The Catastrophist (theMark)  

Identity Theft
Glacier    
Come Right In    
Faith in Flight    
Coffee Stains and Cigarette Blisters
Train Song    
Reprise (Come Right In)
The Catastrophist
Cliffside    
Someone Else's Dream    
Cluster Bombs


The First EP (theMark) 

Coming My Way
A Winter's Day
Speed Things Up
Cliffside


Misc songs (theMark)

Giant Fish In Bear Suits
Boose Meaver
Boose Meaver rough home vox (first attempt adding lyrics to the music)
Surf Wax (Weezer cover)
Been So Wrong (unknown cover)


Alec Orenstein 

Napoleon Good Mixdown (for Paul)


Jim Fuller 

Set You Free (for Paul)

Live show recordings (theMark)  **NEW Jan 2010**

More about theMark

The Mark-Blackouts of Whitecaps EP

By Archives Thursday June 1, 2006

 Pop-punk has done a real number on rock music. Its influence has polarized the music scene to where serious rock is loud, dark, and moody, while fun rock is pop-punk or obviously-for-show retro. Its hard for a band to get accepted when they occupy that space in the middle. theMark not only occupies that space- it owns that space. Its not available for sale.

 theMark knows how to be serious, have fun, and display an amazing technical prowess all at the same time. I know it sounds tough- but thats just because weve inoculated against good rock music.

 theMark owns rock music by having each individual piece of the puzzle fall together. The bottom line is the bassist, who is extremely talented, but knows when to restrain himself. Hes equally at home in lightning-speed runs (Jekyll Walks), or simple lines (Sapphire), or no line (the second untitled interlude). He doesnt try to steal the show, but he displays his talent very well.

 The drummer comes next- his versatility makes the rest of the sound work. His change-on-a-dime capabilities make songs like Sapphire possible- without the passionate, shifty drums, there just wouldnt be a basis for the song.

 The guitars offer a lot to this album too- intricate and blazing, they are always fist-pumping. Whether theyre delivering coiled riffs (Sapphire) or huge chord riffs (Compass Points), they rock. They know when to get quiet, they know when to get loud, they just know. This band has a chemistry that seems telepathic- no matter what one part is doing, theres another part thats playing countermelody, interlocking perfectly. These songs are perfectly constructed. There is not anything wrong with any one of these tracks.

 The vocals top it all off. There are two extremely talented vocalists here- a lead singer with a voice so smooth and persuasive that it could convince even the most hardcore skeptics of the moon conspiracy that we did, in fact, land on the moon. Its the type of voice you listen to the radio to hear- a great, talented voice. The bgvs are great as well, accentuating perfectly without sounding forced or false.

 Sapphire is easily the best track here- the most intricate and complex, it also packs the most wallop. The two guitars weave in and out, creating in-and-out melodies while the drums and bass accentuate perfectly. The passionate vocals swoop and punch throughout, becoming forceful and furious without screaming (hallelujah).

 Why theMark isn't famous is a mystery to me. They are easily the most talented band Ive come across in all my music reviewing. They're making the oldest genre in rock feel new again, infusing power, agility, and youthful vitriol into it. theMark own rocknroll right now- its up to everyone else to get up to theMark's standard. They've moved to the top of my watch list with this EP.

 -Stephen Carradini

independentclauses@hotmail.com

 These 4 songs are all off our CD/EP "Blackouts of Whitecaps."

NEWS ARCHIVES from themark.com

 theMark needs a few new tshirt designs and we'd love some fans to throw some designs over to us. If we select your design to use we'll send you a few free shirts and you'll get plenty of credit on our website, etc. Email any submissions to theMark@themarkmusic.com.

 Also check out a new interview with Alec and Paul at SpaceJunkies.net! Direct link here.

 We hope to see everyone on Thursday at Drifters in Nashua, NH. Everyone should be fully recovered by then!

 Mon, 28 Feb 2005 - 11:14 pm

 Well, theMark has some interesting stories for everyone.

