THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY
Melkweg (Oude Zaal), 20.30, €17 + membership

Musical Wonder Woman Merrill Garbus, AKA tUnE-yArDs, is coming, so get ready. She creates drum loops on the spot, layers clunky jumped-up percussion with her ukulele strums and tribal-sounding androgynous vocals to generate some of the best new music on the scene right now.

Her first album BiRd-BrAiNs was originally a self-released cassette, but was released again in 2009 by both Marriage Records and 4AD. Despite its lo-fi nature it astounded listeners with the amount of energy and vibrancy that came out of it, as well as the overwhelming African influences and incredible vocals.

Her second LP, w h o k i l l, shows even more hard work and determination, complimenting the first so well. The contribution of Nate Brenner on it is an added bonus. He helped to write some of the most prominent songs, including ‘Bizness’ and ‘Gangsta’, as well as bringing new synthetic sounds to the mix. It’s a hive of activity, busyness and unexpected surprises that will get your feet moving.

Performing and improvisation comes naturally to Garbus. Influenced by her earlier theatrical training, she’s a girl who certainly knows what she’s doing, even if nobody else does. On stage, tUne-yArDs are an assault on the senses, with the winding, twisting turning beats and melodies not quite knowing where to go next. It’s impossible to predict, but that’s all part of the fun.