YOO DOO RIGHT

Band: YOO DOO RIGHT

Genres: Punk / Rock / Noise / Grunge / Alternative / Ambient / Shoegaze / Experimental / Astro / Post Indie
Related artists: Congratulations, Black Love, New Wings, Veranda liv, False Lives and In The Name Of Havoc.
Country: Montréal, Québec CANADA
Years Active: 2016-present
Song: "nobody panicked & everybody got on"
Album: "nobody panicked & everybody got on"
Year: 2016
For fans of: Atsuko Chiba, The Mars Volta, Dweller On The Threshold, Sonic Youth, The Mark Inside, Red Sparowes, Omar Rodriquez Lopez Quartet, Radiohead, The Doors, The Dears and By Divine Right.

Label(s): Second Best Records

This post's artist is from the February 2018 Mix. This is track #10.

You can download: the February 2018 Mix#2 right here or get the new March 2018 Mix#3 here.

I think I heard about YOO DOO RIGHT before they ever actually existed. I remember talking to Justin of (then) Congratulations about his imminent move to Québec back in 2014 or so and he mentioned that he was planning on starting a band with Charles, the bassist of Black Love. Well that obviously happened and they rounded out the lineup with In The Name Of Havoc's John on drums and Charles Bourassa on synth/electronics.

When they released their first EP 'nobody panicked & everybody got on', Charles hit me up right away and I began jamming YOO DOO RIGHT. I like the dense and lush atmospherics of the synths and guitars with the catchy-ass bass riffs and almost tribal-like drumming. Opener and 7+ minute title track "nobody panicked & everybody got on" is my personal favourite, as well as my son's, who loves to sing, "blue, gray, navy blue!". I, on the other hand, can't get enough of Charles' bass on this track, especially when he climbs up the neck and busts out those groovy fucking five notes that resets the instrumental cycle. "distaval" is ethereal and womb-like, birthing a serene, three-minute, ambient-noise track, while the first half of "Fear of Elevators" is awkward and disturbing noise that shifts to acid-rock and tops five and a half minutes. Original closer "the ocelot that lost a lot" somehow manages to mix whirring and mechanical noises with pulsating and dirty space rock.

In April of 2017 I stumbled across the fact that YOO DOO RIGHT was playing in Hamilton, where I was residing at the time. I got on my bicycle and got out to the house show to see them mesmerize about 20-25 people in that living room, and even captured a few songs which I've linked below.

In June of 2017 the band released 'EP2', a much different album that retains the core YOO DOO RIGHT but shows the band taking a noticeable shift in direction. The EP opens with "Whilst You Save Your Skins" makes this apparent, with a much faster, dancier and confident instrumental rock. The excellent production quality really makes the song stand out more than the previous offering. "Marche des Squelettes", the bonus track from their debut 2016 EP, has been rerecorded with vocals and is much more in line with their new approach to songwriting which seems to be influenced by the latin, post-punk, prog-rock of The Mars Volta and Atsuko Chiba. The second part of the release begins here, as the final three songs are titled "Apatride (Part 1)", "Apatride (Part 2)" and "Apatride (Part 3)". The first is an eerie ambient track that ends in destruction, the second if very frantic and has drums that are just bonkers leaving the third to dabble in a ridiculous amount of genres that sometimes border on surf and carnival music.

From March 31st to May 9th YOO DOO RIGHT will be supporting Acid Mothers Temple on tour throughout the U.S.A. and Canada. Goddamn, that's huge!

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DISCOGRAPHY

2016 - nobody panicked & everybody got on cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

2017 - EP2 digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2017) YOO DOO RIGHT - "Marche des Squelettes" (from 'EP2')

(2017) YOO DOO RIGHT - "Apatride (Part 2)" (from 'EP2')

(2017) YOO DOO RIGHT - "Whilst You Save Your Skins" (from 'EP2')

(2017) YOO DOO RIGHT - "nobody panicked & everybody got on" live in Hamilton

(2017) YOO DOO RIGHT - "March des Squelletes" live in Hamilton

(2016) YOO DOO RIGHT - "nobody panicked & everybody got on" (from 'nobody panicked & everybody got on')

(2016) YOO DOO RIGHT - "the ocelot that lost a lot" (from 'nobody panicked & everybody got on')

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YOO DOO RIGHT additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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UNSANITARY NAPKIN

Band: UNSANITARY NAPKIN

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Rock
Related artists: ?.
Country: Wellington NEW ZEALAND
Years Active: 2016-present
Song: "Blissful Myth"
Album: "Patriotic Grooves"
Year: 2017
For fans of: Propagandhi, The Blood Brothers, Black Flag, Hedge Fund Trader, Yung Nat$, Death From Above 1979, NOFX and Amygdala.

