Janelle Monae (1 Viewer)

[7 - No tomorrow]

This new record is great

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[Lili Marlene]

That's a great song but me no likey the album overall.

 

[Kermit McDermott]

It she the new pop star that the credible music press & blogs champion? Making it okay for the indie types to like as well. But underneath she's as manufactured as One Direction.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

It she the new pop star that the credible music press & blogs champion? Making it okay for the indie types to like as well. But underneath she's as manufactured as One Direction.

Yes.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

That's a great song but me no likey the album overall.

This is exactly what I expected you to say. And it still disappointed me greatly.

 

[Lili Marlene]

This is exactly what I expected you to say. And it still disappointed me greatly.

I'm nothing if not a disappointment.

 

[sleepy]

I've heard 1 or 2 tunes and they sound grand and all but I think what's stopping me from delving in any further is that anyone I've met who says they're really into her seems to be more interested in talking about music than actually enjoying it. You know the type, watches Jools Holland religiously and feels smug about the fact that they're listening to an album that has a high concept to it that the general public doesn't get, buys every album the Sunday Times recommends and parrots the reviews in every day conversation. Never dances.

 

[Lili Marlene]

To be fair we're MUCH more smug on here.

 

[sleepy]

So true. Thank god we're not like those Jools Holland watching, Sunday Times reading pricks. We should stand behind them at her next gig and spend the night mocking them.

I guess whenever I hear about Janelle Monae I always think of stuffwhitepeoplelike

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

I've heard 1 or 2 tunes and they sound grand and all but I think what's stopping me from delving in any further is that anyone I've met who says they're really into her seems to be more interested in talking about music than actually enjoying it. You know the type, watches Jools Holland religiously and feels smug about the fact that they're listening to an album that has a high concept to it that the general public doesn't get, buys every album the Sunday Times recommends and parrots the reviews in every day conversation. Never dances.

Some people won't dance if they don't know who's singing, why ask your head, it's your hips that are swinging.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Are we really saying that we will not listen to someone because of who else likes them?

Come on. Judge everything on its own merits.

And as for music reviews - PFFFT!!!!

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

The record makes me sing and dance involuntarily on my morning bike ride.

That is all I need to know about it.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

What about Robyn? Everyone likes Robyn, right?

Or has she been culturally appropriated by some TV show or newspaper you deem too something or other?

 

[Lili Marlene]

I have a few problems with Janelle Monae. One is that she is presented as some kind of 'authentic' act when she's not, and her choreographed to within an inch of its life live show demonstrates this. My previous complaints about 'invisible instruments' are an example; they clearly don't have the imagination (or perhaps talent) to alter their show to work in any other way so they rely on pre-recorded music rather than working with what they have. I have no problem with fake pop music when it's not pretending to be anything else, i'm often a big fan of it, but her band tries to present itself as some kind of old-school soul band demonstrating their 'chops' when they clearly don't have, or aren't allowed have, them.

As for the new album, to my ears it sounds very 90's R'n'B and it's just not my kind of thing (The same can be said for the Frank Ocean album last year). She's been talking in interviews about paying homage to the old greats like Bo Diddly on this record and i'm not hearing it. I do find it frustrating as she's clearly massively talented, she can sing, dance, write songs and is bursting with ideas but until she can strip all that production away i'm not into it.

I'll give the album another shot though, it could just be the production that's putting me off. I guess i find it annoying that I can't go 'well I'll go see her live and see how it works without all the trickery' because it'll sound the very fucking same whether there's 4 people on stage or 25.

 

[sleepy]

The record makes me sing and dance involuntarily on my morning bike ride.

That is all I need to know about it.

If more people said this about her I'd probably check her out. It's just that nearly everyone else I've met who's been a fan has been a boring asshole who shites on about how they're really into the concept and actually mention fuck all about the music. I guess when lots of terrible and boring people like something I just assume that it's going to be terrible and boring.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Well, I am actually terrible and boring. Ask @Jill Hives ;

I do like a good boogie though.

 

[Jill Hives]

Well, I am actually terrible and boring. Ask @Jill Hives ;

I do like a good boogie though.

You're neither but I agree you do like a good boogie... but don't we all?*














*Note: I only briefly saw her EP set a few years ago so I can't contribute meaningfully to this thread. I recall not getting it at the time.

 

[Lili Marlene]

If you can't overanalyse the music then i'm not interested.

 

[sleepy]

I've only heard a song or 2. I really shouldn't be contributing here at all.

@7 - No tomorrow . You like dancing so you're not terrible or boring!

 

[Kermit McDermott]

Its a fucking minefield isn't it? You're interested in music and want to find some new bands you might like, so you read some blogs and sites, have a listen on various sites, but if you pick the wrong bands you run the risk of being seen as a pipe & slippers music fan or, even worse, a hipster.