Q and Not U Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
One of the original batch of bands that started mixing indie rock, post-punk, and disco-influenced rhythms in the '90s, Q and Not U return with Power, an album that nods to dance-punk's moment in the sun and also finds them adding more dimensions to their already versatile sound. Like Les Savy Fav, Q and Not U are among the strongest songwriters working in this style, and on Power, they're equally adept at short, sharp shocks like "L.A.X." and more introspective pieces such as "Dine." This ebb and flow makes the album less forceful than previous work like No Kill No Beep Beep, but it also makes Power more interesting, even if the ping-ponging between quietly quirky pieces like "Throw Back Your Head," an oddly folky, flute-driven song, and brainy, spazzy pop like "Wet Work" is disconcerting at first. It's tempting to single out Power's most singular moments, like the medieval harmonies on "District Night Prayer," as the album's highlights, because they're such a departure; however, "Book of Flags" and "Tag-Tag" are prime examples of the band's undeniably kinetic punk-funk. "Wonderful People" and "Beautiful Beats" are even more danceable, but still retain that paranoid, too-smart-for-their-own-good feel of all of Q and Not U's work. This feeling comes to the fore on the tense, "Glass Onion"-esque "Collect the Diamonds" and "X-Polynation," which both echo the trend of mixing politics and dance-punk, but do so more subtly, and timelessly, than the rants of !!! and Radio 4. Even when there are plenty of other bands working in a similar style, Q and Not U remain more distinctive and harder to classify than many of their peers, which makes Power an exciting album and proof that the band has variety and vitality to spare. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
'No Kill No Beep Beep'
Release Date 10/24/2000
Tracks 11
Label Dischord
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Quirk-ass posturing matched with infectious D.C. backbeat and overly catchy singsong/shoutfests comes together as one of the best aggressive indie pop albums to see the light of day in many years. Q & Not U offer a take on the classic D.C. sound by bending its rules a bit, making things more infectious and fun to listen to than the Dischord world is used to. Their minor melodies and to-the-throat rhythmic drive, matched with an aesthetic sense that offers no cliché, offer more replay value than many of this band's peers, such as the other 2000-era Dischord addition, Faraquet. Shows are know to turn to dance parties in quite a hurry. Buy this for the enjoyment of technical spazz pop that few can produce with such tact. ~ Blake Butler, All Music Guide
