As a preface let me say that I have definitely been neglecting my duties. Glossolalia was not intended as a “puttering-around” type of thing, and I have made it even less than that by not doing anything. A host of other responsibilities has been dominating my time lately; I apologize sincerely but swiftly: on to the music I promised so many months ago.
Let me recommend The Youjsh. A group of disassociate McGill music majors hardly sounds like a recipe for fun, but it is without reservation that I proclaim The Youjsh to be one of the best bands in Montreal. I realize that this is a bold statement, but I am more than willing to defend it. First of all, I doubt that anyone who has seen them live will dispute my claim. The Youjsh describe themselves on their website as treading the line between art and party (let the reader remember that you can’t spell one without the other!). This tightrope walk is executed gracefully.
I remember the first time I heard The Youjsh, though it’s a bit of a ribald tale: I was on the crapper. After finishing a set with my brother at the Segal Performing Arts Center, I had to go to bathroom. As I sat there, I was suddenly assaulted by blasts of trumpet, clarinet, sax, piano, bass, and drums. Oh boy, those drums. This was not the corpse of some jazz standard dragged along by a listless brush on a snare: it was alive and bombastic. I sat there, grinning like an idiot with my pants around my ankles, as they blew through “Don’t You Think She’s a Bit Young For You, Steve Day?” (more on this elusive figure below). I am usually quite leisurely in my bathroom visits, but on this occasion I rushed out as soon as possible to witness what I was hearing. The Youjsh went on to dumbfound both me and my brother (and probably everybody else there that night) with a set of original compositions that spanned in influence from klezmer to Dixieland jazz.
The brains behind the operation: a short, humble hairy guy named Malcolm Sailor. What a dude; what a great name. When he plays, he stands behind his keyboard carefully, making sure his fingers go to all the right places: the immaculate bandleader. I’ve seen another of his projects, Mr. Goldschneider and his Personal Flaws, which confirmed to me that everything he touches turns to gold. But if Malcolm is The Youjsh’s brains, then surely Philippe Melanson is its heart. He is the best live drummer I have ever seen. His playing is tempestuous, yet at the same time totally controlled.
I know I’m sounding like a total groupie or something right now, but you really have to see it to believe it. My brother and I just kept repeating the same thing to each other on the ride home that night: “it was pure joy”. Despite my gushing, however, the band does not take itself too seriously. This is very refreshing given the self-importance of some of the utterly forgettable indie bands of Montreal. Every song is named after Steve Day, the band’s official mascot whose true identity and whereabouts are unknown to me (Is he Malcom’s roommate? He seems to enjoy pillowfighting, if the myspace photos mean anything…). In any event, if he is responsible for The Youjsh, I wish him well.
The Youjsh are playing on March 15th at Le Belmont in Montreal with Five Alarm Funk and Grooveattick. What the world needs now, is Day, Steve Day. Hallelujah.
http://www.myspace.com/theyoujsh
