man man,
ryan,
ryan wolf,
the tralf,
tonight
—
Tonight, Philadelphia's premier experimental rockers hit up the Tralf in support of their new album, On Oni Pond. Frontman Honus Honus, known for his wild percussive antics, leads Man Man on piano through an unrestrained carnival of madness. The group will be joined by fellow experimenters Xenia Rubinos as they plunge into the void armed with sousaphones, xylophones, euphoniums, and other implements of destruction. Doors open at 7pm with tickets available for $18.
Album review,
man man,
on oni pond,
ryan,
ryan wolf
—
Though the artwork on Man Man's latest record cover appears cozy, suggesting an album of sweetly strange innocence, the flat-out surrealism closer inspection uncovers is perhaps a better indicator of the band's take on indie rock. Man Man may have grown considerably more tame, as their pleasant single, "Head On," from On Oni Pond reveals, but edginess and discontent still bob alongside the accordions, horns, and thick beats.
"Are you satisfied with sitting here, waiting for heaven forever?" asks Man Man's mastermind, Honus Honus, on "King Shiv." And fortunately, the band is not overly patient, keeping their experimental spirit intact. On "Loot My Body," they hover somewhere between Modest Mouse and Mother Mother, making pop hooks sound subversive and wickedly smart.
Even if calculated restraint occassionally reins in Man Man's hyperactive potential, On Oni Pond is a deviant little work of pastiche-pop. Though the repetitive prance of chords that underlies many of the songs may grow overly familiar for some, the unified current does push Man Man's boat from one side of the pond to the other with style and grace. Honus Honus has balanced radio-friendly production and song structure with his own curious, free-range aesthetics, and the results are often fascinating.
Grade: B
ESI Events,
just announced,
mac,
man man,
the tralf
—
The Tralf's recent and welcoming indieplosion (indie + explosion) continues as they just announced that Man Man will return to Buffalo on Wednesday, October 16th. The Philadelphia experimental act, which is known for it's frantic live shows, is prepping the release of 5th studio album, On Oni Pond (9/10), and should be debuting a handful of those tunes on the Buffalo stop of the tour. Tickets go on sale this Friday (7/19) for $16 advance, $18 day of.
