Jonny Manak and the Depressives

I Am Not A Bum… I’m A Jerk

Reach Around Records

Street: 10.09.12

Johnny Manak and the Depressives = The Von Bondies + The Dead Boys + The Ventures

Before the first track of I Am Not A Bum… I’m A Jerk ended, I held the vinyl’s cover next to the DVD case of Steve Martin’s The Jerk to confirm their visual likeness. Jonny Manak clad in bathrobe and boxers (pants around his ankles) holding all he needs was confirmation enough, but even the font of “Jerk” was lifted straight from the movie’s cover. I found the artwork too kitschy, but the movie references within the songs made them no less catchy. Even without seeing The Jerk, the crude, special meaning in the song “Special Purpose” could get a giggle when Jonny Manak howls “My special purpose, gonna pull it out and show it to you.” The album has the feel of early Steve Martin-era punk, but tracks like “Link” add a tasteful dose of surf—reminding me of Johnny Thunders’ “Pipeline”. –Steve Richardson