Buttsteak

Men Who Pause (Go-Kart)
by Jon Sarre

OK, I’m trying to get a handle on this one, but I really can’t. Maybe that’s the intention. Buttsteak: The band so quirky they’re bewildering, except all the songs on this record sound the same. Nonsensical dadaist lyrics, plus spiffy harmonies, plus the technical prowess that comes from knowin’ how to work the same song structure really well, often equals major radio exposure. Yeah, Buttsteak is the type of band you’d hear one song from, buy the album, and then realize the whole deal is nothing more than crassly-packaged filler wrapped around a single, except there’s no standout track here. “Fanning the Queen” comes close, because it’s catchy on a Buzzcocks “Ever Fallen In Love?” level, but that’s just saying the song is a rip-off and an annoying one at that. Maybe there’s some kind of hidden in-joke at work here; after all, these clowns are labelmates of lounge-core geeks, Black Velvet Flag. If there’s a joke at work here, it’s based on some kind of recurring insect theme. Could someone explain this to me? On second thought, I’m not interested. Isn’t it a shame that CDs aren’t biodegradable? I’d love to plop this baby in a bucket of water and watch it dissolve into a shiny film. At least I could poison a few fish.