By Staff Reports
Arizona Daily Wildcat
January 16, 1997

CD Reviews

Butter 08

There's a school of science that stands by the idea that "the whole is more than sum of its parts." If you don't agree with that, try listening to Butter 08. Some of the parts of this group are Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda of Cibo Matto, and Russell Simins of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Both bands are great cutting edge acts in their own right, but by putting them together, we actually get something even better than either one on their own.

Butter 08 fuses the hip-hop, bouncy, sampled sounds of Cibo Matto with the sexy hardcore grooves of the Blues Explosion. The songs are both silly and addictive at the same time, with such classic titles as "Butter of 69" and "Butterfucker". (No, all the song titles don't have "butter" in them. Just those two.) Miho's singing/rapping/screaming is as fabulously engaging as on her own album, while Mr. Simins shows off some very smooth vocal stylings of his own that are compelling enough to make one wonder if he shouldn't be leading the Blues Explosion himself. And all this came about just because Simmins and Cibo Matto got along so well when he did some session drumming for them.

Other musicians featured on the album include guitarist Rick Lee and bassist Mike Mills, and there's even some guest keyboards from Sean Lennon. Butter 08 are one of the strongest things Grand Royal has going for them right now, and it would be one hell of a shame if this turns out just to be a one-time deal. Either way, Butter 08: just spread and enjoy.

-Doug Levy

Super Furry Animals

Fuzzy Logic

Believe it or not, there was a time before everyone was depressed; a time when music was allowed to be made and listened to just because it was fun. It's true. And the great news is, it looks like that time is upon us once again. As we near the end of the century, many people are looking back to the past, to a time before "music" and "angst" could be used in the same sentence. The members of Super Furry Animals are among these people.

Super Furry Animals are one of the latest wave of British bands to cash in on the success of retro-rock, yet they stand out amongst the crowd for a number of reasons. Firstly, they're Welsh. Along with Catatonia and 60 Ft. Dolls, SFA is helping to establish a brand new scene in a part of the UK that has hardly been looked to as a musical mecca. Secondly, their open embrace of drug culture and psychedelia throws a very trippy spin onto their music, displaying itself in the form of distorted vocals, often silly musical experimentation, and some downright bizarre lyrics. And finally, unlike so many of their contemporaries, SFA aren't concerned with being as serious as possible. They're obviously making music because they like to, and they enjoy doing it. While none of the musicians stands out as a remarkable talent, almost every one of their songs is as catchy as a pop tune can possibly be, and vocalist Gruff Rhys is proof that you don't have to have a fantastic voice to be a great singer.

Super Furry Animals have as much goofy appeal as their name implies, and "Fuzzy Logic" is guaranteed to get you off your couch and dancing up your living room walls. Of course, if you want to be depressed, that's your choice. Maybe these guys can change your mind, though.

-Doug Levy