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If Man Man confuses you, you’re not alone. On first glance, the band seems filled with dedicated jokesters, recording with junkyard instruments and performing in odd concert attire (consisting, oftentimes, of white cutoffs and war paint). But if you look a bit deeper you’ll find Bukowskian lyrics about heartbreak and loss that belie the group’s oddball appearance. The songs are candidly honest, like a drunken apology yelled outside an ex’s window at 3 a.m. And the band’s latest, Rabbit Habits, which comes out Tuesday (April 8), is no exception.
Boys just wanna have fun
Following its pair of bizarrely excellent albums for tiny indie imprint Ace Fu, Man Man has signed to Anti- Records, and it feels like some sort of alien-to-mothership homecoming. After all, aside from the Philadelphia quintet being granted a larger platform from which to spew its raucous circus chants, Man Man is now labelmate to fellow shit-stirrers Nick Cave and Tom Waits.
Some curmudgeonly purists will inevitably scream “sell out,” concerned that a larger imprint will corrupt such a weird young band. Not only is this scenario irrelevant (remember those labelmates?), Man Man is too gloriously oddball and defiant to be swept up in some puerile notion of what’s mainstream or accessible. To bastardize a Young Jeezy lyrical nugget, the closest the members of Man Man have ever been to commercial is when they watch TV.
Of course, we must acknowledge the band’s songs. Those unassailably joyous songs—bursting with xylophone, bouncy piano, wailing horns, children’s toys and the gruff, occasionally mournful noises emanating from lead singer Honus Honus. Rabbit Habits traffics in familiar Man Man territory: namely, the strange playground where all of these elements not only cohabitate peacefully but actually collaborate. Indeed, it’s the same fertile, unpredictable soil from whence Waits, Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa unearthed their muse—and these reference points are both apt and, unfortunately, overused in describing these Pennsylvanian knuckleheads.
What isn’t said enough about Man Man is that the group creates damn fine compositions. Some of them are goofy, and many weird, but these are the songs trapped in our dreams—songs filled with notions most of us are too sheltered or terrified to indulge. These songs are unhinged and unself-conscious. They are what rock ’n’ roll is meant to be and, frankly, what most rock bands have forgotten altogether: These songs are fun.
Ferocious live bands pair up all the time to conquer a few lucky cities. In fact, one of the subjects of this very news item, Yeasayer, hasn't quite finished doing just that with MGMT, two bands Paste writer Jeremy Goldmeier predicted will be "a pretty big deal over the next few years, if they aren't already dominating your eardrums." But sometimes, just sometimes, two bands that are so wildly awesome live get together and pandemonium breaks out.
You can imagine our delight, then, when we discovered earlier today that Yeasayer and the constantly gigging Philly boys of Man Man will hit the road together in April. The excitement was palpable. One staffer slapped his desk, causing fearful alarm to a nearby co-worker. Instantly, many silly headlines were brainstormed, including, but certainly not limited to, the following:
Yea! Oh Man! Man Man and Yeasayer Tour Together
Indie Man Men Vote Yea On Tour Proposition 503
This Tour Would Make Any Man Man In His Right Mind Go Yea
Clap Your Man Man Say Yea!
Naturally, they were all abandoned, and not just because we were horrified at the thought of some hapless reader injuring himself while attempting to clap his man man. No, they were tossed out because, around these parts, we pride ourselves on reporting the honest story every time. "Truth," as Merriam-Webster defines it, is—
What's that you say? Tour dates? Right, sorry.
The trek comes right on the heels of Man Man's current set of dates as well as the release of the band's latest, Rabbit Habits, which hits shelves on April 8 via Anti-. Look forward to a review of the album in the April issue of Paste, and an interview with the head man man himself, Honus Honus, on PasteMagazine.com soon.
Oh, and that "ferocious live bands" bit that led off this story? We kid about a lot of things, but those three words are profoundly apt. Do not miss these groups together.
Best. Dates. Ever:
April
12 - Boston, Mass. @ Paradise Rock Club
15 - Columbus, Ohio @ Wexner Center for the Arts
16 - Chicago, Ill. @ Logan Square Auditorium
17 - Madison, Wis. @ The Annex
18 - Minneapolis, Minn. @ Varsity Theater
19 - Omaha, Neb. @ Slowdown
20 - Denver, Colo. @ Bluebird Theater
21 - Salt Lake City, Utah @ In the Venue
23 - San Francisco, Calif. @ Great American Music Hall
24 - Santa Barbara, Calif. @ SOhO Restaurant and Music
27 - Phoenix, Ariz. @ Brickhouse
29 - Dallas, Texas @ The Loft at the Palladium
30 - Austin, Texas @ Emo's - Outside
May
2 - Birmingham, Ala. @ Workplay Theater
3 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Lenny's Bar
4 - Carrboro, N.C. @ Cat's Cradle
Related links:
News: Man Man tours, talks with Paste
Band of the Week: Yeasayer
Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.
