I swear, listening to Betty Davis this morning put me in mind of the Young Marble Giants. It must have had something to do with the all the space between the sounds, because they’re working different genres, for sure.
The Young Marble Giants’ only album, Colossal Youth, was released in 1980, but I didn’t hear it until 10 years ago or so. It is a terrific elpee, full of these spare and tuneful songs with sneaky rhythms, and not at all cute, though it easily could be.
Man, you really like electronica and girl singers, don’t you? I’m not big on electronica and I can’t say there’s ONE band I listen to with a girl singer. (I liked the first two Penetration albums OK but I don’t listen to them anymore and I do think of you every time I hear that awful Lorde song at the gym.) But I did buy this fantastic “Hardcore Devo” two-CD set of really early stuff, most of which you’ve never heard and three-quarters of which is really good. It’s about as electronica-y as I get. Everyone knows the tune this is based on, but I don’t know its real name. I would call it “Bugs Bunny Working Theme.”
http://youtu.be/FBlVg8T3kZU
It’s funny, I never thought of Young Marble Giants as electronica, but I guess it is. And I do listen to lots of bands with women playing or singing or both, and I do think of you every time I hear that Lorde song, which is now everywhere. I still think that song is pretty great, but I’m tired of it, and the album did not grab me. Devo is always welcome.