Hailing from Philadelphia, Man Man are an astonishingly original quintet who have found the perfect berth for their gypsy-swamp-rock-carny-soul sound at the equally singular Anti- Records, home to other such illustrious iconoclasts as Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Neko Case.
The band had the following to say about the signing:
Honus (vocales/keys/etc): “Championship Rings!”
Chang Wang (guitar/trumpet/etc): “Wow! Yes!”
Sergei Sogay (bass/etc): “Warm Socks!”
Cougar (guitar/etc): “Pizza Party!”
Pow Pow (drums/etc): “Ladies Please!”
Man Man have been understatedly described by NPR as “quirky and mischievous…often with old-world instrumentation and plenty of theatrics.” The pre-eminent online music publication Pitchforkmedia.com more extravagantly enthuses, “Man Man’s power isn’t derived from the genres they stumble across, or the maniac light in their eyes, or the sweat pooling in their beards. It’s the unbearable sadness in their marrow and how they transform it, like the existentially distressed but heroically steadfast men men they are, into a terrible and lionhearted joy.”
Known for their literally non-stop kinetic live shows, which utilize a variety of more traditional musical instruments like the accordion, the Moog keyboard and the xylophone, as well as incorporating often overlooked noisemakers like soup pots, shoes, a fire extinguisher and squeaky toys, Man Man have floored crowds around the world on tour with indie darlings such as Cat Power, Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse.
The exuberantly schizophrenic Man Man move, sometimes seamlessly and sometimes in intentional fits and starts, between genres and sounds on their recordings as freely as they change instruments during their live shows. Spin opines “often sinister, occasionally busting out some doo-wop, and on one track accompanied by a chorus of kindergartners, Man Man is a refreshing breath amid today’s polluted airwaves,” and Prefix magazine states “Man Man’s music will irritate you, make you laugh, put you off and then bring you back for more. It is in this conflict that the band exists and succeeds so well.”
Man Man are currently finalizing the recording of their Anti-debut. Expect the brilliantly unexpected in spring 2008.