You, You're Awesome

Last night was Bad Veins’ CD release party down on Fountain Square. It was truly an unbelievable crowd for the square. The bands really packed them in, literally. It was exciting to see. I got there in time to see You, You’re Awesome rock out, and holy shit, I am so glad I did. I haven’t seen this duo before, even though we have been close friends forever on MySpace for a long time. Anyway, their version of experimental, electronic music is outstanding. Their video footage on the large screen looming over the square was both hilarious and artistic, complete with a dog humping a stuffed animal. Oh yeah. That was something I never thought I’d see in a Cincinnati outdoor setting–a large screen video of a dog humping away. I did some research. Here is the footage. Hilarious. For that alone, You, You’re Awesome is awesome.

You, You’re Awesome stole the show, in my book. They even blew an amp, but after it was fixed, the two, Yusef Quotah and Kevin Bayer, kicked it out with even more energy. I will not say anymore other than this: Go see them. Let’s just say, I am disgustingly flat broke, but I still bought a T-shirt.

http://camacconnell.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/you-youre-awesome-is-awesome-night-in-a-video-game/ - C.A. MacConnell, Cincinnati

Back in the late '70s and early '80s, bands like The Human League and the Units were making a blend of piledriving Rock and Electronic Synth Pop with undertones of New Wave, Jazz and cartoon music. You, You're Awesome references that period with a sense of whimsy rather than a sense of history, making grinning dance monkeys of us all.

DIG: Ween is the therapist, the Residents are the patient, primal Raymond Scott channeling is the treatment. - CityBeat, Cincinnati

Not sure how many samples they’ve packed into this little wonder but it hardly matters because it's bordering on genius. Made up of a pair from Cincinnati ‘Two Muffins’ is actually a tacked on freebie from their self-released debut ‘You’re A Fun Drunk’. There is a touch of the surreal about the whole package, which adds to the fun and mystery. ‘Two Muffins’ is arresting from the getgo but as your listen count mounts you’ll slowly be reeled into its cartoon landscape. And even though it borrows heavily from old times I can’t help feeling that this is the freshest thing I’ve heard so far this year. - mp3hugger.com, Ireland

From Cincinnati, Ohio, comes You, You’re Awesome; a mind quenching electronic machine who have already rolled out a very popular remix of Radiohead’s ‘Reckoner’. Today they unbundled their second EP titled You’re My Superhero and it is pure electronic madness. With effects blasting in every which direction, the duo of Yusef Quotah and Kevin Bayer turn music inside out, firing noises like a psychotic technicolour rainbow.

There’s some very whacked out experimental electronic work going on, but it all seems to fall into place without any hesitation. Bayer’s drumming underneath Quotah’s sublime mixing draws comparisons to The Hungry Caterpillar, while some of the weird electronics lean more towards Black Moth Super Rainbow’s crazy psychedelia. If you’re really looking to be freaked out then this should do it.

New single ‘I’m Deaf and You’re Boring’ from the new EP, sees the duo experimenting more with synths and vocoder vocals to create a muddy, slightly unwashed melody. Compared to previous tracks it’s more sprightly and acute with less bass. Previous recordings has seen them experimenting more with sharp bleeps and hip-hop beats but the new album seems to have less emphasis on electronic wizardry and more on bedroom pop.

You can purchase all the band’s music from Amazon.com, including both EPs. They also have an awesome looking hoodie and some t-shirts for sale on their website.

http://www.einsteinmusicjournal.co.nz/2009/03/25/you-youre-awesome/ - Einstein Music Journal, New Zealand

Melodious and pastel colored groovecentric electro-pop with experimental flourishes. - CMJ.com

Hometown: Cincinnati
Sounds like: Videogame-sampling electronica paired with the vibrancy of live drums.
Recommended if you like: Herbert, Mr. Oizo
You should know: These guys don't just sample video games -- they play 'em too!

http://spin.com/gallery/25-must-hear-artists-cmj-festival?page=11#main - Spin.com

After reading tweet upon tweet of friends running around New York for CMJ last week, I almost wondered if there was a bad band to be found in the Big Apple. Perhaps everyone was seriously "killing it", or the power of ambitious live music and a few adult beverages made the experience all the better. It definitely doesn't hurt and makes dancing far easier, something that is common practice for the live shows of You, You're Awesome.

Having just finished up playing CMJ themselves, this electronic/atari/real drum duo actually hail from my neck of the woods in Cincinnati. I've caught their DJ sets a few times but have never seen them play only original content, something I intend on changing quite soon. Their high energy live shows are synced with glitchy video projection, a component of musicianship they've only started to master. Below are a few catchy tunes from their two EPs titled You're My Superhero and You're A Fun Drunk respectively.

[MP3] You, You're Awesome - I'm Deaf and You're Boring
[MP3] You, You're Awesome - International Fan Club of the World

You, You're Awesome are releasing their third EP sometime soon (this Fall) and hopefully some more remixes too; judging by their press photo they not only love wearing Radiohead but manipulating them too. Check out their stellar rendition of "Reckoner" below:
[MP3] You, You're Awesome - Reckoner (YYA Remix)


http://iguessimfloating.blogspot.com/2009/10/mp3-you-youre-awesome-im-deaf-and-youre.html - I Guess I'm Floating

The Cincinnati-based electronic duo You, You're Awesome rings in the new year with the techno-confection You're Getting Old, the third and final installment of an EP trilogy. The first two EPs were called You're My Superhero and You're a Fun Drunk. With so much second person, direct-address being thrown around, you'd think You, You're Awesome would have a more confrontational, heavy sound... but you'd be wrong. YYA is like the rascally but good-natured younger brother you (maybe) never had: all he wants are cigarettes, nudie mags, and to have a good time.

Mixing video game bleeps with dime store Casio synth lines, YYA keeps it light. The pop refrains of "Insignificance Is Beautiful" and "Yippee Ki Yay, Mister Falcon" could have been lifted directly from the audio score of your favorite vintage Nintendo game. The melodies are dressed up in more intricate vestments, but really, if you heard any of these synth lines while Mega Man blasted Dr. Wily to hell (the cogwheel weapon was the best - it could fire in 8 directions!) you wouldn't blink an eye.

A familiar plaint levied against electronic music is ear fatigue: too much synthetically fabricated sound can turn your brain into mush. Acts like Daft Punk and Orbital avoid this by wringing more textures out of the electronic spectrum than you ever thought possible. YYA doesn't quite have that range, but they do a good job staving off ear fatigue by introducing live elements into the soundscape. Bells, live drums, and vocal samples all give the ear something to hold onto besides the slick Pro Tools dreck. There's even a standout live guest vocal from fellow Cincinnatian Margaret Darling of The Seedy Seeds (QRO album review) on "Guess What? Shun!"

Completing a trilogy is no small feat and YYA can be proud of the final piece to their project. The EP is a fun quick-witted romp. You may not always buy into some of the hamminess, like the silly sample led track "How To Get the Most Out of Your Instructional Videos", but the EP, just like your favorite Nintendo game, rewards persistence. If you make it through to the end of You, You're Getting Old, you'll feel pretty good about the experience. You, You're Awesome - you're awesome.

http://www.qromag.com/reviews/album_reviews/you,_you%27re_awesome_:_you%27re_getting_old_ep/ - QRO Magazine