Monthly Archives: April 2011

“Here she Comes…” Tamar-kali sings, and yes, you can feel it, and you might get scared. “Pearl” starts with an angry drum-beat, rhythmical and loud. Noisy guitar riffs and the singer’s dark and deep voice screams “girl-power,” like a modern and angry version of spice-girls.

loud. boisterous. weird. interesting. bizarre piercings. These are the words that come to mind when I think of this video showing a lead singer, compelling the onlookers below with her powerful voice and ballad which was slightly irritable. The whole concept of the video escapes me: three woman, one plain, to embracing the nose piercing style trend. One woman wears plain make-up and the other two piles on the bright, funky accessories to build their look! their finally on the roof together and dancing the night away.  She sings and sings and sings some more. overall, I thought it was intriguing to watch.

Does the sound of nails scratching on a chalkboard, or the screeching of a subway train cause you to uncontrollably cringe? Well if so, avoid Tamar Kali’s “Pearl.” The obnoxious beat loudly covers the singer’s voice, as the only lyrics you could hear through her singing are mumbled. Did I say singing? Sorry, I meant screaming. Tamar screams the high notes of the song so badly, not even auto tune can make it sound good.

It all begins with one minute of static electro sounds of deep beats and rattling noices. Tom Yorke of Radioheah is moving around in sync with the music: shaking and moving in all shapes and directions, sometimes looking like struck by lighting. Then he opens his mouth and lets out his whiney lyrics – sounding like a desperate cry for help, accompanied by the repetitive beats.

With incomprehensible lyrics, a loud guitar, and enough empowered women sporting eccentric haircuts to pass as an ad for a women’s fashion magazine, Tamar Kali’s “Pearl,” comes off as generic; especially with that unnecessary rap verse from Jean Grae. Toward the middle of the video she starts yelling the same melody she has been singing barely audibly underneath the angry music, and things get even worse. Her falling limp on the couch at the end of her video is the exact sentiment I shared, thank God this is over!

The lyrics and soul of the music got lost in Pearl Remix. Instead of Tamara Kali being the star of the music, the drummer took the spotlight. The desk rumbled every time the drum struck its beat, almost as annoying as my alarm clock when it goes off in the morning, non-stop for 10 minutes. But in this song, it went on for a little less than 5 minutes.

Tamar Kali’s Pearl Remix is loud, in your face with an punk-rock beat sprinkled with a dash of traditional hip-hop. The video features hipster chicks doing what they do best: being hipster. I should probably listen to the song again since I have no idea what she was singing about.