 On Wednesday, we had what was perhaps the most bizzare show in theMark's history. We played at the Lucky Dog Music Hall which was a great place, and we'd like to thank everyone who came out to listen because the audience was excellent. What wasn't so great was that the booker got pretty drunk and ended our set really early. After upset comments by theMark on stage, he came up to us screaming, and kicked us out of the club. To the booker, if you read this, thanks for the most rock'n'roll show we've ever played. I figure you haven't made it till you've had to run out of the club after your set, so we're well on our way.

 Thursday Paul chilled with the The Receiving End of Sirens and Lux Courageous guys, both of who are awesome bands and are highly recommended. We heard similar bad stuff happened to TREOS, Cartel, and As Tall As Lion in Worchester the same night so apparently bad luck in that city on that day overrall!

 Friday night, we played in Albany at Valentines upstairs. Kingscastle rocked the place with a mean cover of Billy Jean and Tool's Sober. They were awesome, and everyone should go see them any time they can. Unfortunately, theMark didn't quite rock due to the strange flu type sickness that has invaded the band recently. Droo was in the hospital last week (but he's better now), however this time Paul's voice gave out 20 seconds into our first song of the night. Special props to John for totally covering the whole thing, and props to Paul for silently rocking out with us. A big apology to Albany and Kingscastle for the "interesting" show, but a good time was still had by all and hopefully we'll be back soon.

 Sun, 20 Feb 2005 - 11:14 am

 2 apologies...

 1) Sorry to bunk9 since due to a few factors they didn't get to play on Thursday at Hotung. Check them out since they are an awesome band and we hope to play with them soon to make it up. Too Late the Hero and SDH rocked Tufts U quite nicely though and are great guys as well.

 2) Since Droo came down with a bad sickness this weekend and has gotten worse today, theMark will be unable to play the show scheduled in New Jersey tonight. Really big apologies to the people at Jerseyshows.com and anyone who was planning on catching our set. Hopefully we'll be back in NJ soon to pay you all back.

 Also thanks to the guys at New England Rock TV for filming theMark (DVD clips coming soon!) and thanks to All About Records for putting on an awesome show in Taunton. We'll be playing there again in the near future as well. If anyone got video/pictures of theMark during that show we'd love to hear from you. Peace.

 Mon, 14 Feb 2005 - 11:14 pm

 theMark just got back from another weekend retreat to the big NYC. We rocked Kenny's Castaways and met the awesome Anthem of the Youth peoples, who will be putting on a great show with us in May.

 theMark is invading Hotung at Tufts U on Thursday to play with SDH, Too Late the Hero and hometown favorites bunk9. A good time will be had by all, and it's FREE, so come on down, and bring your goldfish.

 On Friday we'll be rockin' All About Records in Taunton for day 1 of AAR Fest with a whole bunch of great bands (such as eighty-six)...so all you kids who happened to catch us in Mashpee, its not that far, come down and rock out with us again!

 Oh and Sunday is theMark's first visit to New Jersey. Send an email if you want tickets.

 Mon, 7 Feb 2005 - 8:12 pm

 The Middle East has NEVER been rocked like that before. We packed the upstairs room on Saturday for one of theMark's most rockin' shows ever. Up against stiff competition, theMark showed that our fans are definitely the most loyal, helping us move on to the next round of Emergenza Fest. We want to thank everyone who made the trek to Cambridge to rock out with us, because in the end, it was you guys who made that show (you were by far louder than us). You are all amazing, and we hope you come watch us go crazy at The Paradise in April for the next round (more details to come)!

 theMark heads to the Big Apple again next weekend to play Kenny's Castaways on Saturday Feb. 12 at 7pm. It's only 3 bucks, so you have no excuse not to bring the mosh.

 Tue, 2 Feb 2005 - 9:15 am

 Thanks to Bride of the Lions and everyone else who made the show at the Muddy River Smokehouse last night awesome! We had a blast and got to hang out with lots of cool people. Also the nachos are sweet.

