Music is not optional. It is as much a part of being human as the constant hunt for love or a greasy burrito after a night on the town. Some are content to listen. Some need to dance. We must play to fill the void. Without performing our tank is only half-full. The Train still rolls, but inside something is hollow and wrong. We play to tank up….and man does it feel good!
The music we play is not conjured. It chooses us. We don’t play “country” music, but somewhere deep inside it lives - right next to folk, rock and punk. These forms boil and churn inside until they foam over the top like a hastily poured Belgian tripel. We are compelled to give them a voice to honor our musical heritage. This is our Americana.
We write. We write the words and the melodies which are also sloshing around inside, demanding an audience. Holding them back is work. Better we should present them to you than bore each other with the usual frustrations of the typical Alaskan man. Hopefully you will feel some joy knowing you are not the only soul to get skunked on a wet, cold moose hunting debacle or fishing trip. Yea, our writing is therapy. We’ll admit that. It beats paying a shrink.
We are not too proud to play other people’s music. Heck, we love music, and especially the stuff we play. Every time we cover Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, REM, Lucero, Beaver Nelson, Arthur Dodge, Steve Earle, Whipsaws, Ryan Adams, or Kathleen Edwards we pay homage. We tip our hat to those who make the music that moves us. Sometimes it is just our feet, and sometimes it is something more. Maybe it doesn’t always make us feel like we just landed a 60 pound king on the lower Kenai with an 8-weight, but it invariably makes us feel something…alive I guess.
Enough pontification. Don’t you have a Last Train show to get to?
If you are interested, you can purchase Mark's other band: Ryebender's debut CD on iTunes here:
Hey, just wanted to send a comment to all my friends, informing you that I have a new band that I'm eager for you to add! Please, please, PLEASE click the link below to add us! Autumn Under Fire Thank you! =)
Thanks for the friendship!! Keep rockin' and much love and success always!!
**** Check me out at: **** www.myspace.com/broadcastasylum www.broadcastasylum.com Rebroadcasts available on iTunes Half A Million Listeners ROCK With Us! ~
We'll most definately be out the 21st, me for Joanie Madden... Michael is answering phones at KAKM ..wooo!!! We'll be ready to rock! See you there... Hope Jason makes it! words to memorize, words hypnotize....
Hello Last Train, We just released our debut cd "Catch The Party Train". Stop by the site and have a listen. We have a list of places you can get the CD, MP3's, Ring Tones and more listed in the blog. We hope to see you at a show in 2009.
