Youniverse

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. - The Vinyl District

Originally coined Travis Cantrell & The Youniverse, Youniverse is the brainchild of a young 20-something who sings songs that he likely wrote after an Adderall-cured hangover, documenting the lifestyle many of us experience after ingesting too much french existentialism in the dirty south. While Cantrell's voice is generally the focus among 3 other instruments competing to be the loudest thing in the mix, the real muscle and contrast comes from the rhythm section. Paul Gilliam's stern and shuffling beats gel with Gil Worth's sultry smooth basslines, and the guitar acts as a sweet glaze for Cantrell and Gilliam's self-assured-yet-nervous howls, almost as if they are trying to win a Ginuwine karaoke contest in the context of a classic rock band. Dirty American is filled with equal parts self-awareness and doubt, cocksureness and humility, party and the aftermath. The charm of this record comes from the visceral made known, the shit we only drunkenly admit to our close friends but will sing to the masses with a sober conscience.

"I've been where you are before / sitting on that couch takin' in more and more" puts us in that state of simultaneous comfort and discomfort we all know, calling us on our shit but offering no solution as Cantrell trails off at the end of his stammering rant on the opening track. The record continues with lines about sleeping with scientists, pissing in bottles, passing out in bushes and blatant amorality; it's the typical shit that would offend most parents and religious leaders. Though the subject matter revolves around recreational drug use, the vulnerable human shamelessly shines through the grit and debauchery with his game face on. This record isn't so ying-and-yang for everyone…it may be difficult to see if you're on the other side of the fence. As writer (and model for the album cover) Gabriel Schnell points out, "If you can listen to songs like 'Catastrophe' or 'Chinese Coffee' and not be driven to sing along in glorious fuck-yes-ness, then you probably aren’t as dirty as I’m giving you credit, and you’re probably boring."

I'm going to be straight up with you: I am probably the most biased person to be reviewing this record. From helping engineer Matt Qualls with software troubles at the beginning of the recording process to designing the final packaging, my thumbprints are all over this record. I watched this baby grow as if I were a jealous godparent secretly wishing it was my own. But this isn't a case of narcissism or self-congratulations, this is merely an opportunity to plug a record that searches for a savior with no real intention of actually unearthing such a silly, fleeting idea. As the Youniverse triumphantly sings "there's no wrong or right" in the song "Jesus Christ," I can't help but think they've done something absolutely right. - Memphishatesyou