tUnE-yArDs
Marriage Records
(2009)
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Obnoxious capitalization aside, this debut L.P. by anarchist puppet artist and one-time nanny Merril Garbus is an inexplicable, rollicking project with the kind of fearless and playful experimentation involving tenor ukulele, trip-hop beats, psychedelic loops and shapeshifting vocals filtered through a digital voice recorder. The songs on the record are the culmination of music produced by Garbus in the past two years. Whether traveling through Kenya or working as a nanny in Martha’s Vineyard, the tracks, by sound and lyrics, reflect the eclecticism of her tastes and travels. For example, “Sunlight” combines the moodiness and rhythm of Portishead with the vocals of Kid A-era Radiohead, although admittedly that doesn’t exactly describe it. The next track, “Lights,” is a ukulele-accompanied bit of lo-fi folk followed by “Hatari,” a swirling, almost epic anthem of Swahili sounds and foot-thumping beats. Many of the songs, like “News,” give nods to several world pop influences, whether it be Māori-style guitar or Tabu Ley vocals. Garbus takes little heed to genre conventions and tosses disparate sounds and styles, both raucous and mellow, into a quirky, enthralling 11 tracks of DIY pop. The record is available as a pay-what-you-wish download online or cassette (available on tour).

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For more info, visit http://www.myspace.com/tuneyards