Reviews
Punknews.org by GlassPipeMurder
Pop-punk should not be this fun! Wait a minute, yes it should. It’s just that since melodic masochists like Alkaline Trio and all their equally distraught copycats exploded a few years back, it seems like everyone outside of the Ramones-core crowd has been singing about heartbreak and empty bottles. Not so, with the Manix.
Like the rusted rickshaw of its namesake, Van Activities burns rubber on a solid foundation of four on the floor. From ribbing Val Kilmer on the spry sing-along “Madmartigan” to shoulder-shrugging agnostics on “Metal Endings,” the quartet carves out a niche that’s increasingly their own despite well-deserved comparisons to Dillinger Four and Toys That Kill.
Intro paragraph notwithstanding, Van Activities isn't all smiles and chuckles, as the EP’s sole comedown “Reach for the Sky” asserts, “Thanks again, this is goodbye / You should hear yourself sometimes / You’re nothing more that I’d pursue / 'Cause you’re not pulling through this fine.” The blistering insomniac anthem “Awake and Up” demonstrates the Manix’s ability to use simplicity to their advantage, crafting a ripe minute-o-eight of pop-punk as Corey Ayd shouts, “I’ll sleep when I can breathe / Know there’s nothing underneath / I’ll sleep when I can breathe / No, there’s nothing underneath.”
Both Willow references and timely rhythm changes courtesy of drummer Mike DeGree abound on the jovial “Madmartigan,” while "Metal Endings” rounds out the record as arguably the finest track of the bunch. In it, the quartet makes the most of their multi-vocal approach and layers of guitar varnishing the EP’s final lines, “Spent years talkin’ bout leaving / Don’t know what to believe in.”
Progressing from their 2009 debut Stay Low and Go, the only real downside the Manix present here is that like its predecessor, the customary brevity of the 7-inch format is unfortunate. But it also makes the math easier, with a gold star of excellence for each pop-punk gem on Van Activities.
National Underground by Joe Evans III
I’m fully convinced that Minneapolis is one of the best cities in punk rock (if not all of rock). You’ve got more than one classic with Husker Du and The Replacements, and there are countless bands today – Dillinger Four, Off With Their Heads, and The Soviettes (they’ve already played times this year, so I’m counting them), not to mention other artists that blur the genre lines, like P.O.S. Basically, there’s a LOT of great stuff going on there.
The Manix are amongst the newest wave of bands from the Twin Cities. They’re very much a typical Midwestern punk band, along the lines of Dear Landlord, or The Copyrights. Punk rock that’s hard hitting, but as catchy as it is rough around the edges. This record in particular, the music doesn’t stray too far from the original formula, mostly sounding like a younger Rivethead. But that part is meant to be taken literally - you also have to factor in that besides being a relatively young band, these are also relatively young dudes. It starts to boggle the mind to think of what they’ll be coming up with down the line.
City Pages Minneapolis by Loren Green
Is there a distinct "Minneapolis sound"? That question will always come with varied answers. After all, this is the land of both the Replacements and Prince--not exactly a perfect sonic pairing. Yet, as the pop punk torch is passed through the generations, there is a humble, melodic feel that permeates many of the city's bands. As such, The Manix's sound, while their own, shares commonality with their brethren Banner Pilot and Dear Landlord, featuring similar guitars and use of lead vocals to the former (of whom singer/guitarist Corey Ayd is also a member), and the big choruses of the latter.
"Madmartigan" starts things off with a quick burst from drummer Mike DeGree that builds into a high energy frenzy as guitarists Ayd and Tyler Rasmussen play off one another while Ayd sings "I've been so close to dying" layered over some group whoa-ohs. The lyrics are contemplative, but the catchiness overrides its weight.
On side B, the band turns its attention toward group choruses, as everyone sings in unison, driving the tunes into your memory even after the needle has lifted. "Awake & Up" is only two sentences repeated for 1:07, yet it's catchy without getting redundant. The follow-up, and final, song is "Metal Endings." Starting with the line "Would it hurt to show all the simple things/that make us dirty and obscene," the members trade off vocal duties, culminating as they all sing together on the chorus. It's a page out of the Dear Landlord songbook, but seemingly played even faster.
The record also includes a foldout poster of the cover art, and lyric sheet designed by Ayd.
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$4