Label(s): Self Released / Zero Style / AlwaysNeverFun / Limbless

This post's artist is from the February 2018 Mix. This is track #9.

You can download: the February 2018 Mix#2 right here or get the new March 2018 Mix#3 here.

Look at that art. Goddamn, it might be the best band art I've ever seen. Seriously.

Now, as of my pre-New Zealand move I'd never heard of UNSANITARY NAPKIN, but as soon as I got there I went to see the Onslaught 13 Fest (live videos here) and caught the band live I was smitten. Not only were they the best band I saw the fest, but I was able to hang out with Rupert (bass) who turned out to be an awesome human being.

Before I describe the band in any way, I feel like their statement on Bandcamp in regards to the content of their new 12"LP 'Patriotic Grooves' says all I could ever say and more, so take a gander:

"Patriotic Grooves is a furious vomit of frustration with a political climate polluted with hyper-capitalist bigots pretending to be the voice of the people. It’s an assault on the idea that a struggle for civil rights is no longer necessary, and it’s an exposé of the narcissistic self-aggrandising media demagogues that revel in disguising their hate-speech as common-sense while laying the conditions for fascist clowns to take power. It shines a light on the neoliberal smash n’ grab playing out in Aotearoa, which may have a blokey bbq-loving I’m-too-stupid-to-do-evil face for now, but is leading down the same path. But it’s also a rallying call for collective resistance to come from shared frustration, and a hope that we can have a good time (with a slammin’ soundtrack) while fighting to change direction.

The idea of Donald Trump's head being blasted open by a majestic winged vagina seems more relevant than ever given Trump's misogynistic comments about "grabbing" women "by the pussy". The image represents one aspect of the struggle against misogyny, patriarchal violence, and oppression. Many people are oppressed, some have vaginas and some do not. We are opposed to misogyny, transmisogyny, sexism, and cissexism in all its forms. Gender is not defined by a person's genitalia -- not to mention a whole bunch of other dichotomised characteristics. Images associated with cis-female bodies are not representative of womanhood to the exclusion of all others."

So, when checking out UNSANITARY NAPKIN the first you'll encounter is an icky band name followed by amazing art. Before you get to the music you'll likely skim across the song titles, titles which will catch anyone's attention. A few prime examples are "Chode Crystal", "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" and "The Balls (To Say What We're All Thinking)".

By the time you get to the music you'll already be impressed, and when that raw, sassy and political-as-fuck hardcore spews from the speakers you'll be dripping from head to toe in intellectual and satirical New Zealand punk rock. To be honest, I generally dabble in heavier, screamier and more technical hardcore, but this band is a very refreshing change for me and brings me back to my late 90s days when all I jammed was NOFX, Propagandhi, Bad Religion and Pennywise. But it also means my for fans of list is kinda garbage and there are probably a ton of people more suited to review this band than me. Alas, here I am.

So in early 2016 the band released six songs on a self titled 'Unsanitary Napkin' tape. These six songs were soon rerecorded for the LP released in late 2016 called 'Patriotic Grooves'. A few months prior to the full length's release, UNSANITARY NAPKIN dropped a digital single called 'Trumphole' which was the teaser for the LP. Therefore, I think discussing only 'Patriotic Grooves' is necessary. It opens with the very direct "Feminine Odour" and is followed by the aforementioned single "Trumphole", a much more playful jam that reminds me of Yung Nat$ and includes a few nice sing-along sections and killer bass. The hilarious "Chode Crystal" follows and sounds like it could have been written in the 1980s, and it should be noted that all of the songs have their own flavour. "Sweet Exploitation" is angry but includes a killer rock outro, "Scripted Fist" is quite long but hyperactive, "Merchants of Doubt" is even longer and reminds me of early NOFX with a female vocalist, "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" bridges from punk to noisy rock, "Keyhole" is short and furious, "The Balls (To Say What We're All Thinking)" has a hilarious opening clip, "Barf Out Loud" is driving and has some ridiculously frantic basslines while the closer "Insane-itary Clown Party- The Iceman Cometh" is...I don't even know. But without a doubt my favourite UNSANITARY NAPKIN song is "Blissful Myth", comes pretty close to sounding like The Blood Brothers (especially the bass/ guitar) and is danceable and hard simultaneously.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2016 - Unsanitary Napkin cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)
2016 - Trumphole digital single (stream/donate/download here)
2016 - Patriotic Grooves 12"LP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2017) UNSANITARY NAPKIN - "Blissful Myth" live @Onslaught 13

