If you listen close enough you'll hear police sirens in the distance, water pipes humming, Chinese sweatshop workers listening to Chinese language radio programs and singing traditional Chinese sweatshop songs. And yes, even a barking dog somewhere in the distance. This is the sound that surrounds the sound of
Man Man, a cast of characters who rotate around one Ryan Kattner (a.k.a. Honus Honus), a grown fellow who was once
a military brat who missed the 1980s pop music of the United States.
Based in Philadelphia, but not part of the scene, the band mixes a lot of influences. Though (too) often likened to Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, and Captain Beefheart, Honus said "
It's beyond flattering... but I just don't possess the same kinds of things those guys do." Their sound has also been likened to circus music,
Viking vaudeville and manic Gypsy jazz, but
the band has always insisted that what it plays is pop music. "Pop music has something catchy about it, whether it's a vocal or a rhythm or a keyboard line, whatever it is," said Pow Pow (real name Christopher Powell). Whatever their sound, they gained enough notoriety to
tour with Modest Mouse (who they called "a gateway drug to better music"), and they're still at it. But enough with the words, time for some music videos!
10lb Moustache and
Rabbit Habits are the two official videos, though Engrish Bwudd has
inspired a
number of
fan-made vids, and even
a belly dancing number. (More words and music inside)
Man Man have three albums out, and all of those tracks can be found on YouTube for your previewing pleasure, thanks to YT user
AbuDun182, who also included the lyrics with each track.
The Man in a Blue Turban with a Face (
2004)
1.
Against the Peruvian Monster
2.
10lb Moustache
3.
Zebra
4.
Sarsparillsa
5.
White Rice, Brown Heart
6.
Gold Teeth
7.
Magic Blood
8.
The Fog or China
9.
I, Manface
10.
Man Who Make You Sick
11.
Werewolf (On the Hood of Yer Heartbreak)
Six Demon Bag (
2006)
Ace Fu Records
1.
Feathers
2.
Engrish Bwudd
3.
Banana Ghost
4.
Young Einstein on the Beach
5.
Skin Tension
6.
Black Mission Goggles
7.
Hot Bat
8.
Push the Eagle's Stomach
9.
Spider Cider
10.
Van Helsing Boombox
11.
Tunneling Through the Guy
12.
Fishstick Gumbo
13.
Ice Dogs
Rabbit Habits (
2008)
ANTI-
1.
Mister Jung Stuffed
2.
Hurly / Burly
3.
The Ballad of Butter Beans
4.
Big Trouble
5.
Mysteries of the Universe Unraveled
6.
Doo Right
7.
Easy Eats or Dirty Doctor Galapagos
8.
Harpoon Fever (Queequeg's Playhouse)
9.
El Azteca
10.
Rabbit Habits
11.
Top Drawer
12.
Poor Jackie
13.
Whale Bones
Bonus:
A cover of
I'd Rather Go Blind, first recorded by Etta James in 1969. The song was supposed to be a key track on an EP for the
Absolutely Kosher label, but
the band "kind of hit a snag" and the band decided to make it a freebie.
There are also loads of
live Man Man videos, (like their
performance at Amoeba Records in 2008), and their live shows are where they truly shine. They started out opening for local Philly acts, and to make the most of their 30 to 45 minutes in the spotlight, they'd play non-stop. That hasn't changed too much, though they might actually take time to chat with the crowd a bit now, or get someone from the crowd to help bang the sh*t out of something on stage.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:38 PM on June 18, 2010