In San Diego I attended a show at Soma, an old movie theater that was turned into a tiny setting (minus the alcohol) for great music. On said night, I had the pleasure of falling in love with one of the opening acts, drmanhattan. Coming out of Wauconda, Illinois, this quartet produces off-key, all-over-the-place noise that I normally can’t stand to listen to (think a dancier version of Glassjaw). But somehow, in their self-titled debut, drmanhattan manages to accomplish this cacophony of sound in such a way that produces infectionsly catchy beats and eerie synthesizer-produced backgrounds behind the ever-present drums and distorted guitars.
Piano and synthesizers are a big part of this band’s arsenal, with the tambourine and accordion making the occasional cameo. “Baton Rouge” is the perfect example, beginning with soft singing and a shaky little accordion melody that turns into a light dance-inducing song, complete with a plunger-muted horn.
The album takes a turn with “Tracey’s Buns”, an acoustic song barely touched by the production studio. The sweet yet silly love song thanks Tracey for her buns, as well as her “nose and always keepin’ it in ma bid-ness/thanks for your concern about my sleep and my fitness”. Though the song is completely different from every other one on the album, it is a pretty good look into the sense of humor of these Illinois boys.
“Claims Should Echo” and “Gunpowder: A Ballet” are highlights of the album for me. The former goes back and forth between a screaming chorus and melodious verses while the latter consists of a very catchy beat and erratic piano playing that somehow all comes together nicely.
I don’t even remember what band I went to see in the first place, but drmanhattan made such an impression with their catchy tunes and wild stage-presence that they were very soon added to my collection. Hopefully, they’ll make their way into yours as well.
Keep a lookout for Jam Dreams, drmanhattan’s sophomore attempt, out this summer.
Buy the album at our record store on Amazon
Here are some other pages on ETS that you may like:
- Artist of the Week – Eugene & the 1914
- Album Review – The Rock & the Tide by Joshua Radin
- The Enter the Shell Show – Greg Holden Live
- The Enter the Shell Show – Ride into the Shell [feat. Cary Brothers]