Writing Culture: Food, Film & Beyond

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.

A Picture From The Couch Sessions

Just saying Tamar-kali gives me headache. Her song “Pearl,” which feature Jean Grae is actually a single on her album, “Bottom Black.” Even Jean Grae could not save this song. She was actually forgettable, which is suprising considering her collaborations with other artist such as: Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco and Chrisette Michele.  The video features a lot of close-ups, a train, and a sofa on top of a roof. The video did n othing for me except give me a headache.

Tamar-Kali, who is named after the fierce Hindu goddess, is following suit in her song “Pearl.” Her deep and dark voice matches well with the hard-hitting beat and bass-line and distortion of the guitars. The song is forceful and strong, especially when it Tamar-Kali crescendos by the end. With the addition of Jean Grae, the remix is as good as the original.

Tamar Kali’s music video for Pearl Remix is nothing less but strange.  Not only did my ears bleed from the horrible song but the concept of the video, which follows the lives of 3 or 4 women (I lost track) experiencing different life altering experiences before attending a party on a Brooklyn Rooftop and jamming out to Kali’s song. Kali has an amazingly strong voice but I couldn’t understand anything she was saying, and the main message of the video doesn’t seem to match up with the song or really make any sense. Overall, though this was my first time hearing anything by Kali, I would not recommend her music or her music videos to anyone.

Radiohead’s laidback ambient single, “Lotus Flower”  is an infectious journey though a psychedelic realm.  Maracas and layers of different sound effects coupled with Thom York’s falsetto crooning create a depth unique and true to the band’s former songs.  York writhes throughout an empty studio like Charlie Chaplin on Ecstacy in the minimalist music video for the single. But is there any other way to move to a song this catchy and bizarre?