Just in case your recent listening habits haven't involved enough facial hair, carnival references or all-out madness, the men men of Man Man are prepping a new album. Rabbit Habits, as it will be called, is set for an April 8 release on Anti-. This new label home finds the band cozying up to Tom Waits, DeVotchka and Grinderman, amongst many others. Not too shabby at all.
About a month before the new album drops, Man Man will hit the road. See below for tour dates and Rabbit Habits tracklisting.
Tracklist:
1. Mister Jung Stuffed
2. Hurly / Burly
3. The Ballad of Butter Beans
4. Big Trouble
5. Mysteries of the Universe Unravele
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. Whalebones
March
4 - Baltimore, Md. @ Ottobar
5 - Greensboro, N.C. @ Greene St. Club
6 - Asheville, N.C. @ Grey Eagle
7 - Mt. Pleasant, S.C. @ Village Tavern
8 - Athens, Ga. @ 40 Watt Club
9 - St. Augustine, Fla. @ Café Eleven
10 - St. Augustine, Fla. @ Café Eleven
11 - Pensacola, Fla. @ Sluggo's
12 - Baton Rouge, La. @ Spanish Moon
13 - Austin, Texas @ SXSW
14 - Austin, Texas @ SXSW
15 - Austin, Texas @ SXSW
17 - Lawrence, Kan. @ Jackpot Saloon
18 - Columbia, Mo. @ Blue Note
19 - Bloomington, Ind. @ John Waldrom Arts Center
20 - Louisville, Ky. @ Headliner's Music Hall
21 - Ann Arbor, Mich. @ Blind Pig
22 - Millvale, Pa. @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
May
9-11 - Rye, England @ Camber Sand Holiday Park (All Tomorrow's Parties)
Related links:
Man Man tours, possibly avoids Oreos
1,000 Words: Man Man in Athens, Ga.
Man Man on MySpace
Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.
Man Man is back on the tour circuit, announcing 39 new dates around the country. Man, that's a lot of touring, man.
The band's junkyard-carnival music has taken certain parts of our fragile music world by storm. What was once a distinct sound unique to eastern Europe now brings nods of familiarity within the scene, trademarked by groups like these Philadelphia fellows, Beirut and Gogol Bordello, tearing a seam in the traditional softly-sung singer-songwriter style.
Having started the tour with its "Free-a-ladelphia!" - which was exactly as it sounds (zero cost, Pennsylvania-based) - the group really starts pounding the pavement come the beginning of the month o' pumpkins. There's a plethora of bands waiting to support Man Man on the road, and the last leg of the tour the band will switch from headliners to supporters, playing before Modest Mouse.
Oh, and if you like gypsies and pot (or at least shows about pot with theme songs by guys that kinda-sorta resemble gypsies), why not watch the group cover the opening theme song of Showtime stoner favorite Weeds on Oct. 1?
Dates:
October
2 - New York, N.Y. @ Webster Hall w/ Celebration and Pissed Jeans
3 - Burlington, Vt. @ Club Metronome
4 - Montreal, Que. @ La Sala Rossa
5 - Northampton, Mass. @ Pearl Street
6 - Clinton, N.Y. @ Hamilton College Annex w/ Grizzly Bear
7 - Buffalo, N.Y. @ Tralf Music Hall
8 - Cleveland Heights, Ohio @ Beachland Ballroom w/ Ted Leo
9 - Athens, Ohio @ The Union *
11 - Newport, Ky. @ Southgate House *
12 - Urbana, Ill. @ Illini Union Courtyard Cafe *
13 - Lexington, Ky. @ The Dame *
14 - Fulton County, Ga. @ Bouckaert Farm (Echo Project) *
15 - Memphis, Tenn. @ Hi-Tone *
16 - Birmingham, Ala. @ Bottletree Cafe *
17 - New Orleans, La. @ Republic *
18 - Houston, Texas @ Proletariat *
19 - Dallas, Texas @ The Loft ad the Palladium *
20 - Austin, Texas @ Emo's *
22 - Phoeniz, Ariz. @ The Rhythm Room **
23 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ Troubadour **
25 - San Francisco, Calif. @ Slim's **
26 - Sacramento, Calif. @ Blue Lamp **
27 - Santa Cruz, Calif. @ The Crepe Place **
28 - Portland, Ore. @ Hawthorne Theatre **
29 - Kennewick, Wash. @ The Red Room Coffee and Concert House **
30 - Seattle, Wash. @ Neumos **
31 - Spokane, Wash. @ Big Easy Concert House ***
November
1 - Spokane, Wash. @ Big Easy Concert House ***
2 - Calgary, Alb. @ MacEwan Ballroom ***
3 - Edmonton, Alb. @ Edmonton Events Centre ***
5 - Regina, Sask. @ Conexus Arts Centre ***
6 - Saskatoon, Sask. @ Oden Event Centre ***
7 - Winnipeg, Man. @ Burton Cummings Theater ***
9 - Des Moines, Iowa @ Val-Air Ballroom ***
10 - Madison, Wis. @ Orpheum Theatre ***
11 - Milwaukee, Wis. @ Eagles Ballroom ***
12 - Indianapolis, Ind. @ Murat Egyptian Room ***
14 - St. Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant ***
* w/ The Extraordinaries
** support TBA
*** w/ Modest Mouse
Related links:
WeAreManMan.com
Man Man on MySpace
1,000 Words: Man Man
Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.
