Mannequin Men Discography of CDs

Mannequin Men music CDs On 2007's FRESH ROT, the Chicago-based garage band Mannequin Men offer up a raucous set of indie-rock tunes. Fronted by vocalist/guitarist Kevin Richard, who exudes bad-boy charm with his cool, slightly off-key singing, the quartet excels at sleazy, no-frills songs, as best evinced on the rumbling "Private School" and the proudly dingy "Sewers." Audio Mixer: Robert Daniels. Recording information: El Goodo Audio, Chicago, IL (03/2007). Mannequin Men: Kevin Ricard (guitar); Rick Berger (bass guitar); Seth Bohn, Ethan d'Ercole. Personnel: Ethan d'Ercole (vocals, guitar, Farfisa, background vocals); Kevin Richard (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Seth Bohn (vocals, drums, background vocals).

Mannequin Men discography Crank up Lose Your Illusion, Too and it doesn't take long to figure out that the Mannequin Men have a pretty serious jones for the Replacements -- lead singer Kevin Richard even has a bit of the same petulant snarl in his voice as Paul Westerberg -- but while the `Mats managed to find a way to sound either goofy or poignant when they were wailing hard and falling-down drunk, the Mannequin Men cast a darker edge on their material, as if they've noticed where life is taking them and they're not so sure they like the ride. Lose Your Illusion, Too suggests a cross between the Replacements and the Heartbreakers, with the former band's love of sloppy, guitar-heavy melodies and self-depreciating Midwestern humor coupled with the latter's love of sloppy, guitar-heavy melodies and reckless pursuit of good times that aren't good for them, and if the Mannequin Men lack a wasted guitar hero in the tradition of Johnny Thunders or Bob Stinson, they manage to summon up a pretty impressive wall of noise without one. Richard and Ethan D'Ercole's six-string work is lean and full of snotty energy, and bassist Miles Raymer and drummer Seth Bohn give them just the right amount of energy and a solid rhythmic framework; put that together with some songs full of cool riffs and lyrics that stick in your craw after the album is ove, and you have a band that's putting a distinctive spin on a sound that's been chasing its tail in lesser hands since the early '90s. Plenty of bands could be expected to write tunes like "WTF LOL" or "I Don't Care," but not many could would actually say something worth hearing with them, and fewer still would have the guts to close the disc with something as powerful as "(Us and) All Our Friends Are So Messed Up," and that's what makes Lose Your Illusion, Too well worth hearing.