SOUNDS: An unexpected bad girl

If it weren't for all of the commotion surrounding Mariah Carey and Madonna's upcoming albums, we would have forgotten that major record labels still exist. It's hard out here for a rock, pop or R&B star to make money in music these days. People aren't exactly running to Tower Records to buy albums anymore. Oh wait, Tower Records went out of business two years ago. The record label business can be especially brutal for new artists. That's why we're feeling a mixture of happiness and trepidation about the fact that Janelle Monáe, who we've gushed over on this blog before, just signed a deal with Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records. Big Boi will be co-executive producing her new album "Metropolis" (happy), but she'll also be in a stable that includes the boringly over-sexed MTV reality group, Danity Kane (sad). Fingers crossed, she'll be able to hold on to her singular point of view in Puffy land. We look forward to hearing the new music and seeing her perform at Blender Theater this Thursday (click here for details).

SOUNDS: On today's playlist

"Les Fleur," by Minnie Riperton (click song title to listen)

SOUNDS: On today's playlist

"Crying in the Chapel," by The King in Kingston (click song title to listen)
This song is two seconds away from cheesy status. But because we're so desperate for a Caribbean vacation, it got us. Plus, it's kind of clever.

LIFE: Risk-taking can be good

How inspiring was Barack Obama's speech today? The idea of race in America is an incredibly complicated and loaded one. But we love that he tackled it so directly and honestly. His speech felt like a definitive political and cultural moment. And we're not just saying that because of the gang of emails and text messages we got afterwards.

SOUNDS: On today's playlist

"Something Important," by Jukes (click song title to listen)

WARDROBE: Stars in stripes

We usually can't be bothered with celebrity clothing lines but made an exception for Chloe Sevigny who has always had an innate, uniquely cool sense of style. The first two words that came to mind when we peeped the look book for her spring collection with Opening Ceremony is the phrase, "do you," minus the eye-rolling and sarcasm that normally accompanies it. The clothes look like they came out of her own closet in that they all have a certain specific-yet-nondescript, non-trendy progressiveness about them. The outfits also remind us of early Sassy magazine fashion spreads (she was an intern at the mag). This striped shirt dress is our favorite of the group.

SOUNDS: On today's playlist

"Floatin," by Stacey Epps (click song title to listen)

Between Janelle Monáe and Stacey Epps, Atlanta is quickly replacing London as our favorite source of new progressive soul. Her single, "Floatin," gives us a mid-to-late 90s feel. We're thinking of Pete Rock and CL Smooth when we hear this.

LIFE: On our to-do list this week

Friends tell us the Whitney Biennial is "underwhelming" this year. But we're going to check it out anyway. But we're even more excited about heading downtown to Deitch Projects afterward to make like Mos Def and Jack Black in "Be Kind/Rewind" and film our own boot-leg movie. While the idea of using an art exhibit to plug a movie sounds sketchy on paper, we love the DIY "sweding" concept--mainly because it reminds us of those amusement park make-your-own-music-video booths we used to go to in high school.

WARDROBE: More of what we like from Paris

Alber Elbaz, one-time designer for Yves Saint Laurent, has really hit a groove. He can practically do no wrong in the eyes of the fashion world's opinion leaders. We weren't that crazy about the turtleneck dress he opened up his fall 2008 collection with. But we love everything that came afterwards. Among the collection's cooler aspects, his treatment of ruffles, which can be annoyingly girly in the hands of anyone else. Elbaz used strips of fabrics to make the idea look clean and modern. (photos from Style.com)