HoZac Records

singlefiled:

Mannequin Men – Hobby Girl / See Saw 7”
HoZac Records (2010)

Only had the new Mannequin Men single for a week now, but I can safely say it is a “year-end contender” for me already. I genuinely cringe at the mention of year-end lists (especially the big-dogs who make lists so puerile it makes me physically sick), but still insist on keeping my own, mostly so that I can keep track of the “good stuff” through the constant avalanche of new music. The criteria for a “year-ender” are thus: does “year-end” contender get played a lot? Is that play sustained over more than one week?  In the mountain of new singles I got this last month, “Hobby Girl” got more love than any other, and “See Saw” is just as good. Sounds like: The Replacements reformed and somehow made listenable music again. Part of the HoZac singles club, so it is sold-out already, but completely worth an eBay saved search. (Paul Lawton)