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Smiley Smile Stuff => General On Topic Discussions => Topic started by: coco1997 on April 23, 2018, 04:15:58 PM



Title: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: coco1997 on April 23, 2018, 04:15:58 PM
Check out track 1...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Computer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Computer)

Do we know anything about this?


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: Pretty Funky on April 23, 2018, 05:11:24 PM
Wasn’t there a tweet or fb post about him being in the studio mid-late last year? Nothing followed after so maybe this is it.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: the captain on April 23, 2018, 05:31:40 PM
That’d be great. She’s really talented. Stylistically a bit odd, but she’s also quite versatile, and if—IF, just speculating—it’s just bg vox or something, that could fit atop a lot of styles easily enough.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: KDS on April 23, 2018, 06:36:59 PM
She lended vocals to the breakout 2012 hit We Are Young by the group fun, fronted by Nate Ruess, who guested on NPP.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: MugginsXOXOXO on April 24, 2018, 09:45:29 AM
I think Brian should be careful about guesting on a relevant, talented artist's work... we all saw what happened with Frank Ocean and Lana Del Rey.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: the captain on April 24, 2018, 10:12:55 AM
Nothing happened with either, other than a lot of message board complaints about unreleased, unheard and unfinished (unstarted, I think, in Ocean’s case).

I’m more worried about what happens when he pairs with Peter Hollens...

Anyway, I see it differently when he’s contributing to someone else’s work than when they are contributing to his.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: ♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇 on April 24, 2018, 10:57:10 AM
Is it bad that I have no idea who she is?


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: All Summer Long on April 24, 2018, 11:00:14 AM
Is it bad that I have no idea who she is?

You're not the only one.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: the captain on April 24, 2018, 11:04:42 AM
Nope. Not bad. Just how life goes.

She’s a critically acclaimed R&B leaning pop musician (lots of mid 70s Stevie Wonder sound imo) with about a decade of semi-popularity. “Tightrope” from around 2010ish was her breakout and maybe biggest hit. She has also collaborated with Prince, Of Montreal, Erykah Badu, Big Boi of OutKast...I forget who else.

She has also acted some, but I’ve never seen anything she did.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: Rocky Raccoon on April 24, 2018, 06:32:27 PM
She has also acted some, but I’ve never seen anything she did.

She was great in Hidden Figures which is definitely worth seeing.

Rolling Stone confirmed Brian’s appearance on the album.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/janelle-monae-taps-brian-wilson-pharrell-for-dirty-computer-w519510


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: guitarfool2002 on April 24, 2018, 07:04:19 PM
I've been hearing one of Janelle's tracks from the forthcoming album for at least a month in pretty steady radio rotation in Philly. I think she dropped three singles so far, but not "Dirty Computer". The one that's been getting airplay here is "Make Me Feel".

So the very first time I heard that track, back in February or whenever that was, the *first* thing I thought was "Pharrell Williams" as it cued up. It's the same kind of mouth-clicking sounds mashed up and looped in rhythm to form the percussive groove of the track as Pharrell had done with similar found sounds on Snoop's big hit "Drop It Like It's Hot" over a decade ago. So I was intrigued.

Then the song started up in full...and then I shifted gears and thought *Prince*. It had that slow-burn sexy kind of groove that Prince simply owned. Sparse, just the right amount of ingredients to make it simmer but never overloaded with sound. Old-school synth jabs, scratch-funk guitar, some well placed vocal drop-ins and unexpected harmony bursts here and there...yep, it was a tribute to Prince, I thought.

And I dug it.

Then I find out Janelle and Prince were in regular communication up to when Prince died, about making this new album. And his involvement isn't yet fully known, but the talk is that Prince was directly involved with this one. Or if it wasn't musical contributions, he seemed to be mentoring or advising Janelle throughout the process. And again the talk is that he was a writer on "Make Me Feel".

I hear it, I heard it on the first listen. And no coincidence Pharrell is also a contributor to this album, again I heard that percussion track and thought of his style immediately.

So...check it out. I think "Make Me Feel" is the standout so far, I'd say if you dig what Janelle is doing on this one, you might dig the rest of it. Although the other preview tracks that were released don't hit me the same as this one with Prince's aura all over it.

Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmH3ejHT6oo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmH3ejHT6oo)


As far as Brian's contribution...just wait another 2 days or so and everyone will hear it. Think...harmony.  ;)

But anyway, Janelle is legit. I just hope for more like the Prince track in the future.





Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: Rocker on April 25, 2018, 05:56:49 AM
Just posted through Brian's Facebook account:

Brian featured on the title track of Janelle Monáe 's "Dirty Computer" album, out this Friday.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: coco1997 on April 25, 2018, 07:51:22 AM
I think Brian should be careful about guesting on a relevant, talented artist's work... we all saw what happened with Frank Ocean and Lana Del Rey.

