Different Damage was my introduction to Q And Not U. The reason why I started with this album and the reason I got into the band at all was simply that I was in Banquet and it caught my eye. I'd already found a handful of other records that day, but I also had a £10 voucher to spend so felt like being adventurous. I'd heard of the name and knew they were on Dischord. I also knew they were a little bit more experimental than the usual Dischord band and I think the description banquet had stuck to the sleeve mentioned the words "dance-punk". It's worth noting that one of my all-time favourite Dischord bands is Black Eyes, who were incredibly experimental, so I had high hopes.
I remember enjoying Q And Not U from the first listen. The music was up-beat and interesting and there was so much going on. On the other hand, they were undeniably a punk band; songs like Black Plastic Bag hit pretty hard and makes their presence on Dishord less strange. It feels like in the early 2000's there were a lot of edgy, trendy, indie-dance bands about (!!!, LCD Soundsystem) and I was worried that Q And Not U might fall into that category, but there's enough of a strong punk influence to firmly distinguish them (although that's what you should expect given that it is on Dischord). It's also given the band a longevity that I think a lot of music in that scene was missing (for me at least).
There are great songs throughout the album, although I especially like the opening duo of Soft Pyramids and So Many Animal Calls. The closer, Recreation Myth, has one of the biggest choruses on the album. I spent a lot of time listening to Different Damage when I first got it, then a month later bought their first album No Kill No Beep Beep, which I'll write about another time. This is the 2009 remastered reissue. I can't speak to the quality of the remaster since I've not heard the original, but the blue vinyl looks great and matches the sleeve very well.
Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 12
Cost: £8.37 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 08/02/07
Colour: Transparent blue
Etching: Side A: "Love to I.B. and St. Nutritious" Side B: "It had hands!"
mp3s: Download code
