The Men began as an abrasive punk group before vastly expanding their sound… Read Full Bio ↴The Men began as an abrasive punk group before vastly expanding their sound to incorporate influences from country-rock to soul in addition to more accessible song structures. Initially forming as a trio in Brooklyn in 2008, they first made a national impact with the blistering noise rock of 2011's Leave Home, their second album. Released in 2012, Open Your Heart proved to be a breakthrough for the band, receiving rave reviews. It also signaled their shift beyond punk, and the Men continued to redefine their sound with ambitious, eclectic albums such as 2014's Tomorrow's Hits. They ventured back into confrontational noise rock with 2016's Devil Music. Retaining a stable lineup meant they could continue to stylistically branch out with albums like 2020's Mercy, or go back to abrasive punk rock with 2023's New York City.

Brooklyn's Nick Chiericozzi, Chris Hansell, and Mark Perro formed the Men as a scuzzy post-punk trio in 2008. Before recruiting drummer Rich Samis, they self-released the albums We Are the Men and Immaculada, as well as a few tapes. The band recorded in Python Patrol studio for its Sacred Bones debut, Leave Home, which was released in 2011. They returned the following March with Open Your Heart (their first album to include Samis as well as bassist Kevin Faulkner), expanding their musical palette to meld country, psych, and surf influences with their caustic, aggressive rock.

Their fourth album, New Moon, as well as their Campfire Songs EP, arrived in 2013; by this point, engineer Ben Greenberg (Hubble, Zs) had begun his brief tenure in the band. The Men continued their musical evolution, as well as their prolific streak, with their fifth album, Tomorrow's Hits, which found them moving further away from their hardcore roots toward the earnest blue-collar rock of artists like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. In 2016, the group revisited its noisy, more experimental side with the self-released Devil Music. Returning to Sacred Bones in 2018, the Men released Drift, their most eclectic album yet. Also that year, the group gathered tracks from early releases as well as previously unreleased material on the collection Hated: 2008-2011. 2020's Mercy was influenced by styles ranging from country to '80s arena rock. New York City, released by Fuzz Club Records in 2023, was a return to noisy, abrasive rock & roll.

Biography by Jason Lymangrover

There are other artists with the same name:

2. The Human League used the pseudonym to release the Chic-influenced single I Don't Depend On You in 1979, following pressure from their label to justify their large advance signing fee. The track resurfaced in 2003 with the re-release of Travelogue.

3. The Men is a Vietnamese pop music duo – Lê Hoàng and Tiến Dũng. Tiến Dũng rose to fame in the early 2000s as member of boy band Weboys. He left Weboys after his contract with Wepro Company was over in 3/2009. Hoàng used to be member of boy band B.O.M, he also left his band just a few months before The Men was formed.

4. 'The Men' are a Mod / R&B band from Sweden.

5. 'The Men' were an early 1990s Southern California rock group best known for the track "Church Of Logic, Sin, & Love." Two members of the group were, ironically, female.

6. 'The Men' were the psychedelic backup band for Shin Jung-hyun (신중현) during the early 70s. Their most notable album was 'It's A Lie' (거짓말이야), which included a blistering 20-minute rendition of the title track. They also appeared on a split LP with Jang Hyeon (장현).

Cube
The Men Lyrics

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I cannot waste someone! (x8)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics "I cannot waste someone" repeated eight times in The Men's song "Cube" is a classic example of repetition and its power as a tool to emphasize a message. The statement seems to be one of determination, of someone who refuses to waste others or be wasted by someone else. It conveys a sense of pride, of a person who chooses to value others and is also valuable, rather than being disposable. The phrase can also be interpreted as a comment on society's tendency to overlook or marginalize people, and the importance of recognizing everyone's worth.

The rest of the song continues with a sense of urgency, with driving guitar riffs, pounding drums, and anguished vocals. The lyrics touch on themes of isolation, desperation, and confusion, with lines like "Somewhere in this city, there's a place where I can hide," and "All I see is the same old sky, no matter where I am." Overall, the song explores the struggle to find a sense of meaning and connection in a world that can feel cold and indifferent.

Line by Line Meaning

I cannot waste someone! (x8)
I refuse to squander a single opportunity to make a meaningful connection with another person. This sentiment is so important to me that I feel the need to repeat it eight times to truly emphasize its significance.

Contributed by Charlie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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