Buttersprites

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Photo Credit: Peter Jameson



About Us

Buttersprites is the brainchild of guitarist Elizabeth Jameson,

who is internationally recognized as a visual

artist; vocalist Haruko Nishimura is a Butoh dancer

and founder of Seattle's Degenerate

Art Ensemble. Bassist Lunarre Omura is also a member

of the nouveau cocktail lounge group Lushy,

and Buttersprites is rounded out by keyboard player Julie Grant

and drummer Jen Gay.Their sound is bright, up-tempo

and quirky and demonstrates affection for the so-called "post punk"

music of the early 1980s. Nishimura, as vocalist, oozes charisma and serves

as a focal point in their live performances, which are generally done

in crazy costumes designed by Jameson and Gay and made by Gay. Sometimes

Buttersprites dress as nurses, at others in matching tennis outfits or

Chinese communist military garb - the varying styles of dress creates

an irreverent counterpoint to their gleefully nutty music and tongue-in-cheek

lyrics, mostly sung in Japanese.

Buttersprites was born out of Jameson's idea to start an all-girl

Japanese pop band in the mold of Shonen Knife, and played their first

gig in Seattle in 2003. Buttersprites soon found themselves out of step

with the rest of Seattle's typically grungy music scene, but got

a boost of confidence with a well-received appearance at the Ladyfest

in Seattle in June 2004. Their first demo recordings soon followed, produced

by Tiny Hat Orchestra alumnus and Lushy

member Andrew Sodt with Lynval Golding,

once of The Specials.

The demo was received favorably by Dionysus

Records in Los Angeles, who issued Buttersprites' debut CD in

June 2005, utilizing the same production team and adding Johnny

Horn (KEXP DJ and

Purefire recording

artist). Gradually finding its way onto the College Radio charts across

America, Buttersprites is an infectious and ultimately irresistible debut

that is musically fulfilling well beyond what may be its perceived novelty

value. In the rather dour, dark and polluted climate of post 9-11 American

music, Buttersprites represent a welcome burst of sunshine.



Photo Credit: Peter Jameson



All Music Guide Review

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 Peril," 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. Another song that reflects the dub-cum-folk admixture pioneered by PiL is "Fever" and its corresponding dub mix, although this time Haruko Nishimura's chattering vocal takes center stage. Of the songs here, "Love Call" is the most immediate, brimming with catchy and infectious ideas and wedded to appealing harmonies.



Photo Credit: Adam PW Smith



It is hard to put one's finger on what makes Buttersprites seem so fresh, unusual, and engaging; certainly it is not the sum of its influences. Perhaps it's Elizabeth Jameson's shreddy but sweet guitar tone and sinuous leads, Lunarre Omura's solid but perky bass, Julie Grant's calculatedly minimal keyboards, or Jen Gay's just-brought-'em-outta-the-basement drums. Haruko Nishimura's singing is by turns sweet and cynical, and although her occasional cackling might sound contrived to some, it is clearly part of the aesthetic here, which is tongue-in-cheek in addition to being musically very sound.



Both Jameson and Grant seem to have a feel for specific, arcane kinds of pop instrumental sounds, an aspect that is pointed up by the excellent mix achieved by production team Johnny Horn, Andrew Sodt, and Lynval Golding (he of the Specials). However, this should not distract from the tremendous sense of fun resulting from listening to Buttersprites; it is a terrific debut that will hook the listener, who will want to return to this brand of ear (and eye) candy repeatedly. --Uncle Dave Lewis



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