Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/8037
36 LIVEMAGS.NET MARCH>>10 2010 MUSIC INDUSTRY DRAFT PICS The new decade seems to be bringing out the singers with deep, melodic sounds and a re-making of the pop scene with music that brings images of a simpler, less technical time – the 1940s and 1950s. Bands like She & Him and, now, Janelle Monae, are a nice and fresh break from the technical sounding music of the pop industry today, including the robotic sounding Ke$ha. To increase popularity though, Monae has not only stuck to soulful blues music, mixing it up with songs like "Come Alive!" Looking like Rihanna, Monae is not just another pop princess; she attended the American Music Academy in New York City, originally planning on joining Broadway. She then realized that she wanted to stick with music only and moved to Atlanta, GA where she met Big Boi. Things have shot up from there . Her new hit song is "Tightrope," featuring Big Boi. Monae also founded Wondaland Arts Society and made a couple of appearances in the movie Idlewild. Her upcoming album entitled The Arch Arachnoid was written on her travels all over the world and includes the work of many people, famous in the music industry. GENRE: Pop LABEL: Atlantic WEBSITE: www.jmonae.com SOUNDS LIKE: Funky Lauryn Hill SONG: Tightrope Janelle Monae GENRE: Funk Metal LABEL: 7th Level WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/kinghellions SOUNDS LIKE: Primus + early Metallica SONG: A Bastard Like Me Metallica meets Parliament, it's King Hell--epic defenders of metal and funk! With dual, dynamo front-men, epic guitar, and earthquake inducing bass and drums, King Hell's classic metal, old school funk and relentless live show come with a money-back guarantee to tear the roof off the joint, burn the house down, and make audiences dance 'round the flames. Their new CD Rhythm & Bruise makes good on their sworn, solemn vow to deliver pure rock ecstasy wherever it is needed. Doc Thompson, co-vocalist Samwell, and guitarist Motherfokker began playing as teenagers in Cambridge MA, sharing a strong affinity for metal and early funk. "Initially, we bonded over Black Sabbath and Metallica," relates Samwell. "Metal became an addiction. Then we discovered Funkadelic's album Maggot Brain and The Meters. Funk was a revelation. Experiencing groove for the first time blew our exceedingly white minds." Excited to fuse both influences, the three found that funk and metal dovetailed perfectly. "If you're banging your head and shaking your ass, it's doubly devastating." To capture the broad spirit of the new material, the band signed on with engineer and co-producer Sal Mormando whose diverse resume spanned work with hard rock bands like Clutch to a Grammy nominated CD by jazz artist Raphael Cruz. "We didn't want every song to sound the same, and we don't like the synthetic production value on most hard rock records today. Sal got that, and managed to capture how we sound live. Also, at no point in during the recording process did he shoot us, which was a big plus." KING HELL