I’m so excited about the new music out today that I actually thought of doing cartwheels. (Those around me were not amused.)
New music out today from Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek (Revolutions Per Minute), LCD Soundsystem (This is Happening), Band of Horses (Infinite Arms), Mindi Abair (In Hi-Fi Stereo), David Bazan (Live at Electrical Audio), Pete Francis (Movie We Are In), Tracey Thorn (Love & Its Opposite), Bo Bice (3), Jamie Lidell (Compass), and Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley (Distant Relatives).
Janelle Monae‘s much anticipated follow-up to her 2007 release Metropolis, Suite I: The Chase is so worth the wait…and a pleasant surprise. As someone who has been following Monae for years, I was concerned that this eclectic songstress would be stifled on The ArchAndroid, given that this is her first release on the Bad Boy label. She just doesn’t “fit” with the roster of artists. I could not have been more wrong. This CD is incredible. It defies genre…it is just great music. Innovative with solid production. And it doesn’t hurt that Janelle Monae can put it down vocally. Boy, can she sing. She enlists the help of a few fellow artists (Big Boi, Of Montreal, Saul Williams, Deep Cotton), but make no mistake, it is all Janelle Monae at her finest.
And last, but far from least, is the latest release from The Black Keys. Oh, how I love The Black Keys. Brothers is the duo’s latest release on Nonesuch Records and their psychedelic-blues tinged sound is a sonic treat. Taking a trip down to Muscle Shoals has truly paid off, because the duo has effectively tapped into a touch of that down home Alabama blues sound that propelled The Black Keys into the indie music spotlight. True fans will love getting reacquainted with the band. New fans will be blown away.