Milwaukee's Boogie Men are notorious for being afro-adorning, booty-busting, cover-song spewers, but recently, they released an all-original studio album, "A Thing of Bootie."

The 11-track record weaves in and out of their usual mode like an inebriated goat with styles ranging from techno to hip hop to disco, the genre that has made them locally famous funksters.

Probably most interesting is the soulful space age song, "B-U-T-I," a Wendy & Lisa-meet-Equivel little number, and the final minute of the groove-grinding, "Beautifulness."

"Beautifulness" and possibly "Groove Hole" will become live favorites -- if and only if the cover-coveting fans are accepting of the Boogie's new sounds.

Don't bother comparing the song lyrics to the love poetry of the great Modernist poets or you will be sorely disappointed. Instead, try to count how many booty references are made on the album. (I think I lost count at 13,000, which included "little tiny mountain of pure uncut happiness," "Ask not what your booty can do for you, but what I can do to your booty" and "Roses are red, violets are blue-ti. Do I dig me a sweet behind? You bet your patoo-ti!")

"Thing" is an an ambitious undertaking for the boozehound Boogies and it will be interesting to see if their fans are supportive of a coverless collection. Members of the band -- Dr. Detroit Goldstone, JJ Cleophus Washington, Luke Master Flash, Randy Randy Rodriguez, Lamont Dufontaine and Ke-Mo-Swa-Ve (of the Gigolo Tribe) -- are confident fans will dig it.

The album is less rollicking than the Boogie's live shows, which suggests that maybe the new record might also make a nice soundtrack to summer cook outs, road trips and backseat sessions of sweet booty love.

For more information, go to www.boogiemen.com

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