photo by Dave Lichterman (view set)
New England native Merrill Garbus started recording as tUnE-yArDs with a strictly lo-fi aesthetic, using a recycled cassette recorder to create her debut, BiRd-BrAiNs, which blends elements of jazz, pop, reggae, and influences of African singing ... yodelling, actually... in a truly unique mix. After signing to 4AD Records, she was able to take her sophomore album, w h o k i l l, to even greater heights of experimentation. TO first-time listeners, it might seem impossible to recreate the tUnE-yArDs songs’ rich layers live -- even with the tour support of bassist Nate Brenner and saxophonists Matt Nelson and Kasey Knudsen -- but her growing legion of fans pack clubs to watch her build from scratch the complex songs through looping and an ability to embrace the random “flaws” that chance can add. Recently, Garbus stopped by KEXP to perform four amazing songs from the new album. Watch the videos here:
