Honus Honus, Sergei Sogay, Pow Pow, Chang Wang and Cougar sound more like creatures in a children’s book than they do actual people. But as stage names, they fit the band members of Man Man to a T. “They’re more interesting than our real names,” said lead singer Ryan Kattner, also known as Honus Honus. “It’s kind of like hip-hop, only all the cool hip-hop names were taken.” Man Man will perform Wednesday at the Spanish Moon before heading to Austin’s South by Southwest Festival. The band is on the first half of its tour for their new album, “Rabbit Habits,” set for release on April 8. The Philadelphia-based band gained notoriety this past year when it toured with Modest Mouse. Their songs have also been featured on a Nike commercial and the HBO show “Weeds.” The band’s zany names only hint at the its greater madness and eccentricity on stage. “It’s all about the cocaine jams,” Kattner said jokingly. “If it doesn’t feel like methamphetamine, what’s the point?” Dressed in all white, with complementing war paint, the band’s instrument choice ranges from the odd, such as saxophones and xylophones, to the just plain weird, such as a bicycle horn and a bucket of spoons. “The bucket of spoons is probably my favorite,” said studio art senior Frank Yunker, who saw the band perform at the Spanish Moon in October. “It’s a crazy show. You never know what they’re going to do next.” A video on Pitchforkmedia.com shows the band’s unique recording style. Along with standard recording procedure like laying vocal tracks, Man Man could be seen trying to capture sounds not usually heard through speakers. Fireworks, a dog barking in a bathtub and a falling table full of small percussion instruments and broken glass were among the cacophonous sounds captured for “Rabbit Habits.” The fireworks even get their own track, called “Mysteries of the Universe Unraveled,” which bleeds into a catchy doo-wop number called “Doo Right.” Kattner said the new album is more listener-friendly than previous ones. “It is probably a little more accessible, but I don’t think it sacrificed what we’re about,” he said. Yunker said the band’s sound has a tribal feel to it at times. “There’s a very primal force within it. It’s very intense,” he said. Man Man definitely has a manly sound, as Kattner’s low and guttural voice belts out from underneath his mustache. “He almost growls at points, but it’s still singing,” Yunker said. To balance things out, the rest of the band occasionally acts as a faux Greek chorus by singing in high falsetto in the background of some songs. “They have such a crazy live show that I think it kinds of sets them apart from the other indie bands that play the [Spanish] Moon,” Yunker said. Kattner said people can expect alcohol, antics and acoustic covers of Eagles songs. Although the Eagles’ music is probably the polar opposite of Man Man, Kattner kept jokingly insisting that the band had completely changed gears to play only cover songs. Of course, he also insisted that his goal in life was to cameo on “General Hospital” and be a cabana boy for the lead singer of the Eagles. “I want to wash Don Henley’s hair with my tears,” he said. Regardless, Kattner and crew are expected to bring their usual high-energy gypsy sideshow to Baton Rouge this week. Man Man is scheduled to play at 9 p.m., and tickets are $12.
—-Contact Lauren Walck at [email protected]