 In bad news, apparently due to some shady dealings by promoters, theMark is no longer on the bill for the Friday show in Hampton, NH. We are quite upset about being dropped off the show on such short notice and we apologize to anyone who was planning on attending to catch our set. Hopefully we'll make it up to you guys later this year.

 And for some good news...

Saturday night, Feb. 5th. theMark rocks THE MIDDLE EAST (upstairs) in Cambridge, MA (red line to Central Square, can't miss it). Bring an extra set of ninjas, cause when 10:00pm rolls around and theMark takes the stage, you're gonna need them. Oh and doors open at 8:30. See everyone soon!

 Tue, 25 Jan 2005 - 9:15 am

 Despite blizzard conditions theMark returns this week!

 Here's the current show lineup for the next month, we hope to see some new and old faces...

 Jan:

01/29 (SAT) House show - Mashpee, MA

 Feb:

02/01 (TUE) Muddy River Smokehouse - Portsmouth, NH

02/05 (SAT) Middle East - Cambridge, MA

02/12 (SAT) Kenny's Castaways - NYC

02/17 (THU) New England Rock TV 4PM

02/17 (THU) Tufts U 10PM

02/18 (FRI) All About Records Fest - Taunton, MA

02/20 (SUN) The Saint - Asbury Park, NJ

02/23 (WED) Lucky Dog - Worchester, MA

02/25 (FRI) Valentines - Albany, NY

 We especially hope everyone in the Boston area can make it out to our show at The Middle East (upstairs) in Cambridge, MA on Saturday Feb 5. Doors are at 8:30PM and theMark takes the stage at 10:00PM. Purchase your tickets from us for cheaper by sending an email with the heading MIDDLE EAST!

 Also:

Sweet artwork by our youngest fan!!!

 Tue, 4 Jan 2005 - 11:17 pm

 Happy New Year! 2005 is the year of theMark!

 New message board is up, so check it out and leave some comments please...

 Many new shows being added for 2005 so keep your eyes on the tour page as well. And send us an email if you want to book theMark for a show.

 Wed, 22 Dec 2004 - 7:00 pm

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 See everyone in 2005.

 Mon, 6 Dec 2004 - 12:04 pm

 theMark just finished out the year in a most rocking fashion. Friday night was party night at ZBT, complete with a show to end all shows. Eighty-six are awesome guys and proved once again that they can play with the best of them too! It was definitely the most rockin' that ZBT has ever been, and we want to thank everyone for comin' out and and going nuts.

 Sunday was a battle of sorts at the Sad Cafe in Plaistow, NH. Having to compete with some Nickleback covers, one very scary lead singer, and a backflipping bassist was very intimidating, but somehow theMark managed to squeek out a win, and got enough money to get home.

 P.S. whoever was rockin' out with the harmonica at ZBT, you rule, and we want to make you an honorary member of theMark, so make sure you get your ass to another show of ours. Oh, and Droo, sorry that eighty-six threw your computer off the roof.

 click here for older news...

 it's theMark, not to be confused with the mark. capital M lower case everything else and no spaces. why? because we said so.

  Tues, 23 Nov 2004 - 9:00 am

 Well we finished off 3 states in 3 days! We lost one piece of equipment, smashed one car window, mouthed off to one metal-head judge, and played with some bands whose members are way too old. Goodtimes. Also MURDERVAN amazed us again.

 Our last show in Boston for a while is coming up, as well as our first trip to New Hampshire. Check the show page. Also new pics up from New Found Glory, NYC, and BU.

 Sat, 13 Nov 2004 - 3:45 pm

 Thanks to Kingscastle and The Ames Curve (who rocked out for the last time) and also everyone who joined us for making the show on Thursday a success. theMark wishes The Ames Curve guys well in future endeavors.

 theMark mini-tour weekend fires off next Friday in CT with our friends Murdervan. Then we're back in Boston for the WTBU Battle of the Bands at BU on Saturday at Morse Auditorium on Comm. Ave. Tickets are $3 and we need all the support we can get to win some prizes! Theres a ton of good bands, so no excuse not to come along. Then finally we travel back to NYC to play at The Continental on Sunday. Check the tour page for all the info on the shows!