No, we're not talking about Man-Man (comics), Man to Man (movie) or man-on-man (scandalous link removed). Rather, we're talking Man Man, the wonderfully creative circus of a rock band out of Philadelphia. When we last spoke with lead singer Ryan Kattner (AKA: Honus Honus), he and his bandmates were hitting the road. They're at it again, following the recent mastering of their third album, and it's no surprise considering this quote from our late-October conversation:
"[Touring] is pretty much our life right now," Kattner says. "You do get kind of worn out after a while. Playing is great, but it's the down time, the driving and all that fun stuff. We've noticed a slight increase in people coming to our shows. We've seen some positive effects, but no one [in the band] is driving around in Bentleys or even scooters. We all have day jobs."
The latest trek kicks off in the band's hometown tonight and continues throughout most of October, with Man Man ending up in Texas, a state where they apparently sometimes treat bears cruelly. Be careful, fellas. You've got a lot of facial hair amongst you, and it sure would be unfortunate if someone fed you Dr. Pepper and Oreo's. Then again, that sounds kind of tasty right now...
At any rate:
August
22 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Rittenhouse Square
September
15 - Baltimore, Md. @ Ottobar
October
2 - New York, N.Y. @ Webster Hall
4 - Montreal, Quebec @ La Sala Rossa
5 - Northampton, Mass. @ Pearl St.
8 - Cleveland Heights, Ohio @ Beachland Ballroom
9 - Athens, Ohio @ The Union
11 - Newport, Ken. @ Southgate House
12 - Urbana, Ill. @ Illini Union Courtyard Cafe
13 - Lexington, Ken. @ The Dame
14 - Atlanta, Ga. @ The Echo Project festival
15 - Memphis, Tenn. @ Hi-Tone
16 - Birmingham, Ala. @ Bottletree Cafe
17 - New Orleans, La. @ Republic
18 - Houston, Texas @ Proletariat
19 - Dallas, Texas @ The Loft at the Palladium
Related links:
1,000 Words: Man Man - Athens, Ga. - 40 Watt - 6/29/07
Man Man tours, talks with Paste
WeAreManMan.com
Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.
Having wrapped up its tour with Modest Mouse, Philadelphia’s Man Man is hitting the road again shortly with a slew of new material. On July 1, the group is making a special appearance at Brooklyn’s McCarren Park Pool, a now-waterless swimming facility used for various performances and recreational events that usually do not take place inside swimming pools (like kickball, or experimental rock concerts). At least the Man Man warpaint won’t wash off.
Man Man released its last record, Six Demon Bag, on Ace Fu in February 2006. The group has been recording its third album at Shape Shoppe Studios in Chicago.
Those unfamiliar with Man Man's music, which is repeatedly likened to the songs of Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart, should check out the video for Six Demon Bag's "Banana Ghost. It has the whole herky-jerky, surreal Victorianism vibe going.
