For the Record

Author: Melissa Marshall

As noted in the pages of Plato, music has a palpable effect on the psyche. It broke the hearts of the Baroques, ravished the Romantics and moved the Modernists to verse. Even now, the epic tomes of John Williams manipulate moviegoers to invest in fictional characters, along with iTunes compilations. The bastardized ballads of My Chemical Romance create neurological imbalances in adolescent girls, programming them as the economy of Hot Topic. And you can add me to that esteemed company, for I am no exception to this phenomenon. Every time I watch the final scene of "An Officer and a Gentleman" and hear the opening chords of the reprise of "Up Where We Belong," my chest tightens and I want to stand up and cheer for Richard Gere in all of his 1980s, Air-Force-whites wonderfulness. So instead of just a tendency toward chick flick nostalgia, I intend to harness this psychological tick to create a persona more closely resembling those resolutely realistic health center e-mails. In the spirit of balance between work and play, here are two artists that will bandy your brain between both mental states.

As a subscriber to procrastination, I will begin with play. From pumping your legs on the elliptical to swinging on the stage of the social scene, Atlanta's on-fire-female Janelle Monae stimulates the brainstem and intoxicates the neurons with her electronic-meets-1970s sultry lounge singer. While her powerhouse vocals complemented Outkast's 2006 IdleWild, her full-length solo debut as P.Diddy's newest addition to the Bad Boy roster solidifies her status as an individual force. Metropolis: The Chase Suite jolts and jostles the heartbeat through her interweaving of split-second spoken word segments layered with undulating vocal range and mischievously theatrical percussion. In Ziggy Stardust style, The Chase is structured around the fictional story of Cindy Mayweather, a cyber-girl scheduled for disassembly for falling in love with a human. And while the James Bond beats of "Sincerely, Jane" and the playful, energetic storytelling of "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!" reflect this flair for the dramatic, tracks like the politically charged "Mr. President" and the aching "Smile" - sung in true Ella Fitzgerald fashion - prove that this is a serious and influential first release.

Now that you've burned those calories and sparked a dance party in your suite, you can pacify your pulse with the most gloriously nostalgic and marvelously mellow melodies since Sam Beam of Iron & Wine. The barebone acoustics of Midwesterner Justin Vernon - the voice behind Bon Iver - begs to be taken to a blue chair in the library or to headline your next paper-writing event. For Emma, Forever Ago's lo-fi foundations, earnest vocals and solitary strumming crafts a cerebral buzz of reflection. The Sea Wolf-like echoing of "Flume" and the masterful "Skinny Love" cause pleasant autumnal goosebumps from Vernon's plaintive intimacy and the quiet country brass of the title track relishes reverie. While some tracks such as "Wolves (Act 1 & 2)" and "Blindsided" underwhelm with barely tangible beats, the overall effect of For Emma may be as lonely as winter in Wisconsin, but its quiet lushness transforms isolation into inspiration.