Kal Marks: rock 'n roll eccentro-pop for the curiously punk inclined. - Oh My Rockness

Band We Like

Kal Marks: rock 'n roll eccentro-pop for the curiously punk inclined.

April 21, 2014

Written by Patrick McNamara

Boston’s Kal Marks are a band of three dudes (Carl Shane! Mike Geacone! Nick Egersheim!) that play epic eccentro-pop with good ol’ boozy indie rock ‘n roll propensities and the lingering feeling that we're all gonna die. Yee-haww! Think some band meets some other band meets this meets that. Then stop thinking and start listening. Because you ain’t heard nothin’ like Kal Marks before. Get ready for feel good musical malaise and a bunch more contradictions.

I am now going to totally contradict myself and make a band comparison. Remember when I recently wrote about that band Krill? Sure you do. One doesn't forget dynamic band profiles that run on too long so easily. But click their name if you need a quick refresher. Refreshed? Remember now that Krill is the band that has their own theme song? Cool. So if you like Krill - you’ll like Kal Marks. Am I just saying this because both bands run around in the same Boston circles and are on the same dynamic label (Exploding in Sound - home to Grass is Green + Fat History Month + Ovlov + Porches + lots more goodness) and the singer of Krill also sings on the Kal Marks album's title track, “Life is Murder?” No way. That’s totally my own unique band bridge I just built right there.

(Kal Marks also sound like early Modest Mouse. And I was the first one to build that band bridge too. I’m so so so seriously sure of it.)

Below is the band’s latest album “Life is Murder.” Go ahead and stream it. And then I want YOU to tell ME what Kal Marks is all about. Besides being awesome. That’s a given. (If you don’t think Kal Marks is awesome - there’s the door to some other web portal and I SAID GOOD DAY, SIR).

I have taken the liberty of preparing some discussion questions for you as you listen.

How do you feel while listening to this excellent record? What do you think Carl Shane means by the title, “Life is Murder?” In the song, “All I Want In Life Is A Solid Porch,” what emotions do you think Carl is feeling when he sings the line, “I’d be happy just being alone?” Why is Carl so mad at the sea in the song, “The Fucking Ocean?”

Take a minute to jot down a few thoughts and then email them to me. By NOON tomorrow. No exceptions. Turn them in one minute past 12 or your ass is grass and I’m the lawnmower.

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