Spooky Scary

Just in time for Halloween and all the attendant ghouls and goblins comes Dead Man's Bones, the debut album from Dead Man's Bones (I know, right?). While I would have appreciated a more original title, if the band exhausted their creative efforts coming up with the material on the album then I'm fine with that. There's even a song called "Dead Man's Bones" putting the group on a even footing with Wilco right now.

The album also features song titles including "Buried In Water," "Flowers Grow Out Of My Grave" and "Lose Your Soul" which should give you a bit of a hint about how macabre the material is. Add in the fact that the band is accompanied by a choir of schoolchildren and it becomes particularly creepy. It's like a Langley Schools Music Project record if Dario Argento was the choirmaster. Despite the creepy vibe, there's still a sunniness that can't be masked as the children take great delight in belting out lyrics like "my body's a zombie for you" which can be heard below:


If Dead Man's Bones was just creepy lyrics delivered by kids, this would be a novelty act quickly forgotten after November 1st, but there's great musicality and a gentleness to the record as well. The first part of "Name In Stone," for instance, brings to mind Devendra Banhart's light touch.



Don't forget to check out Dead Man's Bones Myspace page and website, which are both creepy as fuck - check the dude digging the grave on the official website (although admittedly the disembodied head on Myspace kinda makes me think of this)

Oh, if you're wondering how long it would take me to mention the fact that actor Ryan Gosling is in this band, here's your answer. But to be honest, I listened to this album and was captivated before I learned that fact. That first listen was prompted only because it's on one of my favourite labels; Anti-. Look past the 'vanity project' / 'actor band' epithets likely to be slung by those who haven't really listened. Speaking of which...

Thanks for reading, now start listening...

Man oh Man Man

Boy oh boy.
It dawned on me that if I'd really been thinking a few weeks back, I could have continued my alphabetical posting project for at least one entry after Ladyhawk, if I'd written about Man Man at the time.

But I didn't, and so the project was abandoned. No great loss to society, mind you, and I was pretty taken with Woodhands after their show and was itching to write about them. Since then however, I keep going back to Man Man's latest album, Rabbit Habits, and it's definitely time I wrote a little bit about it.

I've included the name Tom Waits in the labels for this post, not just because the gravel-voiced genius is Man Man's label-mate at Anti- Records (though as an aside, you should seriously check out the Anti- roster, it's phenomenal), but because Rabbit Habits sounds like it was recorded by the house band at a joint where Swordfishtrombones' "Frank's Wild Years" is forever G-05 on the jukebox.

Vocalist Honus Honus' raspy delivery is Waits-ian, but the chaotic circus melodies the band crafts are the real comparison point: horns, organ, marimba and more create a cacophony from opener "Mister Jung Stuffed," [video below] right on through to "Whale Bones." Plus the percussion has that junk-yard clang that has propelled Waits' best work.



As good as "Mister Jung Stuffed" is, the real highlight is "The Ballad of Butter Beans" where the marimba propels the band like the bloodhound of the lyrics leading a chase while a multitude of voices, layer upon layer of them, deliver both chorus and refrain - traversing octaves playfully and imaginatively. The results, to paraphrase Cole Porter, are "swellegant."

I didn't manage to find the ballad as an mp3, but here's "Top Drawer"

Be sure to visit Man Man's label, Anti-, home to an amazing roster of artists including Winnipeg's own Weakerthans.
Also check out Man Man's website and Myspace page.

And hey, if you happen to be in the Netherlands or France, Man Man are in your neck of the woods - go check 'em out live!

Thanks for reading, now start listening...