Hideous Men at Rhinoceropolis

The burbling expansiveness at the heart of this band's soundscaping probably gives the impression that the music is all whimsical playfulness and wandering noise-collage melodies. With Ryan McRyhew of BDRMPPL as one of the minds behind the project, it could be enjoyed for the beauty of the songs, but with him and his equally crafty and clever wife, Kristi, involved, there was bound to be something a little different about Hideous Men (due on Friday, February 5, at Rhinoceropolis). A more than cursory listen to the lyrics reveals that the duo has plenty to say about personal empowerment and subverting the dominant paradigm. But instead of dire and histrionic prescriptions for taking down The Man, Hideous Men's songs suggest that the future lies in transforming the world through active creativity, using it as an instrument for helping others exercise their own imaginations.