Band of the Week: Drink Up Buttercup

Much fuss has been made over the last few years about the exodus of musicians and artists from Manhattan and Brooklyn to the relatively greener pastures of Philadelphia. Hey, we get it. We pay rents here too and have watched neighborhoods seemingly gentrify themselves overnight. To that end, Philly has offered our displaced and huddled masses an attractive alternative, a (gasp) somewhat affordable and thriving arts scene without a lot of the bullshit.

But what happens when we move beyond Philly? Apparently, we arrive at a place where Mel Gibson once spied crop circles (if we're to believe M. Night Shyamalan) and where a band self-described as sounding like "throwing up after a nauseating carnival ride" formed while fishing on the Delaware River. Refreshing, yes? Welcome to Bucks County, home of Drink Up Buttercup.

"It's a microcosm," singer/guitarist James Harvey said of his home. "It's similar to Philly, but everyone on the scene is five years younger. Everybody is excited to be involved, and we feel lucky to be a part of something so pure."

Chatting via the internets with EAR FARM following the final show of their residency at the Khyber late last night, Harvey could well have been referring to the band itself (continue reading).... The group's elder statesmen at 26, Harvey is joined by younger brother Farzad Houshiarnejad (keys, guitar, melodica, bass - age 19), Ben Money (bass, keys, melodica, percussion - age 22) and Mike Cammarata (drums - age 17!). Having only been together since last March, the gents in Drink Up Buttercup approach their music with the same enthusiasm of the broader Bucks County scene, and even their rough demos crackle with a wonderful sense of vitality and unbridled energy.

But hell, we've only had their 4-song demo to go by so far. Joanne at Obsession Collection recently caught the band at Cake Shop and remarked, "Their insanely zany acrobatic stage antics mixed with a full-bodied sound of harmonic delight produced an atmosphere of sensory overdrive."

She hit the nail on the head. Their sound is a grab bag of delicate chamber harmonies nestled in between swaggering boogies and gruff, drunken sing-a-longs, a mashup of the Beatles, early Pink Floyd and Captain Beefheart. The band's name reflects it all, a reference that Harvey maintains is "the balance of what's pretty and disgusting. It's perverted."

Not that surprising then that Harvey lists Mothers of Invention, early Pink Floyd, David Bowie, his own training with classical singing, and even talk radio as personal influences that have shaped the band's sound. Check out the two demos below to hear these forces at play, as "Gods and Gentlemen" approximates "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" being simultaneously covered by a 60s garage band and a boys choir while "Seasickness Pills" is pure Syd Barrett and Captain Beefheart melodic weirdness.

So, with such promising goods in hand, what's next for Drink Up Buttercup? According to Harvey, the band will spend 2008 converting these demos into a finished album while continuing to play as many shows as possible. For those of us still living in the NYC area, this means being treated to a Pianos residency in February. Drink up!

Listen:
"Gods And Gentlemen" (Demo)
"Seasickness Pills" (Demo)

Visit Drink Up Buttercup on MySpace

See Drink Up Buttercup Live:
16 February - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire (Northern Liberties Fest)
19 February - New York, NY @ Pianos (Residency)
26 February - New York, NY @ Pianos (Residency)
1 March - New Hope, PA @ John & Peter's
4 March - New York, NY @ Pianos (Residency)
7 March - Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber
5 April - Brooklyn, NY @ Luna Lounge
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In the recent past, the following bands have been featured as EAR FARM's Band of the Week:
The Big Sleep
Pete and the Pirates
Dead Confederate
Throw Me The Statue
Screaming Tea Party
Graveyard
Helvetia
Pale Young Gentlemen

See the entire list of bands featured as EAR FARM's Band of the Week HERE.