The performance I give em is something like a hypnotism

November 14, 2009 6:54 PM

Singer, beatboxer, electric ukelele player Merrill Garbus says "It was about a woman selling her child to the butcher," referring to her puppet show that led to her first written songs. Her one-woman band Tune-Yards (24:59 video) is like Imogen Heap's live performing, mixed with some Phoebe Snow and Nina Simone.

Botanique Brussels
SXSW
Montreal
Stoop in Bed-Stuy

posted by cashman (9 comments total)

Love Tune-Yards. Thanks for this. My current favorite is "News," from Bird-Brain, but I can't seem to find it on YouTube without a bunch of "Auto-Tune the News" results. Dammit.
posted by hifiparasol at 7:20 PM on November 14

Neat... good use of a loop station. Vaguely reminiscent of Tartufi's more loop-based work.
posted by spiderskull at 7:23 PM on November 14

This is very enjoyable indeed.
And I'm so happy to see Jeff Goldblum branch out.
posted by fish tick at 8:50 PM on November 14

Merrill also played ukelele and hollered in the Montreal indie-rock band Sister Suvi, who ruled, and who just broke up.

-- To the consternation of many & me.
I never got a chance to see them live, but their album (2009's Now I Am Champion) is properly-great.
posted by Rumpled at 12:27 AM on November 15

... Which reminds me of this truly awesome write-up that Sean Michaels did of Sister Suvi:

People say: okay, Montreal, played out. You've indie-rocked yrself dry, right? Running on fumes? And then we say a lot of things back. We throw fruit; we whip bagels and lob pierogies; we have snowballs and ice-cream cones. We take you the fuck out, you mess with us. I could name a lot of bands, some of the reasons why this city keeps catching me by the throat. But tonight I will name just one: Sister Suvi. You don't know them. Their debut album's not even recorded yet. But Merrill's got the big bad wolf in her gut, blow you down.

Courtesy of Said the Gramophone. Whattablog.
posted by Rumpled at 12:31 AM on November 15

Oh my god. Thank you for turning me on to this woman.
posted by mediareport at 6:48 AM on November 15 [1 favorite]

So happy to see Merrill here (and thanks, Rumpled!)

Tune-Yards (or, as she would alas prefer, tUnE-YaRdS) is one of the finest new things in song.
posted by Marquis at 9:01 AM on November 15

Great music, great post. Very happy to learn about this compelling artist.
posted by bearwife at 3:53 PM on November 15

Hah! I didn't know you were a Mefite, Sean (though of course it makes sense).

And you're very welcome. StG has been the mainstayingest of all of my blog mainstays over the years.
posted by Rumpled at 7:50 PM on November 19