MANGANISTA Bio
Not quite rock, not quite ska, not quite New Wave — but somehow all of those things at once. That’s the kind of noncommittal description you’ll hear after a Manganista show. 91X’s Tim Pyles famously dubbed them “San Diego’s answer to Oingo Boingo,” while the late, great Beat Farmer Buddy Blue once joked the band sounded like they’d taken “several blood transfusions from Aston Barrett, with a drummer who has four arms.”
Whatever Manganista is, their chameleon-like approach to making music has kept them thriving for over 20 years, playing everything from ska and reggae shows with The Aggrolites and Unsteady, to ’80s revival bills with Flock of Seagulls and When in Rome, to local rock showcases at The Casbah, Soda Bar, and Belly Up Tavern.
“When you zoom in, it always feels like we don’t really fit in anywhere,” says frontman Matt Rhea. “But when you step back and look at everything we’ve done, it turns out not fitting in has let us belong everywhere.”
Most recently, Manganista released a limited-edition 7” box set on Escape Hatch Records, featuring rock, reggae, and dub versions of “Human Being” and “Angeline,” with guest appearances from Roger Rivas (The Aggrolites), John Roy (Smoke & Mirrors Sound System), Dubrobot, and more.
Now, the band is gearing up to release their new single “Talking to Myself” — a New Wave-infused, alt-rock anthem about the noisy, relentless conversations we carry in our heads — on August 15, 2025. Blending steppers beats, shimmering synths, and layered saxophone hooks, it’s a bold, hook-driven track that captures the eccentric spirit Manganista’s fans have come to expect.
The band continues to perform across Southern California, keeping audiences guessing — and dancing — with a sound that still refuses to sit still.
Whatever Manganista is, their chameleon-like approach to making music has kept them thriving for over 20 years, playing everything from ska and reggae shows with The Aggrolites and Unsteady, to ’80s revival bills with Flock of Seagulls and When in Rome, to local rock showcases at The Casbah, Soda Bar, and Belly Up Tavern.
“When you zoom in, it always feels like we don’t really fit in anywhere,” says frontman Matt Rhea. “But when you step back and look at everything we’ve done, it turns out not fitting in has let us belong everywhere.”
Most recently, Manganista released a limited-edition 7” box set on Escape Hatch Records, featuring rock, reggae, and dub versions of “Human Being” and “Angeline,” with guest appearances from Roger Rivas (The Aggrolites), John Roy (Smoke & Mirrors Sound System), Dubrobot, and more.
Now, the band is gearing up to release their new single “Talking to Myself” — a New Wave-infused, alt-rock anthem about the noisy, relentless conversations we carry in our heads — on August 15, 2025. Blending steppers beats, shimmering synths, and layered saxophone hooks, it’s a bold, hook-driven track that captures the eccentric spirit Manganista’s fans have come to expect.
The band continues to perform across Southern California, keeping audiences guessing — and dancing — with a sound that still refuses to sit still.
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Contact MANGANISTA
Please reach out to Matt Rhea at [email protected] if you would like to book Manganista for a show.
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