Upon first hearing Youniverse, it was clear to me that this is one of the best bands in Memphis. (True, I recently declared the same thing about Good Luck Dark Star on this very blog, in my top 10 of 2010, but who’s keeping score?) If you live here, you know that this city is full of untapped musical potential, but typically Memphis bands are happy to occupy their own unique corners of this musically unconventional town. This is a tradition that began with Alex Chilton‘s post-Big Star snubbing of the music industry and continues to affect/infect our indie scene to this day (for better/worse.)
I first ran across Youniverse several times towards the end of 2010, culminating in an amazing New Year’s Eve show at the P&H in which the band played in the middle of the crowd, with no separation of band, stage, or audience. The band grabbed my attention because they seemed to offer something different. This is a Memphis band that embraces our irreverence for national tastes, but through sheer musical quality, transcends the limitations imposed by our quirkiness.
As a three piece, each member of the band occupies its own essential space, but these songs are built around and led by Travis Cantrell’s strong vocal melodies, which evoke equal parts Jeff Buckley, David Bowie, Lou Barlow, and Joy Division‘s Ian Curtis. The next piece that grabs your attention is Paul Gilliam’s riffy drum playing. Never content to just hold down a straight beat, his drumming takes the forefront with unique parts that constantly drive the songs forward. Gil Wort’s bass glues it all together, and the proficiency of this band becomes just another reason to love them.
Stream or download Youniverse’s “Dirty American” for free here, or come see them play with my band the Perfect Vessels this Saturday, April 9 at the Buccaneer.
Read a review of Youniverse’s “Dirty American” by Drew Ryan (of former Memphis band While I Breathe I Hope).
Graham Burks has played music in Memphis since they would let him into all-ages shows. Currently he plays guitar and sings with the Perfect Vessels (new album available on Makeshift Music, April 12), drums for Pezz, and directs the occasional music video.
