Butter (Butter 08 album)

Butter
A photograph of a square of butter with the word "butter" carved into it in all caps.
Studio album by
Butter 08
Released1996
Length38:54
LabelGrand Royal
Producer

Butter (also referred to as Butter 08) is the debut album by Butter 08, a band consisting of Cibo Matto leaders Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion drummer Russell Simins, filmmaker Mike Mills, and Skeleton Key percussionist Rick Lee. The album was released in 1996 by the Beastie Boys' label Grand Royal.[1][2]

Style

NME's Darren Johns called the album a "symposium for the obscurer-than-thou", noting influences including acid rap and Bis.[3] Other genre influences noted include funk,[4][5][6] punk rock,[4][3] arena rock,[6] hip hop,[7] and alternative.[7]

Critics also noted the contrast between Hatori's and Simins' vocals, calling Hatori's "high-flown"[4] and "shrill"[3] and Simins' a "paranoid growl",[4] a "restrained drawl",[3] and "husky".[1] Wired's James Sullivan said Lee provides "foundational scratch guitar" and occasional "mind-bending string-bending" and Mills adds simple basslines which "keep the rhythms gliding atop Simins' pile-driven beats."[1]

Reception

Butter ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Entertainment WeeklyA–[5]
NME8/10[3]
Rolling Stone[6]
Spin5/10[8]

AllMusic's Tim Sheridan called the album "Often hilarious and consistently groovy; in a word, dynamite."[4] Entertainment Weekly's Ethan Smith said the album is "guaranteed to keep your hips shaking all night".[5]

Less positively, Spin's Douglas Wolk called the lyrics "either half-assed ... or inaudible" and said many song's ideas felt like "the result of a moment's whim", such as "Mono Lisa" sounding like Stereolab and "Degobrah" being "fake hardcore".[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Butter 08

Butter track listing
No.TitleLength
1."9MM"2:44
2."Shut Up"3:00
3."Butter of 69"3:24
4."Dick Serious"3:21
5."How Do I Relax"3:40
6."It's the Rage"2:06
7."Mono Lisa"4:56
8."What Are You Wearing"2:30
9."Sex Symbol"3:49
10."Degobrah"2:06
11."Hard to Hold"3:50
12."Butterfucker"3:28
Total length:38:54

Personnel

Butter 08

Additional musicians

Technical

  • Yuka Honda – producer
  • Russell Simins – producer
  • Jamey Staub – producer, mixing engineer
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering engineer
  • Lance Acord – photography
  • Joe Wittkop – photography
  • Michael Lavine – photography

References

  1. ^ a b c Sullivan, James (November 4, 1996). "Butter 08 – Butter 08". Wired. p. 222. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  2. ^ George-Warren, Holly; Romanowski Bashe, Patricia; Pareles, Jon (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. New York: Fireside. p. 177. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e Johns, Darren (November 22, 1997). "Butter 08 – Butter". NME. Archived from the original on June 12, 2000. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Sheridan, Tim. "Butter 08 – Butter 08". AllMusic. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Smith, Ethan (September 13, 1996). "Butter". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Brackett, Nathan (November 14, 1996). "Butter – Butter 08". Rolling Stone. p. 116. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Butter 08 – Butter 08". The Medium. February 10, 1997. p. 11. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Wolk, Douglas (September 1996). "Butter 08 – Butter". Spin. p. 155. Retrieved June 6, 2023.