dOn’T PeOpLe gEt TiReD oF tYpInG LiKe tHiS?/?
so i’ve listened to w h o k i l l by tUnE-yArDs…and that’s the only time i’m typing it out like that. sorry, kids who love to mess with the sTaTuS qUo. that shit is annoying.
anyway. i like the record. it’s weird yet catchy and merrill garbus (who is basically the band) has a great voice. some of the vocal runs would not sound out of place on a jazz record….traditional or squonky. it’s basically what the dirty projectors would be doing if they could get their shit together write songs.
gotta be honest with you - i wasn’t sure if i was going to be able to get past her appearance. i watched this video before i listened to whokill…
…and i was completely turned off by the face paint and the goofy expressions. weirdness as affectation is….well, it’s how we got through high school, let’s face it. and it helps you a little through your twenties, sure. but after a certain point, you just gotta accept that either (1) you’re not that weird, or (2) your weirdness runs deeper than face paint and a braided headband, especially if that stuff is available at the mall. [your old lady is showing. - Grumpy Ed.]
but i was intrigued by the bassline. so i took a deep breath and kept listening. turns out the song is hot. perseverance!
there’s an official video for what i’m guessing is whokill’s first single, bizness. you know about curiosity & cats, so i clicked on it.
more face paint, more feathers - but this time there’s lyrical dancing. that TOTALLY makes sense. lyrical isn’t my favorite type of modern dance but i like it enough to give madam tune-yards a pass. her weirdness is probably the real deal.
then i watched a live performance clip:
…and she looks totally normal! and she hit all of those notes with no problem and she didn’t seem snooty and i now might be able to get past the face paint.
an aside: this song from whokill is my jam. i love how she tweaks the note she uses for the word “door” in the chorus. and there’s already a nice little groove going but then she adds that monster bridge. yeah, all about this song right now:
