tUnE-yArDs
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Beautiful & fierce evocative/eclectic experimental alternative pop
Status:
Most recent release, I can feel you creep into my private life (2018)
See also:
tUnE-yArDs' minimal web site
Comparisons:
If you put Psapp! Pram! Nina Simone, Anhai, and an old 1970s Lesbian folkie in a blender....and punked the result out. (jmgurley@drizzle.com)
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
tUnE-yArDs is Merrill Garbus at serious play. Putting together a range of sounds from field recordings to home-made percussion and using her voice from a whisper to a full-blast African vocals inspired shout, her music is experimental yet powerfully catchy. She has a wide-ranging yet singular vision such as only a very few artists like PJ Harvey, Björk and Veda Hille can manage. (Neile)love her and her crazy sound. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)
Recommended first album:
BiRd-BrAiNs or W H O K I L L
Recordings:
- BiRd-BrAiNs (2009)
- BiRd-DrOpPiNgs (downloadable ep, 2009)
- W H O K I L L (2011)
- Nikki-Nack (2014)
- I can feel you creep into my private life (2018)
BiRd-BrAiNs
Release info:
2009—Marriage; rereleased by 4AD
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Merrill Garbus
Guest artists:
Isaac and Sadie—voices
Adam Kinner—tenor sax (9)
Comments:
I played this album steadily for seven months now—it's definitely my album of the year. I first heard of it on Wears The Trousers and downloaded it since that was the only alternative to vinyl. Then a limited-edition CD became available over the summer, so I bought that. Then in November a wider-release came out with bonus tracks, so I bought that, too. Yes, I really, really like this. Okay, I love this! I particularly recommend "Little Tiger" (I've been especially obsessing on that track, "Sunlight," and "Lions," but I love the whole album.
It's wonderfully off-kilter and beautiful. Carefully constructed but allowing for all kinds of messy delightful touches. Her vocals range from brash to ethereal. Impressive. It has been a while since an album insisted I replay it the way this one does.
It was recorded using a simple Sony recorder, very much a singular, hand-wrought personal vision, influenced by Garbus's travels in Africa and clearly an eclectic musical background. Everything from a cough to a ukelele is grist for the mill. Creative, wonderful music. (Neile)
BiRd-DrOpPiNgs ep
Release info:
2009—digital-only release
Availability:
amazon.com and iTunes
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Merrill Garbus
Comments:
This is a four-track ep that includes the two bonus tracks on the new wide-release version of BiRd-BrAiNs, as well as the remix and b-side from the vinyl "Hatari" single. This is delightful stuff—nearly as wonderful as the album they complement. (Neile)
W H O K I L L
Release info:
2011—4AD—CAD3106CD
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Merrill Garbus—vocals, drums, loops, percussion, korg, casio, horn arrangement, ukulele, juno, stick clicks, beats, found sounds, drum machine
Nate Brenner—bass, marimba, upright bass, horn arrangment, marimba, stick clicks, synth bass, backing vocals
Guest artists:
Kasey Knudsen—alto sax (1, 6)
Matt Helson—tenor sax (1, 3, 5, 6); percussion (5); baritone sax (6)
Harry Bolles, Mark Allen-Piccolo, Melody Parker, Jem Fanvu—backing vocals (1, 5)
Michael Coleman—Rhodes & effects (2)
Leah Fallon—talking (2)
Betty and Lou Garbus and little Merrill—voices (3)
Eli Crews—delays, echoplex (4); uke effects (5); upright bass (9)
Jordan Glenn—drum kit, percussion (5)
Patrick Gregoire—guitar (6) Sam Ospovat—stick clicks (7)
Lisa Schonberg—percussion (10)
Produced by:
Merrill Garbus
Comments:
