Butterfly Joe

Butterfly Joe features a couple of Dead Milkmen, Joe Jack Talcum and Dean Clean now going by the Lydon-ish anti-pseudonyms of Joe Genaro and Dean Sabatino, along with Lisa Loeb's bassist Joe Quigley and multi-instrumentalist Andy Bresnan. The disc's opening lyric of "I'm a stupid imbecile" let's you know right off the bat that they're not operating in a territory too far removed from the DM. Factor in the wilfully strange lyrics, rudimentary, semi-finished riffs and melodies, and adenoidal half-spoken vocals and you'll either love 'em or hate 'em for the same reasons you loved or hated the Milkmen. It's sophomoric, juvenile and ultimately annoying, but will probably be very welcome in circles that drool over They Might Be Giants and Camper Van Beethoven. Make me an offer and you can have my copy, cheap.