Buttercup

The Head Sits Upside Down on Top of the Head (Bedlamb)

San Antonio’s Buttercup announced their ambition last summer: four releases in one year. They’re right on schedule with third EP The Head Sits Upside Down on Top of the Head, named in homage to sculptural artist Ken Little. The art-pop quartet traffics in the late 1960s more than anything contemporary, but with the notable exception of harmonic push-pull “Wolves (With the Minds of Men),” this Head speaks rather than sings set atop simple melodies. Perhaps their work ethic has prioritized over experimentation, but with a catalog of interesting, sentimental journeys (2005’s Sick Yellow Flower, 2006 LP Hot Love), there’s no doubt Erik Sanden & Co. can accomplish something more humanistic than the awkward oohs of opener “On My Window.” While Joe Reyes’ alluring “Sleep With Me” hints at Buttercup’s quirky abilities, the EP just doesn’t do the band justice. (Thursday, March 13, Lamberts Patio, 1am.)

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This article appears in March 14 • 2008.

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