Don't Forget To Dance

“Sincerely, Jane” Janelle Monae

I’m still surprised that Janelle Monae is not a huge Pop music phenom. There was a lot of buzz around her last year with her expose perfomances and work with Oukast and Cee-Lo. “Metropolis: Chase Suite” was even nominated for a Grammy (not that means much).

This abum is a futuristic concept album where Janelle Monae takes on the persona of Cindi Mayweather, an adroid that has runaway from home beacuse she has fallen in love with a human, which is illegal in her world of Metropolis. Style of the album is pretty eclectic. Think Outkast vibe, with Gnarls Barkley production. “Sincerely, Jane” is the closing track on the album that leaves you wanting to hear more.

Listen.Love it. Dance.

“Hanging by a Thread” Nickel Creek

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, so I decided to share something a bit different. BLUEGRASS!! Yes, I said it. BLUEGRASS!!

I am not a fan of Bluegrass or Country music in the least, but what a pleasant surprise when a friend of mine gave me a copy of this CD. ” This Side” is Nickel Creek’s sophmore album. Don’t get frightened by the Bluegrass genre that it’s been labeled with. It’s surprisingly good. The bluegrass staples are there; the guitar, mandolin and fiddle, but the country drawl vocals have been replaced with youthful and haunting peformances as shown in “Hanging by a Thread”.

If your not chicken to try it, I think you’ll like it. Their self- titled debut album, “Nickel Creek” is all instrumental if that’s your kinda thing.

Listen. Love it. Dance

Nikka Costa  -  “Hey Love”

On this Valentine’s Day, I decided to share a song dedicated to the main topic at hand, “Love”. This song is off of Nikka Costa’s state-side sophmore album release, “can’tneverdidnothin’”. Although her dad was a music producer for the Rat Pack and Frank Sinatra is her godfather, Nikka’s music is from a completely different bag. It’s a funk/rock/soul mix that hints inspiration from Sly Stone to Janis Joplin.

“Hey Love” is a love letter to Love itself. With lyrics like “And everyday we try to rise above we let you down.Hey love, If you left us we’d really wish you were around” , you think about how it’s taken for granted.So enjoy and remember to love somebody.

Listen.Love it. Dance

Raphael Saadiq  -  “Still Ray”

Of course I have to be the one to pick something a little more mainstream, but I can’t help it. This is by far, one of my favorite love songs. Raphael Saadiq (of Tony Toni Tone fame) managed to produce a song that is full of paraodxes.

At first listen, “Still Ray” is a R&B song, but please listen closely. The song’s piano is a rip from Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”, used in a way that I don’t think the doc ever expected. Then the melody of Raphael’s voice easily reminds you of good ol’ Smokey Robinson. And if that’s not enough, if some of the posts were good because they had a uke or a banjo, this one tops them all with a TUBA!! I kid you not.

Listen. Love it. Dance.