U.S. dates are as follows:
June:
24 - Charlottesville, Va. @ Satellite Ballroom
25 - Columbia, S.C. @ Headliners
26 - Orlando, Fla. @ The BackBooth w/ Elf Power
27 - Miami, Fla. @ Studio A Miami, Florida w/ Elf Power
28 - Tampa, Fla. @ Orpheum Tampa, Florida w/ Elf Power
29 - Athens, Ga. @ 40 Watt Club
July:
1 - Brooklyn, N.Y. @ McCarren Park Pool w/ Illinois and Dengue Fever
10 - Philadelphia, Penn. @ Starlight Ballroom w/ Deerhunter and O'Death
27 - Akron, Ohio @ The Lime Spider
28 - Chicago, Ill. @ Wicker Park Summer Fest w/ Maritime, Centro-Matic and special guest tba
29 - Bloomington, Ind. @ Bluebird
Related links:
WeAreManMan.com
Man Man MySpace
Ace Fu
Paste news: Man Man Tours, Talks With Paste
Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.
Tonight Only: the Capital M tour with Man Man and Modest Modest Mouse Mouse.
Okay, sometimes we get carried away. Regardless, indie-rock madmen Man Man will be on the road with indie-rock main men Modest Mouse later this year for a round of shows around the U.S. and Canada.
The forever-touring Man Man has just left Chicago’s Shape Shoppe Studios with some new material you can read about here.
And for more info on Modest Mouse, check out this month’s Paste cover story.
Man Man tour dates (sans Modest Mouse):
April
1 - Vancouver, British Columbia @ Richards on Richards
2 - Eugene, Ore. @ WOW Hall
4 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Independent
5 - West Hollywood, California @ The Roxy Theatre
6 - San Diego, Calif. @ Epicenter
7 - Tucson, Ariz. @ Solar Culture Gallery
9 - Boulder, Colo. @ Club 156 - University of Colorado
10 - Omaha, Neb. @ The Waiting Room
11 - Urbana, Ill. @ Canopy Club
12 - Newport, Ky. @ Southgate House
13 - Gambier, Ohio @ Horn Gallery - Kenyon College
14 - Oberlin, Ohio @ Dionysus
15 - Washington D.C. @ Rock & Roll Hotel
Man Man tour dates (with Modest Mouse):
April
25 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada @ Metropolis
26 - Rochester, N.Y.@ Main Street Armory
27 - Boston, Mass. @ The Orpheum Theater
29 - New York, N.Y. @ The United Palace
30 - New York, N.Y. @ The United Palace
May
2 - Providence, Penn. @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
3 - Philadelphia, Penn. @ Electric Factory
4 - Greensboro, N.C. @ Civic Center
5 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Masquerade Music Park
6 - Birmingham, Ala. @ BJCC Arena Music Park
8 - New Orleans, La. @ House of Blues
9 - Austin, Texas @ The Backyard
10 - Prairie, Texas @ Nokia Live Grand
12 - Mesa, Ariz. @ Mesa Amphitheater
13 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ Greek Theatre
14 - San Diego, Calif. @ Cox Arena
16 - San Jose, Calif. @ San Jose State University
Related links:
Man Man’s site
Man Man on MySpace
Modest Mouse’s site
Modest Mouse on MySpace
A year after releasing its first LP, Philadelphia’s Man Man are set to release a second record and launch an extensive tour in the coming months.
No title has yet been announced for the follow-up to 2006’s wackily raucous Six Demon Bag, but the band has announced that it recently wrapped recording at Shape Shoppe studios in Chicago and will debut a number of new tracks during the two dozen tour stops scheduled for February, March, and April. Fellow Philadelphians Icy Demons will support a number of dates.
Tour dates include:
February
24 - St. Louis, Mo. @ The Gargoyle (Washington University)
March
16 - Montreal, Quebec @ Club Lambi *
17 - Ottawa, Ontario @ Zaphod Beeblebrox *
18 - Toronto, Ontario @ Horseshoe Tavern *
19 - Buffalo, N.Y. @ Mohawk Place *
20 - Pittsburgh, Penn. @ Diesel *
21 - Detroit, Mich. @ Magic Stick *
22 - Grand Rapids, Mich. @ DAAC - Division Ave. Arts Cooperative *
23 - Chicago, Ill. @ Abbey Pub *
24 - Madison, Wisc. @ Club 770 - Union South (University of Wisconsin) +
26 - Kansas City, Mo. @ The Record Bar
27 - Denver, Colo. @ Larimer Lounge
28 - Salt Lake City, Utah @ Kilby Court
30 - Portland, Ore. @ Berbati's Pan
31 - Seattle, Wash. @ Neumos
April
1 - Vancouver, British Columbia @ Richard's on Richards
4 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Independent
6 - San Diego, Calif. @ Epicentre
9 - Boulder, Colo. @ Club 156 - University Memorial Center (University of Colorado)
10 - Omaha, Neb. @ The Waiting Room
11 - Urbana, Ill. @ Canopy Club
12 - Newport, Kans. @ Southgate House
13 - Gambier, Ohio @ Horn Gallery (Kenyon College)
14 - Oberlin, Ohio @ Dionysus - Wilder Hall (Oberlin College)
15 - Washington, D.C. @ Rock & Roll Hotel
* with Icy Demons
+ with Icy Demons and Girl Talk
Related Links:
Man Man’s official website
Man Man on MySpace
Icy Demons on MySpace
Shape Shoppe on MySpace
Since the February release of its second full-length, Six Demon Bag, Philadelphia rock troupe Man Man has been praised by various respected critics and has received a very random shout out from John Legend during his acceptance speech at this year’s Grammy Awards. Crammed in a van in the desert in Arizona, lead singer Honus Honus (born Ryan Kattner) took some time out of a busy driving schedule to talk with Paste about all the publicity, new material and the non-stop gigging his band has taken on in recent months.
