tUnE-yArDs: W h o k i l l

    If you like the moniker adopted by tUnE-yArDs, zany enough to be cool, then you may think the same about the music. The brain-child of Merrill Garbus, born and bred in Connecticut, she admitted in a Pitchfork interview (link here) the desire from an early age to become "a rock'n'roll star". Whether you can call tUnE-yArDs rock or not is loosely debatable; more art pop, experimental or afrobeat. Coming off her previous album, BiRd-BrAiNs (2009), W h o k i l l is also much less lo-fi, and a lot of attention is being given to that fact. Apparently, a lot of the lo-fi influence in her previous work actually came from the fact that Garbus was creating music with a laptop, the free version of audio software program Audacity and a Sony ICD-TK digital recorder. A couple songs, however, "Gangsta" and "Riotriot" still have a few lo-fi moments if you're concerned about its disappearance.
    So, I think W h o k i l l is exactly the result of mixing the mind of a girl that grew up in the 90s hating pretty much everything on the radio, a tenacity to become a rock star from a young age and truly experimental methods used to accomplish such a goal. Released by 4AD Records on April 19th, is starting to make some waves and may live up to the cult following prediction given to it. A strong addition to the album, live concerts and perhaps the future of the band is Nate Brenner (bass guitar), whom she met in Oakland I believe, and who helped co-write some songs too. His jazzy influence may be part of the reason the afrobeat is so prevalent and the use of the saxophones definitely can be attributed to Garbus hearing his group. They are underused in this album, I suggest, but there is a fair balance of song styles throughout. There is even a lullaby-ish song, "Wolly Wolly Gong".
    Overall, Garbus writes that "I've been striving for a little bit of a Fela Kuti spirit, a musical experience where people can really lose themselves and lose their self-consciousness". For sure, W h o k i l l will definitely stretch listeners in a good way and Garbus plans to be around for a while, so I expect that trend to continue. I, for one, love the syncopated, hoppy rhythms and how there is a reckless abandon of expression related through the music, kind of like Björk's IDM genre she has created for herself. I almost expect something similar to occur with Garbus. I kept hearing the song "Bizness" on the local indie radio stations, so that is what eventually drew me to write this post. You can hear that here at tUnE-yArDs website.
    Over on the right, until the end of May, you can hear the song "Riotriot", which may be the best variety song with which to show you a little of this and that. Or, just do so here (especially once May has come and gone...). Enjoy!