Pop Montreal Portraits : Yoo Doo Right
yoo doo right. from their facebook page.
POP Montreal brings together bands of all sorts from the city. Some bands seem a little more mysterious and cryptic than others, like Yoo Doo Right. This improvisational group takes its inspirations from “krautrock.” I was intrigued. I hope you are too. I asked the members about the band so those who want to check them out this week can go in with some of the fog lifted.
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1514781875 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]
To begin, the band members identified themselves as [ + jc cm jt cb + ] on social media. As it turns out, this minimalistic decision “has no significance in regards to the band.” As I soon find out the band members are Justin Cober, Charles Mason, John Talbot, and Charles Bourassa. Most of them have been in different projects, such as New Wings, Blacklove, STLWCO, and ITNOH. “They have a totally different genre/style/vibe of music,” says the band.
The band got together after jamming together. “Yoo Do Right came out of jam sessions between Mason, Cober, and Talbot. After a few of these, Bourassa asked to join on the jams and the overall sound and vibe ended up fitting. Since then, we’ve been rehearsing and working on our EP material for a late fall release.”
Without an EP behind them, Yoo Do Right’s sound is going to be unfamiliar to most. I asked the band what the overall sound is like. “When it comes to how we describe our sound, we like to say it is characterized by pounding rhythmic improvisations found in various styles of music such as krautrock, post-punk, and experimental ambient/soundscape type music,” they say. “We’re also choosing to ultimately not be limited by expectations of genre.”
One of the coolest things is that the names of their two musical works on bandcamp seemed so clever: “a junior disaster area accountant” and “nobody panicked and everybody got on.” As it turns out, these are Douglas Adams references “which cover themes of chance, absurdity, and anxiety.”
Perhaps that says it all about what to expect at a show. Or, as the band says, if an audience goes to check out the band, it will be “loud.”
Overall the band mentions a number of other groups playing POP Montreal that are of interest. “I’m excited to see Bodywash who are playing immediately after us on Friday at Vitrola & also Channel No One on Sunday evening at Divan Orange (which is also our record label’s showcase). Lastly, POP is a very exciting organization to have the chance to be apart of and play in so many thanks and lots of respect to the organizers for working so hard to make it happen each year.”
Yoo Do Right is playing with Pallice, Taylor Knox, Kiwi Jr., and Bodywash at La Vitrola on September 23. $10. 8:30 p.m. Tickets HERE.