“[Touring] is pretty much our life right now,” Kattner says. “You do get kind of worn out after a while. Playing is great, but it’s the down time — the driving and all that fun stuff. We’ve noticed a slight increase in people coming to our shows. We’ve seen some positive effects, but no one [in the band] is driving around in Bentleys or even scooters. We all have day jobs.”
Seeing Man Man live is quite the privilege: instead of wearing neat suits, leather boots, or other typically rock ‘n’ roll stage wear, the band appears adorned in all white (“Off white,” Kattner corrects). And instead of looking at the crowd and saying something trite like, “You guys ready to rock?!,” the guys go right into the songs, allowing the material the chance to do the talking, generally without a single break. Luckily enough for those who have yet to experience Man Man live, there is a seemingly-unending barrage of tour dates (see below).
At least partially due to the band’s chaotic live antics and far-out sound, it isn’t unlikely to hear people write off Man Man as a Captain Beefheart/Tom Waits rip-off, or worse, a novelty act. Although the comparisons don’t bother Kattner, being considered a joke can be unnerving, especially when lyrics like, “I wanna sleep for weeks/ Like a dog at her feet/ Even though I know it won’t work out/ In the long run,” are overlooked.
“I take pride in the lyrics,” Kattner says. “I feel like a lot of the songs on both albums are sad, but it gets lost in the wash of the chaos and crazy. But it’s good because it gives things depth. A joke band is the last thing we are. We have fun playing, and why wouldn’t you? [You drive] 10 hours for a show, so why be a sourpuss? Even when my head’s in the wrong place (and it’s wrong most of the time on tour), I’m not going to drag it out on stage.”
Even though the band plans on taking a break from touring, Kattner said there is no desire to follow a critically acclaimed album with a prolonged bout of silence before another record.
“We can’t do that,” Kattner says. “We can’t be stagnant that long. People just don’t have the attention spans nowadays. But also, there’s just no way in hell we can wait a couple of years.”
Man Man will head back to the studio later this year to record new material, of which some songs have already been finished. Kattner says he hopes to release it in fall 2007, but it all depends on what label puts it out, since the band’s contract with Ace Fu has run out.
Tour dates:
October
10 - Norman, OK, The Opolis
11 - Denton, TX, Hailey’s (w/ The Thermals)
12 - Austin, TX, Emo’s (w/ The Thermals)
13 - Baton Rouge, LA, Spanish Moon
14 - Tallahassee, FL, Club Downunder/FSU (w/ Girl Talk)
15 - Orlando, FL, The Social (w/ Wolf Eyes)
16 - Augustine, FL, Café Eleven St.
18 - Birmingham, AL, Bottletree
19 - Atlanta, GA, Drunken Unicorn
20 - Durham, NC, Troika Music Festival
21 - Baltimore, MD, G Spot
27 - Vlissingen, De Piek
28 - Nottingham, The Social
29 - Leicester, The Musician
30 - Manchester, Night & Day Cafe
31 - London, White Heat @ Sammie Jo’s
November
1 - Amsterdam, Club 3voor12/VPRO Radio
2 - Doornroosje Nijmegen
3 - Hertogenbosch, W2 concertzaal
4 - Tilburg, Tilburg 013
5 - Rotterdam, Rotown
8 - Groningen, Vera
9 - Antwerpen, Petrol/Breekmolen
10 - Utrecht, Ekko
| Dec 1 Mon |
TV: Charlie Haden on David Letterman TV: T.I. and Sarah Silverman on Jimmy Kimmel In-Store: O'Death live at Grimey's in Nashville, TN |
|---|
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Episode 70
August 19, 2008
