the first things I like

hi friends. so i waste a lot of my life browsing youtube, itunes, and the various blogs represented on my google reader. and often i wish i could put this knowledge i gain to use. mainly, when i like things i like to share them others so we can like them together. thus, the goal of this blog is to post things every day or a few times a week that i like so that hopefully you can like them too. i realize that my taste doesn't match everyone else's, so i will try and categorize the things so, for example, if you're not a theater person you can just ignore those posts.

here are a few things that have been on my mind this week. i don't think future posts will be so long-winded, nor so jam-packed. i'm just testing this media out. feel free to jump right to the link and ignore my editorializing:

M U S I C

1. JANELLE MONAE, MANY MOONS
   JANELLE MONAE, Metropolis: The Chase - endless thanks to hilary for turning me onto this one. You absolutely must check out her debut album. Think pre-nodes Lauryn Hill + Madonna at her avante-garde best. Predictably of all things awesome, she studied theater (at AMDA) but felt there were not enough dymanic roles for black women and relocated to Atlanta to change the music industry, where Diddy soon plucked her for his record label. Frankly, seems she's on her way to doing just that. This album is the first suite of a 4-part series:
   "Metropolis, Suite 1: The Chase is the first of four planned releases designed as easily processible EPs detailing the life of a rebellious soul-equipped android who risks disassembly by falling in love with a human. Strip away the concept, the packaging, and the equally entertaining and deep lyrics dealing in class/race, slavery, isolation, and love -- all of that material, as crucial as it is to the whole -- and there remains a handful of magnetic songs transferred through theatrical soul, 21st century new wave, ice-coated opera, and brassy hip-hop funk.
   High-concept hip-hop. I love it. The album certainly has its share of techno/soul/hip-hop/android music, but features her singing a wordless operatic aria (Cybertronic Purgatory), a politically charged folk-soul song (Mr. President), and a flawlessly simple cover of a classic (Smile). Plus, check out the video for the first single. Her style, her concept, her voice - perfect. Her neo-futuristic androgyny is the perfect example that you can be incredibly sexy without showing skin.
   (her glorious cover of Smile performed live)
   (and behind the scenes of her video)
   

H U M O R

1. If you have not seen the recent installment of TINA FEY AS SARAH PALIN, you're missing out. Tina Fey is amazing. Can you think of any other contemporary star who garners as many universally positive feelings at the mention of their name? What's not to like about her? She's self-made, unbelievably talented both in front and behind the camera, seemingly-nice, beautiful in a very normal way. Love her.
2. AMY POEHLER AS ROSIE PEREZ. Do yourself a favor and watch this. Just genius. I want to blow bubbles, too, Rosie.

A R T / D E S I G N

1. CARVED BOOKS. Check out this art created from carved/deconstructed books.=
   

T H E A T E R

1. SETH RUDETSKY DECONSTRUCTS NORM LEWIS
   So Seth Rudetsky is a theater guru and music director who puts up these deconstructions of amazing Broadway vocal talents. I find this one especially unfunny and irritatingly choppy (some are really hilarious, do yourself a favor and check out his youtube page), but just listen to Norm Lewis's voice. Unbelievable.