Frank Zappa, William Shakespeare, Blind Willie Johnson, Wild Turkey, Graham Parker, Pete Townshend, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Gosling's Black Seal, Steely Dan, Gene Harris, P-Funk, Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Aloxe-Corton, Steve Earle, AC/DC, Jeff Beck, Tao Te Ching, Television (the band, not the boob tube), Karnak (the band, not the temple or the Carson bit, which is Carnac anyhow), The Who, Burt Bacharach, Stephen Sondheim, Govt Mule, Allmans, Little Feat, ice cream, Chuck D, Paris, Hendrix, Wishbone Ash, the Beatles and love and peace.
Sounds Like
Pete Townshend meets George Carlin at Frank Zappa's house.
Mark Westin has been around the New York music scene for a long time. He’s not especially handsome. He’s not especially young. He’s one of the best and most original songwriters you’ve never heard.
Mark’s lyrics combine a journalist’s eye for detail with a playwright’s sense of character. His performance blends street smarts with burlesque comic timing. Alternately funny and biting, from savage social satire to pointed political poetry, there are no punches pulled, and nothing's off limits.
Mark’s musical life began with the five-string banjo at age 13. He was soon busking in the New York subways and on street corners in the village. At 16 he toured the deep south with a bluegrass band, an unusual musical path for a born-and-raised New York City boy.
Around the same time he started writing songs. Soon after that, a desire to hang with the cool kids led Mark to pick up an electric guitar and begin an evolution that would take him from folkie to rock'n'roller and back again.
Mark developed his guitar skills in numerous nameless bands and countless gigs at legendary venues like CBGB and Max's, up and down Bleecker Street, and all over the boroughs and the tri-state area in bands ranging from political punk to party funk. He lived in a rehearsal studio at the Daily Planet music building, rubbing elbows with future rock stars (and Hall & Oates) and borrowing stage clothes from Harry Belafonte's costume storage room.
He shared stages with the famous and the infamous. His guitar work appeared on commercial jingles, 7” vinyl 45’s and “cassette-only” albums (remember those?). When others dyed their hair pink and dressed in embarrassing clothes he played blues and roots music on the biker swap-meet and pig-roast circuit. Mark continued to write songs, but stayed on the guitar side of the stage, playing Keith to a succession of Micks, or Page to some potted Plant.
As keeping bands together proved to be expensive and psychologically draining, Mark gradually shed the trappings of electricity and stepped into the spotlight as a solo singer/songwriter. His first CD Move From Center was a polished album that showcased not only Mark’s writing, but also his studio production skills.
In 2007 Mark finally left his one-bedroom apartment in beloved Brooklyn and moved to a farmhouse in the Hudson Valley, realizing a longtime dream. The country life further reconnected him with his acoustic roots, resulting in the stripped-down album “dirty folk”. Basic guitar and voice tracks on “dirty folk” were recorded together live, and there are only minimal overdubs. The result is an album that captures faithfully the integrity of Mark’s live performance and keeps the focus where Mark wants it – on his insightful lyrics and finely crafted songs.
Along the way, Mark has also composed two film scores with Steve Giordano, friend, bandmate and owner of Infinity Studios (vintage synthesizers a specialty). Riversense is an award-winning independent film about whitewater kayakers, and The Everyday is an Emmy-winning documentary feature on Benedictine monks. Mark and Steve are also responsible for the signature song Runs on Beer from the soundtrack of the drag racing film Fast Lane Summer. All films are in current DVD release.
Mark performs anywhere. He can often be found working out new material as part of the songwriters’ round at The Listening Room. To satisfy his lingering electric jones, he's known to sit in with NY's finer blues and rock bands, including Bronx legends Seeing Voices, or throw down with his power trio Tiny Rhino.
Check Mark's songs out, and check him out live. Visit Spinach World for all you need.
Hey Mark! I had to run right after the set at the Listening Room so I didn't get a chance to say it, but your set was very nice! I think "Hard in the Saddle" will go down as one of the most memorable performances of all time at Whistlin' Willie's.
Hey! Mark Westin ! It was great to jam up with you, too! We're from different spectrums but its great to connect. The guy with the "BEATLES TRIBUTE ALBUM FROM INDIA"
You are funny as hell. Jeeze what are you trying to do by commenting on my page? Are you trying to mess up the hot girl thing I had going? LOL You are awesome. LETS PLAY. I play Cold Spring Depot on Oct 24th. You are welcome to jump on my stage anytime. Let me know if you are up for playing that night. Contact me via phone or email at Bovane. com for that stuff
