Guided by Influences: Tom Waits | Man Man
MP3 Masala: Tom Waits - "Singapore" (from 1985's Rain Dogs)
MP3 Masala: Man Man - "Banana Ghost" (from 2006's Six Demon Bag)
I've made it no secret: I'm a Man Man man. Honus Honus and his gravel-pit forethroat were on fine display at NYU a few months back. Probably one of the best, most interesting live acts I've seen in awhile, and Six Demon Bag is on the short list for my favorite albums of the year. With their recent addition to Siren Fest line up, there's more reason to get lathered up. But the band's sound owes a debt to Mr. Waits; a fact often discussed, but worth a little more talk.
Rain Dogs has been ruling my 'Pod these days. Tom peppers the album with his unadulterated stew, a frothy pot of New Orleans Gumbo spiced with pirate-shanty swagger. Stir it up with his deep-throated gutteral growls and you see where Man Man is coming from. These two songs and their gypsy two-step are a cool display of the origination (and evolution) of a sound.
As for the rest of Rain Dogs: brilliant. The affected romps that characterize the first half are just the beginning of the story; hang in for "Hang Your Head Down" and "Time." Two stunning tunes toward the end of the album, where Waits axes affectation and serves up moving moment after moment. Why Tom Waits is one of our most revered tunesmiths.
