Rabbit Habits

Man Man | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 8, 2008)
• Original Release Date: April 8, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Anti
• ASIN: B0014DC00A
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,878 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Philadelphia's Man Man have found the perfect berth for their gypsy-swamp-rock-carny-soul-Viking-vaudeville-punk collective. This record matches the fierce energy of their non-stop live shows, which utilize a variety of more traditional instruments (accordion, Moog, xylophone) along with such noisemakers as soup pots, shoes, squeaky toys, and a fire extinguisher. With a following that sells out clubs coast to coast and with a kinetic stage presence, Man Man are a musical contagion waiting to happen. They've toured with Cat Power, Arcade Fire, and Modest Mouse.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...but mama I know I'm possessed by your daughter!, April 10, 2008

By 

Kevin Clapp "Cadooda" (LexiKalb, US-of-A) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rabbit Habits (Audio CD)

I became aware of Man Man just over a year ago, instantly falling in love with their previous two albums. One of the great things about this group is despite their experimental nature, their music is catchy in such a way that more conventional listeners can appreciate it as well. So far, "Rabbit Habits" is the epitome of this-- opting out of some of the crash-bang noise found on the first two records, in favor of songs that are more in the realm of "Van Helsing Boom Box" and "Gold Teeth" from their older recordings. However, I wouldn't say Man Man has strayed away from their energetic berserker style that lured me toward their work in the first place. Personal favorites include: Top Drawer, Poor Jackie, Easy Eats, Harpoon Fever...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catchy, Catchy, Catchy, April 20, 2008

By 

Eleanor Schmitt (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rabbit Habits (Audio CD)

With this effort, the members of Man Man experiment further with utterly bizarre music composition and performance. It seems as though their line-up descriptions always accurately sum up the sound of their work (take, for example, the vocal depictions "stab throat," "glow worm throat," and "cougar throat"). One might imagine that this couldn't possibly leave an audience in the dark, as they already know what to expect.

...But one should never assume what Man Man has to offer.

That being said, this release is a bit more accessible than Six Demon Bag. I loved SDB, but generally for the "catchier" tunes like "Black Mission Goggles" and "Push the Eagle's Stomach." Rabbit Habits takes the style of these songs and utilizes it in such a way that the whole album is interesting from beginning to end.

For the moment, the band has done away with excessively goofy music ("Engrish Bwudd," anyone?) and has created something to truly be proud of.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Album, January 8, 2009

By 

Manbones (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rabbit Habits (Audio CD)

Man Man's latest album can accurately be described as "circus music for regular people", employing a wide range of instruments like piano, keyboard, xylophone, trumpet, horns, saxophone, guitar, bass, drums, bells and melodica. Man Man also use unusual things like trash cans, wrenches, and bottle rockets to get interesting sounds for their music.

The songs sound reminiscent of tunes from Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and Tom Waits, but without aping these artists. Although nearly every song is a standout, some listeners can be turned off by the lengths of the last two tracks. Don't be one of those people; these are possibly the two best songs on the entire album. What are you waiting for? Give it a listen!