I know the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name David Yow is not Los Angeles. I know this. And yet for the first few years I lived here I would see him pretty much everywhere I went. He would drink at 4100. He would be at the same clubs seeing the same bands. Hell, one time he was using the washing machine next to me at my laundromat. He’s even brought records and CDs into the store to sell/trade a couple times (including, if memory serves, a Big Black Pigpile box). So to me at least David Yow has been as much an LA fixture as can be during the past seven years.
In 2006 Yow along with David Wm. Sims and Rey Washam and Brett Bradford reformed Scratch Acid. From 2008-2010 The Jesus Lizard reunited and toured fairly extensively. But in between those two projects there was Qui. Formed nearly a decade earlier (2000) by two guys named Matt and Paul, Yow started as a guest vocalist at a few shows before officially joining the band. They recorded one album as a trio I believe, 2007’s Love’s Miracle, and after that the duo of Matt and Paul have released just one album, February’s Life, Water, Living… which I’m pretty sure is a Yow-less album.
Qui was one of the first shows I saw at the Echoplex way back in June of 2007, within a month of my moving to the west coast. They were opening for Burning Brides, and I’m pretty sure I went just because of Qui. I don’t recall ever liking Burning Brides. I liked looking at pictures of their bassist, that’s for sure! At the time I had to say about Qui, “Great musicianship, silly banter, intriguing sound. It’s definitely something new. I don’t know if references are enough to explain the sound, so I’ll try to describe it as accurately as possible. Guitarist plays humbucking guitar through nice fender amp for very meaty sound. Throws heavy fuzz atop when gearing up his tone to freak-out proportions. The drummer switches between more avant-style rhythms and standard beats. The first song, which I believe was called, “I Love You” was one of the strongest of the set.” That song, “I Love You” appears on the ‘B’ side of this single.
Sometime in late June or early July of 2009 I received two copies of a 7″ 45 called The Little Golden Blanket from some PR flack for the record label. One was a review copy and one served as the prize for a contest. Each of the two white vinyl 45s were signed on the picture cover by band members Paul Christensen, Matt Cronk, and David Yow. Although my copies were not numbered, supposedly they were part of a limited edition run of 500. I assume if a blog as small and shitty as mine received two, they had to have made at least an equal number of promos, which means mine is worth next to nothing. Ha! See? Aren’t I cute when I’m self-deprecating!?
Qui
The Little Golden Blanket
(Infrasonic Sound – Sr-2176, 2009)
A1. Prison Braid [MP3]
B1. I Love You
