Street Anatomy

Anatomy of Music – Dead Man’s Bones

Dead Man’s Bones is a Los Angeles based band fronted by Ryan Gosling (yes, that Ryan Gosling) and Zach Shields. They list “disney haunted mansion, doo wop and 60s girl groups” as their influences and categorize themselves as “Gothic, Gospel, and Showtunes,” all true considering they sound like Bauhaus meets Edward Gorey in church.

With songs like “My Body’s a Zombie for You,” “Dead Hearts,” and “Flowers Grow Out of My Grave” and a back-up choir dressed as ghosts and ghouls I think one could easily write them off as kitschy. And actors tend to get dismissed when they venture into the musical realm, but Dead Man’s Bones is a great band. They are really talented, with fun videos, and apparently put on an amazing show. It’s not just about the music, it’s also about the whole performance. According to Drew Tewksbury of L.A. Weekly, Dead Man’s Bones put on a ” completely magical night of playful phantasmagoria” at Disney’s Haunted Mansion in September 2009.

I for one would love to see them live.