Dionysus Records
2005
Buttersprites
About This Album
Buttersprites is the debut disc on Dionysus Records by Seattle's Buttersprites, a musical group that puts as much emphasis on its show and costume as it does its music. In most situations of this kind, the uniforms look great but the music suffers, but not so with Buttersprites -- what is on the inside is just as good, if not better, than what is on the outside. Buttersprites are tapping into the wellspring of Japanese pop, and sing mostly in Japanese even though they are an American group; on the surface it appears that comparisons to Shonen Knife would be inevitable, especially with song titles such as "Fresh Mochi." But once again Buttersprites sidestep both the trend and one's preconceived expectations, as this disc is firmly rooted in the post-punk tradition that, after a long neglect, is being rediscovered by a number of emerging bands. The most obvious illustration of this last-named property is "Yellow Fever," a thinly disguised rewrite of the song "Public Image" retrofitted with humorous lyrics about the phenomenon of non-Asian males seeking out romance among Asian females. A more militant group would say more about this topic, but Buttersprites wisely keep it light and therefore deepen the sense of satire.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,9 and 12)

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