A more than worthy follow-up album to BiRd-BrAiNs, W H O K I L L is an emotional and political (in "the personal is political" sense) powerhouse of an album. Like BiRd-BrAiNs, the sound is strong and eclective with gorgeous tender moments. Merrill Garbus is an astonishing talent. (Neile)One of the best albums of the year. (gordodo@optonline.net, JoAnn Whetsell, valrichardson@igc.org)
Nikki Nack
Release info:
2014—4AD—CAD3414CD
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Merrill Garbus—vocals, drums, percussion, drum pads, drum programming, uke, Farfisa, other keys, pocket piano synth, synths, orange stool, jar, snares, field recordings, Moog
Nate Brenner—drums, percussion, bass, electric and upright bass, synths, synth basses, nasty shred bass, Tempest effects, rice bag, tin can, hi-hats, Moog
Guest artists:
Michael Coleman—keyboards, noises (1, 7); synth harpsichord (8)
Thao Nguyen—additional vocals (2, 7, 11); guitar (11)
John Hill—production assistance and samples (2, 4)
Daniel Brevil, master Haitian drummer—percussion (3, 7, 9)
Toni Hartley—additional vocals (4, 6)
Eli Crews—uke effects (5)
Lalin St. Juste—additional vocals (6, 7, 11)
Michelle Alexander—additional vocals (6, 7, 11)
Malay—samples/loops (6)
Sam Amidon—fiddle and fiddle arrangement (12)
Produced by:
Merrill Garbus; John Hill co-produced track 2; Malay co-produced track 10
Comments:
As strange and wonderful as previous albums. It's amazing to me how they can put all these sounds in the music, and it comes out sounding like interesting, intriguing music, not just a pile of noise. (JoAnn Whetsell)Another brilliant album by Merrill Garbus and co. I love this one just as much as her previous albums—though she's taken a very slight veer toward pop and took both vocal and dance lessons while making this album, the pop is still utterly tUnE-yArDs-flavoured and the vocals still utterly Merrill Garbus. The lyrics still are political and pointed, even the most pop-y track, "Water Fountain." I don't know how she does it, but this sound is magical to me. Nothing quite like it. Definitely one of the best albums of the year. (Neile)
I can feel you creep into my private life
Release info:
2018—4AD—0052CD
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Merrill Garbus—vocals, drum programming, sequencing, percussion, piano, string arrangement, drum machines, ukulele, synth, keys, samples, drums, MPC, gated synths, prepared piano, Mellotron
Nate Brenner—bass, synthesizer, sequencing, drums, piano, modular synth, pedals, white noise, synth, gating, synthesizers, synth bass, sequences, MS-20 waves, vocals
Guest artists:
Nate Fox—drum programming (1); additional production and drum programming (4)
Dina Maccabee—violin (1); viola (6)
Matt Nelson—tenor sax (1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 12); effects (2, 10)
Nico Segal—drum programming (1); additional production and drum programming (4)
Jason Slota—drums (1, 7, 9, 12)
Maryam Qudus—effects (2); vocals (3, 7)
Beau Sorenson—effects (2, 5); filters (5); drum filters (6); drum machine processing (7); vocal effects (7, 8); drum filtering, vocal gate painting (10); piano roar (11); vocal effects, tape loop sculpture (12)
Hamir Atwal—drums (3, 8, 10); percussion (3, 9); samples (8, 10)
John Vanderslice—vocals, stomps (3); vocals (7)
Moira Smiley—Bosnian lament vocals (6)
Michael Coleman—synth solo, crazy keys, bleeps/bloops (7)
Olivia Oyama—strange sounds palette (8)
Tossie Long—vocals (9)
Thao Nguyen—vocals (9, 12)
Produced by:
Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner
Comments:
Very topical in the lyrics, touching on race, the environment, and privacy, and very Tune-yards in the music, still very eclectic but still pushing into pop. It's an album that can make you think and dance. I love it. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Further info:
Collaborations include: "Lady" with ?uestlove, Akua Naru, and Angélique Kidjo on Red Hot + Fela (2013)
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