So you thought kids these days are only into metal and alternative rock? Then you should have seen the Paradise on Saturday, when a pair of experimental bands played to a sold-out crowd of mostly young, collegiate types.
Though the band’s set left a mixed impression, it’s always good to see such an oddball outfit as Philadelphia’s Man Man getting attention (touring with Modest Mouse probably helped). The sextet is all about sonic barrage: Songs began with tribal percussion and morphed into demented carnival music as band members switched from guitars to horns. Chants in various languages interrupted the more tuneful moments. Keyboardist Honus Honus presided at stage front, looking a cross between a ritual shaman and Weird Al Yankovic. There were usually two drum kits going at once, and some songs ended with the whole band clanging on percussion, swinging plastic tubes.
The instrumental onslaught was overwhelming and usually fun; it just didn’t seem there was any artistic point behind it. After an hour Man Man’s weirdness felt calculated, which set the group apart from such genuine visionaries as Pere Ubu and Captain Beefheart.
Brooklyn’s Yeasayer was a lot more traditional, relying on mundane things like songwriting and emotion. Not that its sound was easy to classify: the outfit is clearly rooted in progressive rock with an icy modern edge. But the group never stayed in one place too long: All four members sang and they’d layer harmonies over keyboard soundscapes, exploring different territories with loops and samples. Yet the songs were sharp and melodic (the closing, “Sunrise,” felt like an alternative hit waiting to happen) and band mates seemed more concerned with getting the melodies across than showcasing their chops.
Also impressive was Yeasayer’s staging. The band performed in darkness while a surreal images were projected behind it. True, some of Yeasayer’s songs could be tightened a bit, and singer Chris Keating (who looks like a younger, more tortured John Waters) could tone down his twitchy stage moves. But this was one of the more promising bands to hit town this year.
MAN MAN, with YEASAYER
At the Paradise, Saturday night.