 Mon, 01 Nov 2004 - 1:15 pm

 Wow, theMark just got back from a long trek to Johnson City, NY where we rocked Pier 7. It's possibly the coolest little hole in the wall place theMark has ever seen, and we encourage you all to drop by if you're in the area. Hype rocked out too and they are awesome guys. We'll definitely be going back sometime soon to play for the screaming fans we made last night.

 Anyway, we have many more shows comin' up, specifically here at Tufts U on November 11 with The Ames Curve (who rock) and Kingscastle (who also rock). I'm hearing some chatter about this possibly being The Ames Curve's last show, which would make it an honor to host. Hope you all check it out.

 Fri, 26 Oct 2004 - 10:15 pm

 theMark is opening for pop-punk superstars New Found Glory tomorrow (Wednesday) night at Rocktober Fall Show at Tufts U. The show is at Dewick and we go on at 9PM or so, although I think the show might be sold out. You can still win tickets though by listening to 91.5 WMFO.

 Then Thursday night at 11PM we'll be doing a radio interview at WBRS at Brandeis. Listen live online as we play tracks off our cd and make fools of ourselves. Finally, on Halloween we'll be rockin in upstate NY.

 Lots of other awesome shows coming up as well. Another good review here. See everyone soon. Ashlee Simpson sucks. Go Sox.

 Fri, 8 Oct 2004 - 4:15 pm

Don Hill's in NYC was really fun, thanks for everyone who came out. We should have some pics up from the show soon. We'll be back in NYC on Nov 21st at The Continental if you missed us the first time around or just wanna rock out again! Check the show page for details.

 Next show is at O'Briens Pub in Allston, MA on October 20. See ya there.

 Mon, 27 Sept 2004 - 7:37 pm

Our next show at Don Hill's on Thursday October 7th is our debut in New York City. Check the show page for details and please come out if you're in the area. You won't regret it.

UPDATE:

theMark has a featured review at leakedalbums.com. Grab your reading glasses and take a look here.

Also, nice words from our friends at Independent Clauses:

"It's always good to start out with a tension-filled intro- keeps the listener on edge and makes them beg for more. theMark does this in "Glacier", as a quirky little guitar line opens this rock song. It segues into a full-on rock section, which is excellently done. There isn't anything cliche here- even the chorus has some excellent chord changes in it. If you're looking for the next big thing, this is it. All the pieces are in place- the bass and guitars work together as virtually one instrument to play the interesting guitar lines with power and intensity- the drums control the volume of the song, and the vocals dance on top of all of this with bacchanalian fervor. There is nothing to degrade in "Glacier"- it's the quintessential rock song. There is absolutely no reason why theMark isn't all over your radio, because out of their three songs, I like "Glacier" least- and I still had to give it that shining review. Check this out before Sony does."

We should have a full length review from them in the upcoming months.

theMark was also featured in the Tufts Daily last Friday. Check out the article here or read it on our press page.

Thanks to Murdervan and everyone else who partied with us at ZBT, it was funtimes and we apologize for the early end to the music due to the cops. If you haven't heard Murdervan before, you should definitely check them out.

Wed, 15 Sept 2004 - 12:47 pm

Welcome to the jungle. Friday night. 2 bands. 1 rockin' party. ZBT @ Tufts U. Murdervan. theMark. The Catastrophist on sale. You better be there.

Sat, 11 Sept 2004 - 2:19 pm

Thanks to everyone who rocked out at Oxfam.

More dates including theMark's debut shows in New York City are up on the shows page. Spread the word and come on out!

UPDATE:

The title track from our album The Catastrophist is now available for download on the music page and the front page. Enjoy!

