Butterknife

Butterknife puts the song first, over any and all other considerations - no long-winded solos, no ham-fisted rock cliches. The band has 3 songwriters and arranges all of its material together into sharp, concise pop/rock songs.

The songs have common characteristics but don't sound the same. "Unwound" and "I Will Spiral" are full-throated rockers played at a breakneck pace that would make Superchunk proud. "Don't Say a Thing" and the arpeggio'd "Twinstar" could be described as power ballads. "Hey Turnstile" is a slow-burn in 7/4 with an explosive finale that hints at Sonic Youth. "Dropped Me to the Floor" and "Medicine" are dance songs with a rock edge.

Butterknife's songs make for a varied and exciting rock set that starts out fast, pulls back a bit, and then downshifts and guns it to the end.

Butterknife's influences? The Beatles, Elvis Costello, Pixies, R.E.M., Superchunk, Elliott Smith, Wilco, Husker Du/Sugar/Bob Mould, and whatever else the band has in its music collections. They've heard comparisons to Weezer, Sonic Youth, the Magnetic Fields, the Sea and Cake, and many others, but don't really sound like any one of them.

Here's how it works :
Phil sings lead and Tim sings harmonies. They both play guitar, but not in a typical rhythm/lead relationship. There's no real "lead" guitar, just melody and chords, whatever works best for the song. Sometimes it's quick, stabbing chords, sometimes it's big melodies played in a wash of delay and reverb. Kieran and Jim are a powerhouse rhythm section. Kieran's bass adds piles of melody but never forgets the pulse of the song, and Jim's frenetic drumming keeps the energy high at all times.