more faux Latin tracks. I don't have strongs feelings about it one way or another, but on first listen I'm not to taken with any of it. And next time I skip the skits.
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 5 September 2013 15:07 (eleven years ago) link
I mean, I'm one of those people who don't normally listen to much R&B (though it's slipping back into my listening more via the UK this year), who like the ArchAndroid, and I don't feel I was "taken in" by anything.
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 5 September 2013 15:14 (eleven years ago) link
i gotta say that all this android backstory shit is uninterestingall smells of nth generation retread parliament but with the oily gloss of rock opera that showiness, more=more sound is the one element of what I guess is afropunk that really doesn't work for me but it's a real live and let live genrethis shit totally capsized the new goodie mob album tho so I'm a bit gunshy.has anyone talked explicitly about the broadwayization of fringe-now-becoming-pop R&B? I get that it's a massive can of worms with class and racial divisions implicit throughout but it seems like there's got to be a good essay or two on the subject out there.
― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 5 September 2013 16:28 (eleven years ago) link
like i'm sure that the dream gets invoked in there
― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 5 September 2013 16:29 (eleven years ago) link
and right on cue:http://www.vulture.com/2013/09/jody-rosen-on-janelle-monae-the-electric-lady.html
― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 5 September 2013 18:54 (eleven years ago) link
i kinda sadly agree with the article; none of her later songs has thrilled me quite so much as the first two tracks of the ArchAndroid EP. but damn, she is a lovable spirit and the ideas are super cool. the singles off the new album posted in this thread are OK but don't give me a ton of hope, though I'll definitely pick up Electric Lady next week.
― Nhex, Thursday, 5 September 2013 19:02 (eleven years ago) link
prob my fave janelle monae song is the first one i ever heardhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9HqrPj7yqM
― One burly voice screamed and that was one of many. (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 5 September 2013 19:05 (eleven years ago) link
even before "ghetto woman" hits the nail on the head, this has a new amerykah 2 vibe to it (while obv still sounding like monae)
― J0rdan S., Thursday, 5 September 2013 20:29 (eleven years ago) link
rap breakdown on 'ghetto woman' is \m/ tbh
― r|t|c, Thursday, 5 September 2013 21:53 (eleven years ago) link
The "It's Code"/"Ghetto Woman" twofer is Stevie as all getout
― The Reverend, Thursday, 5 September 2013 22:24 (eleven years ago) link
"q.u.e.e.n." remains awesome and i like "primetime" too but this album reeeeally didn't hit the spot for me, it's still too...busy
the rap breakdown on "ghetto woman" is awesome but i find the song's entire sentiment a bit off-putting, it's like...why would janelle play the #nicewhitelady role?
― lex pretend, Friday, 6 September 2013 12:01 (eleven years ago) link
like it's just so patronising
― lex pretend, Friday, 6 September 2013 12:04 (eleven years ago) link
This is so much better than her previous album.
― Popture, Friday, 6 September 2013 13:03 (eleven years ago) link
why would janelle play the #nicewhitelady role?
Not sure where you're getting this from? Esp. since she said she wrote it in tribute to her mom.
― The Reverend, Saturday, 7 September 2013 04:33 (eleven years ago) link
Really, it's her version of "Black Man".
are any of these songs as good as "many moons"
― k3vin k., Saturday, 7 September 2013 04:37 (eleven years ago) link
I p much love everything she's done except that song :/
― The Reverend, Saturday, 7 September 2013 04:38 (eleven years ago) link
>:|
― k3vin k., Saturday, 7 September 2013 04:40 (eleven years ago) link