Fri, 27 Aug 2004 - 5:20 pm

It's showtime again as we start to promote our new album The Catastrophist. Our first show back is at Tufts University at Oxfam Cafe (behind Miller Hall uphill) on FRIDAY at 10PM. Keep your eyes on the show page as we add more shows around Boston and elsewhere in the next few months and come on out for the rock.

A cool art design by Calvin from the purevolume forums:

Sun, 08 Aug 2004 - 2:30 am

As some of you know we've been having a few of our songs reviewed on garageband.com. Anyways, our song Coffee Stains & Cigarette Blisters has been selected as track of the day for Thursday August 12! So that's awesome. Check out the site, take a listen to the songs off The Catastrophist, post in the forum, and keep rockin. Also a lyrics section will be added soon due to popular demand.

UPDATE:

Identity Theft (aka track 1 off The Catastrophist) is now up for download on the music page and the front page. Enjoy!

Mon, 26 Jul 2004 - 9:44 pm

We have a semi-working temporary message board right here. Sorry about the popups, but we'll have a real one as soon as I get my hi-tech advisors on it. Please leave us a comment or a hello or anything. There's also a new section where we put up the cds we've been listening to as of recent. Check it out here. Also, sign up for our mailing list below if you haven't already!

Our cd is finally pressed and it'll be sold at all our shows! Check out the promo art here, here and here. We're all getting excited to start playing live again and rocking out all the songs off The Catastrophist. So see ya soon.

Sun, 11 Jul 2004 - 5:42 pm

Hey all, the email list at the bottom of the page was broken, but now its fixed so don't panic and sign up. Also the pics section and bio section seems to be coming together so check that out. A few more mp3s from our cd and a new forum will be added soon so keep checking back. For now you might want to check out our purevolume site for more taste of theMark.

If you enjoy the rock and would like to receive a free copy of The Catastrophist (our brand new cd) please send an email here with either your address (if you want a cd) or AIM screenname (if you want mp3s) and we'll probably hook you up.

Sun, 4 Jul 2004 - 6:56 pm

Happy Independence Day and welcome to the new www.themarkmusic.com. More content and assorted goods will be added over the next few weeks as the site continues to be constructed and perfected. Please download the brand new mp3s of the songs off The Catastrophist as they are added! Enjoy.

Fri, 25 Jun 2004 - 12:58 am

theMark's new album THE CATASTROPHIST is completed and will be released soon. The tracklisting looks something like this:

1. Identity Theft

2. Glacier

3. Come Right In

4. Faith in Flight

5. Coffee Stains & Cigarette Blisters

6. Trains

7. Reprise

8. The Catastrophist

9. Cliffside

10. Someone Else's Dream

11. Cluster Bombs

If you want to be one of the first to receive a copy please feel free to email us. Otherwise much more information will be here soon. Secondly, a new website is being finished up, and should be ready within the next 2 weeks. Finally, we are going to start booking dates for late summer and early fall soon, so if you want us to play, once again send an email. Peace.

Fri, 21 May 2004 - 11:38 pm

We're in the process of mixing our newly recorded first album...stay tuned for some preview tracks and lots more theMark info in the upcoming weeks.

Sat, 1 May 2004 - 8:38 pm

Spring Fling was awesome. Thanks for everyone who woke up early to come see us. theMark is now rehearsing for our upcoming studio time in a few weeks.

Thu, 29 Apr 2004 - 1:39 pm

Although we were a little banged up, Oxfam was still a lot of fun and we played some new songs. If you haven't checked out The Color Bars you really should, they are awesome people and make some great music. They commented "We played Tufts University the next night with campus band, The Mark, who made each other bleed, which was quite dramatic and really excited our inner beasts." Now they rule even more.