(2017) UNSANITARY NAPKIN - "new song 1" live @Onslaught 13

(2017) UNSANITARY NAPKIN - "new song 2" live @Onslaught 13

(2016) UNSANITARY NAPKIN - "Blissful Myth" (from 'Patriotic Grooves')

(2016) UNSANITARY NAPKIN - "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" (from 'Patriotic Grooves')

(2016) UNSANITARY NAPKIN - "Trumphole" (from 'Trumphole')

(2016) UNSANITARY NAPKIN - "Chode Crystal" (from 'Unsanitary Napkin')

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UNSANITARY NAPKIN additional links

Bandcamp

Live videos @Onslaught 13

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LIMBS

Band: LIMBS

Genres: Punk / Rock / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Emo / Screamo / Black Metal / Alternative / Shoegaze
Related artists: ?.
Country: Mandaluyong City, Manila PHILIPPINES
Years Active: 2016-present
Song: "Gossamer Hour"
Album: "Body Without"
Year: 2017
For fans of: Milkman, Prize The Doubt, Dead Poetic, Sonic Youth, Folly, Deafheaven, An Horse, My Bloody Valentine and Beast Jesus.

Label(s): Self Released

This post's artist is from the February 2018 Mix. This is track #7.

You can download: the February 2018 Mix#2 right here or get the new March 2018 Mix#3 here.

I was sent LIMBS' newest venture, 'Body Without' a few months back and after a few listens I became quite taken with it. Upon further investigation I realized that the band released another EP the year prior, aka 2016, titled 'Nightly'. The band, simply put, sounds almost identical to Cincinnati's Milkman and the Philippines' Beast Jesus. There are likely no ties to the former, but LIMBS is also from the latter and even purchased a guitar from a member of Beast Jesus.

Their debut EP 'Nightly' opens with "Glass Cloak" which, for some reason, I thought was going to be dark. T'is not. Well, for the most part, anyway. Like most LIMBS songs, it dips in and out of sugary sweet melodies and chaotic hardcore, sometimes mixing the two. "Deep Mauve" is much heavier from the onset, but still ties in the synthy pop over black-metal, somehow coming off as a bastard child of Deafheaven and Sonic Youth. "Bodily Floyd" is a relatively straightforward rock song with a potent climax, while the final track, "Flashing Lights", begins much like Tron and then floats into spacey layers of echoes, distant singing and a general droniness (not a word).

The 'Body Without' EP opens with "Gossamer Hour", which seemingly falls into the shoegaze category until 45 seconds when the band lays down the technical, screamy metalcore for less than 15 seconds before that catchy-ass chorus kicks in, sounding a hell of a lot like Manila's Beast Jesus. At 1:20 the song turns back into dark, hyperactive hardcore that falls somewhere between Genghis Tron and Dead Poetic. The next track is "Wax Language", and holy fuck, this thing smokes. At 4:09 it rips through streamrolling drums, frightening screams and elaborate ax-work, being without a doubt the heaviest and aggressive track on the EP. Track three is "Fever Pawns", which begins quite peculiarly and then opts for audio candy in the dreamy, post-rock, shoegaze sense. "Downer Party" opens like an explosion and almost halfway through you've got people running around singing beautiful melodies amidst all those bodies, and it manages to be the second most aggressive song on the EP. Closer "Omega Station" shows off the hazy, chill side of LIMBS (except for the last minute which is heavy as fuck), and is the only song to surpass the five-minute mark.

Do I love this? No. Do I like it? Yes. These are two genres that I'd likely dismiss on their own but the combination is still fresh enough to keep me listening again and again.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2016 - Nightly digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

2017 - Body Without EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2017) LIMBS - "Gossamer Hour" (from 'Body Without')

(2017) LIMBS - "Wax Language" (from 'Body Without')

(2017) LIMBS - "Downer Party" (from 'Body Without')

(2016) LIMBS - "Glass Cloak" (from 'Nightly')

(2016) LIMBS - "Deep Mauve" (from 'Nightly')

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LIMBS additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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