Esperanza Spalding C Brandon/Redferns via Getty Images hide caption

Mélat's song "Push" is featured on this month's edition of Heavy Rotation. Moyo Oyelola/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

"With all the compassion in my heart, I just want to say to white people sampling others' music: what you're engaging in is colonialism," Merrill Garbus says. "Name it for what it is." Eliot Lee Hazel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Tune-Yards, Caroline Says, Balmorhea, A. Savage Courtesy of the artists hide caption

tUnE-yArDs. Holly Andres/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

tUnE-yArDs performs on the Harbor Stage at the Newport Folk Festival. Erik Jacobs for NPR hide caption

Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, performing live at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. NPR hide caption

Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs performs at The Parish in Austin, Texas. Shantell Mitchell for NPR hide caption

St. Vincent's Annie Clark recreates the pummeling sounds of Big Black, backed by the Dirty Projectors rhythm section. Wills Glasspiegel for NPR hide caption

tUnE-yArDs' new album, Nikki Nack, comes out May 6. Holly Andres/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

tUnE-yArDs' new album, Nikki Nack, comes out May 6. Holly Andres/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

tUnE-yArDs. Holly Andres/Courtesy of the artist. hide caption

Top row: F---ed Up; Bottom row, left to right: Haley Bonar, Roy Orbison, tUnE-yArDs Courtesy of the artist hide caption

A still from the video for tUnE-yArDs' new song, "Water Fountain." YouTube hide caption

"Hatari" is a noisy, threadbare patchwork, but the song shines anyway. Chrissy Piper hide caption

tUnE-yArDs is one of the artists performing at this year's Newport Folk Festival. fjludo via Flickr hide caption

Merrill Garbus is the singer and songwriter behind the band tUnE-yArDs. Chloe Aftel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. Courtesy of the artist hide caption