SATURDAY at NOON we are opening for The Roots, Less Than Jake, the Sugarhill Gang, and The Speaks at the Tufts University Spring Fling on the President's Lawn. Yes you read it correctly: hip-hop prodigies THE ROOTS, punk ska favorites LESS THAN JAKE, original rappers SUGARHILL GANG, and up and coming national band THE SPEAKS. This is our last show of the semester. It's free for all Tufts students, and only $20 for non-Tufts students. Thus it's an amazing and cheap opportunity to spend your Saturday afternoon with some awesome music on the local and national level. So make sure to show up at noon, and we'll be sure to start the rock.

Sun, 25 Apr 2004 - 5:47 pm

Sorry for the cancellation of the Theta Chi show, we're still a little unsure of why it didn't happen. Anyways, we added a show this Wednesday opening for up and coming NYC band The Color Bars at Oxfam Cafe at 9:30PM, so come check that out. It's free and it's not gonna be cancelled, so there's no excuse not to come.

On the music page check out 2 new live mp3s from our Battle of the Bands win (recorded by our friend Adam Popick on his trusty apple laptop), including our "controversial" table-hopping cover of The Darkness' I Believe in a Thing Called Love and one of our new originals, Identity Theft, which will be available on our upcoming record. Download these while they're hot...although the sound quality isn't perfect, hopefully they'll tide you over until our new record is released. Just picture us going crazy on stage and Nimish Dixit shaking his fist in disapproval and you're guaranteed to be entertained.

Tue, 13 Apr 2004 - 1:38 am

theMark got some hate mail in the Daily...

I do believe that means we officially rule, thanks a lot, your criticism brings a smile to my lips and the arguments cause confusion in my head. Thus everyone should arrive at noon on May 1 for Spring Fling to discover the real truth behind the mysterious age-old question, "Does theMark suck?" Then decide for yourself.

The Jumbo Audio Project featuring theMark's single Coffee Stains & Cigarette Blisters is released today. It's only $5 and has a lot of great music from all sorts of Tufts bands in every genre. Pick up a copy and support your Boston music scene. There's an article about it here.

Next up, theMark will be recording their first full length album at Magpie Studios in lovely Dorchester, MA on May 17, 18, & 19. So get ready for a summer record release as we provide more free music to the public! Also, the live audio recordings of our Battle of the Bands show have surfaced and "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" and "IT" will be going up here for download very soon.

Johnny Bizzle, our multi-talented drummer is also playing a ton of acoustic solo shows all around town, so check him out as well. Peace.

Mon, 5 Apr 2004 - 11:38 am

The press is out. Check out some publicity on our Battle of the Bands victory.

Here's the article at The Tufts Daily.

Some judges, like returning senior Joe Jaffe, came into the Battle with a very specific idea of what the winner should look and sound like. "Whatever happened to face painting to get the crowd into it? And I'm not hearing enough metal -- too much Dave Matthews and not enough Metallica," Jaffe said.

Although bereft of face paint, theMark brought enough power chords and manic energy to win over Jaffe and the crowd, which lead singer Paul Farris managed to coax to its feet for the first time that day. The highlight of theMark's set was a spot-on cover of the Darkness's "I Believe In a Thing Called Love," during which Farris jumped from the stage to top of the judges' table to sing.

"Anybody who has the balls to hop on a table and scream at the judges deserves credit for that," Jaffe said.

TheMark played its own material along with covers. The band was initially worried about the crowd's reaction to its self-described "hard rock thing."

"We're heavier than most Tufts bands but the crowd was more into it than we thought," said Farris, referring to the crowd's decision to chant the band's name after the set. "That definitely was not planned," he added.

Here's an interview with Paul at the Tufts' Observer, and we're also mentioned here. ROCK.

Tue, 3 Apr 2004 - 5:08 pm

theMARK JUST WON THE TUFTS BATTLE OF THE BANDS...WE'RE OPENING FOR SPRING FLING, FEATURING THE ROOTS, SUGARHILL GANG, AND LESS THAN JAKE ON MAY 1, 2004!!!

 We'd like to thank everyone who came out to support us at the battle, as well as everyone who moshed, danced, and rocked out at ZBT, great times were had by all.

 SHOWS!