Well to be fair, Del Rey and Ocean were supposed to guest star on Brian's work, not the other way around.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: MugginsXOXOXO on April 25, 2018, 08:20:31 AM
I am very happy that Brian is doing something with someone current and good. It was a terrible shame that the Frank Ocean and Lana Del Rey tracks didn't happen, but I have a suspicion that it was possibly due to the quality of the material on the album, which was, let's be honest, not too hot. Am hopeful that Janelle Monae will get the best out of him.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: KDS on April 25, 2018, 08:23:25 AM
I am very happy that Brian is doing something with someone current and good. It was a terrible shame that the Frank Ocean and Lana Del Rey tracks didn't happen, but I have a suspicion that it was possibly due to the quality of the material on the album, which was, let's be honest, not too hot. Am hopeful that Janelle Monae will get the best out of him.

I thought that NPP was a mostly strong album that's weakest spots happened to be songs with non former BB guests, so I can't say I was disappointed about the lack of two more songs featuring guest vocalists. 

I'm pretty sure Brian did an interview saying that he didn't want Frank Ocean on the album because Ocean wanted to rap.   For that very reason, I'm glad he was left off too.   


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: MugginsXOXOXO on April 25, 2018, 08:27:45 AM
I don't know, I was excited for it. Am not sure if Brian was telling the truth there, as Ocean doesn't really rap much at all, and considering the influence of The Beach Boys on his style, I would have assumed he would want to sing in harmony with Brian. Frank Ocean has done more in his last two albums and mixtape than Brian has since SMiLE. Could have given him a jolt of vitality and creativity that he has been lacking of late.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: the captain on April 25, 2018, 08:48:45 AM
The “Ocean wanted to rap” perplexed me, considering he’s far better known as a singer. But I believe Brian: around the same time, the great rapper Earl Sweatshirt made some comments about how funny he thought it was that Ocean had begun considering himself a rapper. Must’ve been a phase. But when you’re getting a chance to sing with or for BW, I’d think you take it!


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: MugginsXOXOXO on April 25, 2018, 08:54:27 AM
The “Ocean wanted to rap” perplexed me, considering he’s far better known as a singer. But I believe Brian: around the same time, the great rapper Earl Sweatshirt made some comments about how funny he thought it was that Ocean had begun considering himself a rapper. Must’ve been a phase. But when you’re getting a chance to sing with or for BW, I’d think you take it!
Yeah, maybe so, but I still would have loved to hear it. He's lyrically excellent, so it still could have been cool.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: MugginsXOXOXO on April 25, 2018, 08:55:26 AM
And a quick look at the great rappers of today: Drake, Kendrick, J. Cole and all the rest. Tells you that melody and good rap go hand in hand. Could have been a brilliant mash up of genres.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: the captain on April 25, 2018, 08:57:12 AM
Talking positivity about rap, I think we’ve just turned off 80% of the board. 😀


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: MugginsXOXOXO on April 25, 2018, 09:01:13 AM
I fear Smart Girls may be the only Rap of high profile here ;)


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: KDS on April 25, 2018, 09:07:56 AM
Talking positivity about rap, I think we’ve just turned off 80% of the board. 😀

I don't know.   I saw more love for rap over the years in the Music threads than hard rock or heavy metal.   


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: the captain on April 25, 2018, 09:16:23 AM
That’s like arguing whether cricket or rugby is more popular in the USA!


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: KDS on April 25, 2018, 09:17:47 AM
That’s like arguing whether cricket or rugby is more popular in the USA!

Pretty much


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: Fro on April 25, 2018, 10:21:06 AM
Janelle Monae is ridiculously talented so I'm super excited to hear her collab with Brian.

Everyone should check her The ArchAndroid album if you haven't already from 2010... it's a masterpiece. 

The follow-up Electric Lady is good too, but a little more poppy.

This is probably going to be the best thing Brian's been involved with since he completed Smile.



Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: Zesterz on April 25, 2018, 10:49:36 AM
I very much enjoy singing collaborations, great fun and inspiring. But as a 'record collector'......no. Not my cup of tea and rarely played more than a few times.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: JK on April 25, 2018, 12:43:33 PM
Janelle Monae is ridiculously talented so I'm super excited to hear her collab with Brian.

Everyone should check her The ArchAndroid album if you haven't already from 2010... it's a masterpiece. 

That's the one, Fro. Excellent stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM2Ha7-NxFc


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: the captain on April 25, 2018, 03:20:51 PM
Pretty dynamic performer too. Here’s her network tv debut, on Letterman in 2010, with Tightrope (from ArchAndroid).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rzZnao2fbRQ


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: Tord on April 25, 2018, 03:51:56 PM
Dirty Computer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86EZkaMzJhQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86EZkaMzJhQ)


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: Fro on April 26, 2018, 05:49:57 AM
Dirty Computer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86EZkaMzJhQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86EZkaMzJhQ)

Video got yanked since it's an early leak.

Awesome track.  Wish it was longer than 2 minutes.  Don't want to spoil it before people get to hear it, but I love how Brian's used in the song.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: Pretty Funky on April 26, 2018, 09:30:29 AM
It’s on NZ Spotify with a ‘Explicit’ label (as does all the tracks) due to the lyrics. She sings something like ‘Searching for someone to fix my drive’. Got to be a Beach Boys first!  :lol

To be honest, you only know it’s Brian because of the credit. Background multitrack vocal.


Title: Re: Brian featured on forthcoming Janelle Monae record?
Post by: Zesterz on April 26, 2018, 09:55:21 AM
Sounds like more of the BW Band are on there, singing. Brian not too obvious. Like it though !