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Get to Know: Butterfly Explosion

Shoegazers be damned, these blokes can move

The shoegaze genre, a type of music that started in the U.K. in the late 80s, didn’t necessarily go over well in the U.S.  Known for their static stage performance and noisy guitars, bands like My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain were quickly pushed aside in America for the more energetic vibe of the grunge movement.  The genre has since inspired many American and British artists alike to resurrect the genre and start the nu-gaze movement.  Seeking to change America’s view on the genre is the Irish act Butterfly Explosion.  The quartet officially came together in 2005 to record their first EP Vision.  Though they are considered part of the nu-gaze movement, the Butterfly Explosion takes influence ranging from American alternative to post-rock music.  This interesting mix set them apart from other bands in the area, leading them to play at Austin’s SXSW music festival and shared gigs with well-known U.K. acts 65daysofstatic and God is an Astronaut.

Their 2006 EP Turn the Sky continued the success Vision started.  Turn the Sky may only be five songs, but within twenty-five minutes the band is able to blow listeners away.  Butterfly Explosion is not a copy cat in any sense to the acts they’ve taken inspiration from and unlike some more instrumental bands, their longer jam sessions within track never bore.  In the beginning of the song “Score,” the guitar sounds similar to the opening of the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Mayonaise,” but the addition of a stronger drum beat and a heavier second guitar part makes it become a song of their own making.  The lead singer Gazz Carr ushers Butterfly Explosion into new territory with his warm voice and reflective lyrics.  In the track “Next Year” Carr and backing vocalist Sorcha Brennan’s voices weave together with a driving guitar part and brassy cymbal crashes to create an interesting play between voice and instrument.  As the music rises and Carr and Brennan sing the phrase “Tell me we’re almost there,” the energy is so strong that it easily makes “Next Year” the stand-out track on the EP. 

The song “Turn in You,” a demo version of a track that’s to be featured on their full-length album, starts off with a simple guitar chord and quickly crescendos into a full-scale torrent of drums and distortion.  It roars ahead with the subtle energy Butterfly Explosion consistently shows in their music.  If “Turn in You” is any clue to the growth the band has made, Butterfly Explosion’s new album, due out in early 2009, should be incredible.

Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Sep 09, 2008 @ 7:01 am

butterfly explosion, my bloody valentine