Mannequin Men | en

Not too long after coming together in 2003, the Mannequin Men had earned the title of Chicago's drunkest, snottiest, and most amp-ruining band. These qualities contributed heavily to them also being hailed by many as the best thing in town. Live, they're a reckless,giddy maelstrom of slashing guitars, primal screams, and spilled drinks. After a self-released debut Showbiz Witch (2004), recorded in a basement in one day, the band started to acquire a national following with Fresh Rot (2007), which took the band's trademark live energy into real songwriting territory, and furthering the comparisons to the Replacements. The band began acquiring an audience outside of their native Chicago, and toured nationally upon the release of Lose Your Illusion Too (2009), which leaned more into pop without sacrificing the band's improved songwriting or reckless approach, featuring a notoriously NSFW album cover and an intentionally over-the-top silly video for lead single "Massage."

Guitarists Kevin Richard and Ethan D'Ercole (also of the Watchers) spit out spiky riffs like they were throwing off sparks over bassist Rick Berger and drummer Seth Bohn's thunderous rhythmic stomp, while Richard howls about nasty girls and nastier boys. Berger left the band harmoniously after Fresh rot, and was replaced by Miles Raymer, a music critic for the Chicago Reader, which lost the band some coverage in the alternative weekly that had previously been their biggest champion. Nonetheless, the band continued to progress, releasing the heavily coveted "Hobby Girl" 7" in HoZac Records in 2010. .