When listening to tUnE-yArDs it’s not necessarily the boom-snare drums and loop pedals that stand out and make it so experimental and edgy and inexplicably awesome. Merrill Garbus’s voice is androgynous to say the least and to be honest, I couldn’t figure out if the brainchild was he or a she (she’s a she). She has such incredible vocal range that makes the music not only really fun to listen to but powerful. She’s got some serious pipes so it doesn’t come as a huge shock that she taught voice lessons in Kenya for some time. Her second album was released this year and really explores the bounds of music in the way that many experimental indie bands attempt to (but often fail). She creates this alternate reality out of cardboard and confetti that could make you forget just where you are in time and space. It’s not nearly as pretentious as I’ve made it sound, though. She’s managed to forge her own kind of cool, which is what experimental music is all about, right? Keep a look out for her live shows, they’re supposed to be amazing.
