| Q And Not U |
| More hyperkinetic, post-punk fun from Washington, D.C. Proof that Dischord records is just as strong as it ever was. Oh yeah, great live show too. |
| Biography: coming eventually.... |
| Major Releases: Different Damage Rarely has a band that has lost one of its members (in Q And Not U's case, bassist Mathieu Bourlique) undertaken such a seemingly drastic metamorphisis. Okay, there are probably more than a few, but instead of just hiring a new bassist and carrying on like before, Chris and Harris switch between guitar, bass, and whatever else and decide to bring in the funk. What's admirable about the danceable, funky emo-punk of Different Damage is that it thankfully avoids tired sub-Gang Of Four dreck that plauges efforts by many other punkers who wish to express their love for James Brown and George Clinton. But Different Damage, like their debut No Kill No Beep Beep, is incredibly difficult to pin-down. In other words, it's not just a dance-punk record. Jazz, hardcore, and bossa-nova all turn up at one point or another, and all are molded into a brilliant, cohesive new element. There is more of a sub-dued tone on this go-round as the guys abandon the abrasiveness for the most part and concentrate on groove ("This Are Flashes" is probably the album highlight). Thusly, some old fans might be turned off, but whether they like it or not, Different Damage is where Q And Not U find their voice, because NOBODY is doing what Q And Not U is doing. And it's oh so nice, if still rough and under-construction in some spots. Tracks: Soft Pyramids So Many Animal Calls Air Conditions Black Plastic Bag Meet Me In The Pocket This Are Flashes Everybody Ruins Snow Patterns When The Lines Go Down O'No No Damage Nocturne Recreation Myth On Play Patterns (EP) Tracks: Ten Thousand Animal Calls Soft Pyramids No Kill No Beep Beep Q And Not U is a band that can be applied to the old cliche "they sound like everyone else and nobody else." On No Kill No Beep Beep, Q And Not U assume a guise under some bizarre, hyperactive combination of At The Drive-In's energetic absurdism, Fugazi's dub-influenced post-punk, and Gang Of Four's angular assualt. And don't even try to work out this equation in your head; you have to hear the results for yourself. The album more or less blinks by in an abrasive minute with room for only two experiments in restraint (the lovely "Kiss Distinctly American" and the somewhat monotonous "Sleeping The Terror Code"). Non-sensical lyrics, jagged guitars, and an underlying groove beat you over the head in the best sense possible. The only possible reference point for this concoction would be Les Savy Fav, but Q And Not U seem to be more successful at capturing Les Savy Fav's live chaos in the studio. Why this album seems to have been overlooked is a mystery as it beats just about every disappointing trend critics and hype-mongers get in bed with. Punk should only be dead to those who thought Rites Of Spring were too experimental for a hardcore band. Q And Not U is the future of punk and then some. Tracks: A Line In The Sand And The Washington Monument (Blinks) Goodnight Fever Sleeves Hooray For Humans Kiss Dinstinctly American We Heart Our Hive Little Sparkee The More I Get, The More I Want Y Plus White Girl Nine Things Everybody Knows Sleeping The Terror Code |
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