sarah ruth: September 2010 Archives

lifestyle September 21, 2010 7:11 AM
Masks, Music, Mayhem: Of Montreal with Janelle Monae
The beginning of summer is a perfect time to latch onto new music, and that's exactly how I began my obsession with Janelle Monáe. Back when the days were just starting to grow longer, and my street was alive with the sounds of people grilling dinner and kids playing in the alleyway, I stumbled across the video for Monáe's song "Many Moons". Thus began a summer love that continues to blossom even as the nights grow longer and the folks on my street begin to settle into hibernation. Monáe has a sound unlike anything I've heard yet this millennium, and she's all over the place when it comes to trying to stick a genre or label onto her. I was ecstatic when I found out that she would be opening for Of Montreal here in Buffalo, and had been looking forward to Sunday's performance at Town Ballroom for what felt like ages.

Of Montreal, in various incarnations, has existed since the late 1990s. Whether you realize it or not, you've probably heard a bit of their music, even if only in