Butterfingers - Breakfast At Fatboy's

YOURZ

Simply put, Butterfingers are Australia's answer to The Beastie Boys meets The Bloodhound Gang.  They are irreverent, funny, crass and clever.  And while some of the humour is defiantly below the belt, it is performed in such a way that you can't help but smile.  And the very colloquial references endear this band to me even more.

I laughed out loud when I first heard Everytime and hoped the band wouldn't prove to be a one-hit wonder or, even worse, a novelty act of some sort.  With the release of Breakfast At Fatboys, they proved neither was the case.  Nor were they a one trick pony, as this début proved, crossing into punk, big beat, dub and straight up indie rock.  And always delivered with lyrics that stick in your head, the sort you catch yourself singing in the most inappropriate of places.

Produced by Australia's Magoo, who has produced some of Australia's best bands over the years, ...Fatboys was followed up by The Deeper You Dig, which included the wonderful Figjam (Fuck I'm Good, Just Ask Me).  Equally as much fun, this album proved to be even more popular than their first, landing them an APRA Award for most played urban song.  An indefinite hiatus has followed but I don't think this is the last we'll be hearing of Butterfingers.  And a good thing too. 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP Yo Mama's on the top of my things to do list...

MINE

These guys are in that (for me) hip-hop nirvana of rock and pop and rap all thrown together and blended up with the cheekiest lyrics you can imagine.  One of my prized posessions is a Butterfingers t-shirt that proved too small for my husband's recently-enlarged figure (due to pumping iron, not eating doughnuts).  It's a Yo' Mama picture and has occasionally elicited queries from interested bystanders.  Kind of difficult to explain in polite company.

And while I do love that song and I Love Work (it's sarcastic!) it's Everytime that really floats my boat.  I'd call it the ultimate loser song - everytime this guy does something, something bad happens to him.  I've only seen them once, supporting Grinspoon, but they were amazing.  While they do have the sort of lyrics and sound that appeals to a bunch of teenagers (yes, they include fart references) I'm not so much of an old codger that I'd fail to appreciate their humour.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (a chicken's not a vegetable!)

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/butterfingersmusic

In our collection, we also have: The Deeper You Dig

The Bloodhound Gang - Hooray For Boobies

YOURZ

The Bloodhound Gang are puerile, juvenile, crass and so much fun.  They've also been accused of being sexist, racist, misogynistic and advocates of rape, violence and contributors to the moral degradation of young people everywhere (so has just about every rock and roll start from Chuck Berry on, so this is nothing new).  If people are too dumb to understand the obvious humour, they should go back to reading their fucking bibles and tilling their fields with their asses (or donkeys).

As I said, the humour's so obvious, there's no doubting their intentions - the boys just wanna have fun.  The reality is that the music is actually really good, with great pop arrangements and clean production.  Hooray For Boobies also spawned their biggest hit in The Bad Touch.

The worst thing about this record is the infectiousness of their hooks.  Mine has mentioned in previous posts about catching herself singing inappropriate lyrics at the worst of times.  Well, The Bloodhound Gang are write those sorts of songs.  The Ballad Of Chasey Lane is one such track where I have caught myself singing at work just in time (look the lyrics up and check out the chorus - you'll get my drift).  And this album has a number of songs like this, dammit all.

While Hooray For Boobies and The Bloodhound Gang generally are the musical equivalent of a nut shot or a bad joke about the mentally handicapped that you know you shouldn't laugh to but you do anyway, in small to medium doses, this is a helluva lot of fun. 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

It's no stretch to find the Bloodhound Gang appearing on Jackass - because when I was thinking about writing this review I thought to myself - these guys are what Jackass would be if it was a band and not a TV show (YourZ sez: wish I'd thought of this one - perfect).  Their music is so un-PC it does occasionally give me a twinge listening to it - especially to songs like A Lap Dance Is So Much Better When the Stripper Is Crying, hysterically funny though it is.

In fact, the Bloodhound Gang is the band Judd Apatow would be in.  It's every teenage boy's dream, with porn stars, scatological humour and some of the most realistic gagging noises ever heard on a CD.  Made me wanna hurl, I'll tell you.

And while they're funny and rude, there's one thing you might miss if you just concentrate on that: they're good musicians.  The songs are imaginatively written and well put together.  BUT - I'm a bit old for this on a full-time basis.  I'll mark it fun to drag out every now and again for a giggle, but not one to put on heavy rotation.

VERDICT:TURN IT DOWN

For more information: http://www.bloodhoundgang.com/

In our collection we also have Use Your Fingers, One Fierce Beer Coaster and Hefty Fine