tUnE-yArDs

[ods..]

"androgynous"

[stinkbutt]

[GeezrRckr]

When I first heard her music, I also thought she was a he.

[Miroir Noir]

also, did you see this?
http://www.villagevoice.com/pazznjop/

Chuck Klosterman did. I thought this was insightful:

She is, at least within the idiom of rock, a serious artist. So the only things that matter are (a) her reputation among other serious people, and (b) how she views her own work and identity (which is, of course, partially dependent on the reaction of her audience). In other words, her real career starts now. For the next 15 years, she must validate other people's belief in her own brilliance. There is no other option. Because if she doesn't, those same people will view her inability to become transcendent as hilarious. They will look back at w h o k i l l and talk about it like it's Cop Rock. And they'll technically be making fun of themselves, but she'll be the only person being criticized by name.

[TomAz]

ahahaha, Klosterman can be so great sometimes.

I just never got around to playing it. Somehow, I hadn't read a single story about tUnE-yArDs, so I wasn't even sure what genre of music it was supposed to exist alongside. The only thing I knew was that the words "Tune Yards" were spelled "tUnE-yArDs," which seemed like reason enough to ignore it (not a good reason, but a reason nonetheless). But then it was voted no. 1 in this poll, which made me think, I should at least know what it is.

That was pretty much EXACTLY my experience. Except that after I did listen to it, I fell in love with it, while K seems to have kept up that clinical wall. But he's a metal guy from North Dakota so that's ok.

[TomAz]

What does my skull dent have to do with telling whether a chick with a mustache and a dude voice used to be a man or not? I put the "srs question" part in because I am actually curious and google has told me nothing.

Because just because she skews a little masculine doesn't mean she's a tranny. You must have been exposed to a very limited range of females in your short time on earth.

She sounds more black than male to me, do you think she had race-change surgery?

[GeezrRckr]

Stink is not Ron, Tom. Stand down.

[GeezrRckr]

Oh...and she sounds black? Huh? I recommend this. Us old timers have to keep this in check at our advanced age.

[TomAz]

[amyzzz]

I also think she sounds black, but I am the whitest board member so everyone sounds black to me.

[stinkbutt]

Because just because she skews a little masculine doesn't mean she's a tranny. You must have been exposed to a very limited range of females in your short time on earth.

She sounds more black than male to me, do you think she had race-change surgery?

I grew up in a German/Czech farming community in Southern Minnesota, I know about masculine women. Our lunch lady had forearms that would make Popeye blush and more chin hair than the farmers. There are plenty good bands with transgender members now days that I listen to, so for me to ask isn't really a stretch. And please show me these black women she sounds like, African vocal sounds are not the same as black.

[threeve]

I quite enjoyed this set. Watching her build the rhythm with the pedals was magic and really adds something that the album doesn't convey. Also, she wins for the cutest stage banter (paraphrased): "Everyone close your eyes and imagine the happiest place where it's sunny and there are mountains in the background, and open your eyes! You are here!" She seemed genuinely flattered at the number of people there and commented it was their largest audience ever.

[TomAz]

African vocal sounds are not the same as black.

sig worthy.

[CasualJJ]

My second favorite set of the weekend. Don't miss out, weekend two.

[arthurbang]

Agreed. I was looking forward to this and she didn't disappoint!

[trakball]

I was looking forward to this set, and I'm sorry, but I found it disappointing. Lots of issues with the horn section.

[GeezrRckr]

Merrill Garbus' Road to Fame
The frontperson of Oakland's celebrated tUnE-yArDs was a nerdy kid, a nanny, and a camp counselor before rising to pop prominence

In a cramped rehearsal space in Oakland’s Temescal district, Merrill Garbus sits cross-legged on the floor, tuning her ukulele. To her left, a cluster of nine effects pedals blinks red and green. To her right, a drum is stacked with unconventional sonic accessories: a measuring cup, a thermos, a cooking pot’s lid. It’s 1:30 on a Monday afternoon in early April, and Garbus is taking a break from scoring “The Cook,” one of four Buster Keaton short films she and her Oakland-based band tUnE-yArDs will play alongside later this month as part of the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival.

“The great thing about hometown shows is that you feel like people are on your side and you don’t have a lot to prove,” Garbus said. “It just becomes this moment of joy.”
Continues....

Source: The Bay Citizen

...

[monkeyboy]

I didn't know much about them but listened to some Youtube clips and decided that I would either really love it, or find it highly annoying. It's some original shit, you can't deny that. I was about 50/50. I really liked a few songs and thought the other stuff was on the verge of irritating, but I stayed for the whole set so I guess I liked it.

[ods..]

You sound like my gf, lol. We've seen Tuneyards 3 times (2 festival sets, 1 club set) and half the time she's digging it and the other half she's annoyed. So yeah, I think it's just a taste thing.

[malcolmjama1awesome]

i am hoping they can tune my dick (whilist raving it off)