Tune-Yards, “My Country” (2011)
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Tune-Yards are tearing couples apart. As you read this, one half of a cohabitating couple is putting on the record and the other half is groaning at least, screaming at most, wanting that annoying and irritating record OFF. NOW.

Both sides have merit. Tune-Yards are about as irritating as a band can be without trying. Their (her?) videos annoy, they have the stupid capitalization thing (which I refuse to do) and many of their songs can only be described as “squonking”. What? It’s a word.

But when Tune-Yards hit, they hit and good. Said disagreeing couples may find themselves on a dancefloor somewhere, loving all the songs that the DJ (who later goes on to LOSE HIS DJ NIGHT notbitter) is throwing on, and then comes an addictively itchy dance cut, with an irresistible yeah-yeah over the hyper energy of an African-style jump beat and winding it up with a mind-blowing looped sax vamp. Said naysayer in the couple, after the first chorus will yell to the other, “Who is this?! This is amazing!” And the other will pause for a second with a smug look before yelling back (with a head tilt at each word), “Tune. Fucking. Yards.”

Then they’ll fight again.