BANKS

One Liner:  Relatively generic alt R&B pop songstress

Wikipedia Genre:  Alternative R&B, trip hop, alternative pop, electropop, avant-pop
Home: LA

Poster Position: 7

Both Weekends.

Thoughts: Why do all the band names have to scream now?  Can't we use lower case letters again?  I AM BANKS!  I AM LANY!  I AM BROCKHAMPTON!  Also, I feel like a lot of these songs involve her yelling at me.  "Look What You're Doing To Me" is the one I am listening to as I write this opening, and it very much feels like she's pushing her voice to the point of breaking, and autotuning (or some other effect I don't know the name of) it, so that it comes off as unnecessarily aggressive and screamy.  "Till Now" was the one before this, and it also had elements where it felt like she was yelling at me.  I am not enjoying this.

She also broods in her pop R&B stuff.  She shifts back and forth between yelling at me and hiding her eyes behind her hair and hoping I'll notice her.  Its exhausting.  The album overall is lots of indie pop voice, with too many effects, and relatively generic electronic tunes.

Real name is Jillian Banks and she's highly critically acclaimed, with a platinum single.  Wikipedia says she taught herself to play piano as she was trying to get through her parents' divorce.  I can't play piano for shit, but I find it truly amazing that someone could just sit down and make it happen without a teacher or lessons.  Shows a commitment and stubbornness that I don't possess.  She also earned a psych bachelors from USC, so she's not a dummy.

Randomly, I'd also like to note that Banks and Steelz came to ACL in 2016, and that is not related to this lady.  And Jacob Banks came to ACL in 2017, and that is also not this same person.  Weird.

Almost all of her currently most popular tracks are from her most recent album - 2019's III - but the tracks with a ton of streams are from her older albums.  Her top track, the one that has gone platinum, is called "Beggin For Thread" and is from 2014's Goddess.

Interesting thing, when I went to click on this video, YouTube believes that I have already watched the whole thing.  I don't think I've ever heard this song or watched this video before?  Maybe the middle kid has been jamming this semi-erotic video on the couch when I think she's just watching Sofia the First.  It's a pretty sleek, sexy track - very breathy vocals.

Oh, and a Tiny Desk!  She's not just a pop machine!

That is from 2014, so has none of her second or third album, just appears to be after her debut and they picked her up to come in and go unplugged diva all over the place.  It is good - nice to hear her voice without all of the effects and junk on it.  Got a Fiona Apple vibe, which is pretty cool.

I figured I would check out what Pitchfork thought, thinking they would give her glowing reviews and 9.5 ratings and Best New Music designations, but they're actually pretty lukewarm on her as well, calling out her anodyne songwriting and saying, even though this one is still weak, its her best one yet.

No thanks.