Re: [ARSCLIST] Buttersprites [WAS: Bobby Blue Bland etc]

[steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Prentice, Will" <Will.Prentice@xxxxx>
> Steven C wrote:
> > "Since most of the folks at an ARSC gathering have experienced music of
> the past, it is hard to imagine a vast amount of interest in the group,
> which seems to be more of an artistic statement in the 21st century vein
> than a musical statement."
> >
> C'mon Steven, is the 21st Century really so bad? I'm as passionate about
> the music of the past as most here - I put out a CD a few years ago
> consisting entirely of music recorded in 1909 - but a major strength of
> ARSC is that it's a broad church. 
> One thing I particularly look forward to at ARSC conferences is meeting
> people whose age, background, taste and expertise differ greatly from my
> own and hearing them talk passionately about what they love. I'd be
> surprised if the Buttersprites didn't go down a storm. 
> 
Well, as a still-working (at least on occasion) musician, I do pay
attention to current music as well as the contents of my ten tons
(give or take) of shellac. My complaint about the Buttersprites,
which I admittedly didn't explain in detail, is that they seem to
me to be more of an "inside joke" where one has to know the details
(as well as the genre on which they are based as well of the genre
on which THAT genre was based!). I file them under "Bands who may
be actually trying to make a musical statement...or who, on the
other hand, may be trying to impress us with the details of
their attempt as opposed to any musical quality...i.e. "WE ARE
ART and if you don't understand what we are doing it merely
demonstrates your lack of artistic comprehension!"

For example, listen to "Dog Food"...a four-chord, straight
4/4 time, repetitive number where the point MAY be made by the
contantly-repeated chorus of "I'm living on dog food," complete
with attempted barks! I suspect this may actually refer to the
original ethos of Punk Rock...where the implied statement was,
"You see, Mrs. Thatcher, when you cut me off relief, the only way
I could support myself was by playing music...and I know SFA about
playing music, as my tune proves!" This, of course, was quickly
overwhelmed by the thought of "Oh, wow! A style where the whole
point is musical incompetence...and I've been incompetent for
years! Now I can get rich/famous/whole bunches of groupies/all
of the above/usw...."

Also, the site tells us that at least some of the group's members
are semi-pro artists...and in the 21st century, claiming artist
status is equivalent to saying "You can't judge me...only *I*
can judge me, because you have to be an artist to judge art!"

In my youth, music was much easier to judge..."Well, I'll give
it any 83...it's got a nice beat and you can dance to it..."

Steven C. Barr