Sisters Doom; Dynamo Stairs

Lots going on from the Las Cruces alumni this month.

First up is The Sisters Doom from Vague Choir leader Mark Earnest. Roots metal hitting all the right notes. Just straight up, balls out, rock. Buy it.  Next up two from Dynamo Stairs spanning 30 years of creativity. David Liso of Choke has been releasing music as Dynamo Stairs for 30 years. This month he has released new music and a great historical re-issue of his first release. This one includes unreleased tracks from 30 years ago and a pristine re-mastering of the original cassette release from 1988. And, impossible to ignore is a new plead for sanity from Dynamo Stairs with new songs in a well-practiced mode, Seasoned. Check it.

Mark Earnest: 25 years of Anxiety

25 years ago The Young Pros. did a cover of the A.O.S. song 667. The Young Pros were the band that launched the career of one of America's best kept secrets, Mark Earnest. Readers here at Pen & Mallet have met Mark before through his work with Dirt Communion, but Mark has had a long and active career fronting a variety of great bands and since 2003 has really come into his own releasing solo albums well deserving of their critical acclaim (available from the indie labels Slothrop and Unsmashable as "Mister Vague"). If you don't believe me, ask Alan Sparkhawk of Low who recorded and co-produced the album “Allergic To Everything” in 2007.

Today we have a special treat. Mark is just about due to release a new album called Beautiful Somewhere on Unsmashable Records (look for it in mid-April) and he has included his version of the A.O.S. song "Katchina," a song that has been part of his live set forever. I have put together a special Pen & Mallet ep. release that includes Mark's version of Katchina, as well as that The Young Pros. version of 667 from 25 years ago. It is hosted by the great Free Music Archive. Check it out.



Beautiful Somewhere features a great line up of collaborators including members of the Reno bands Cranium, Blunderbusst and Nancy Plays Nurse, as well as Mister Vague alumnus Marcus Mayhall. Mark will be collaborating with aboombong on a new release in the next year for something that should be quite different for both artists. Stay tuned.

You can hear more of Mark's music at Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/markearnest

Keep up with Mark on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Earnest-Music/157249844333406

Here is a video of Mark doing Katchina at a recent gig.

Friends of the show: Dirt Communion

Well, I still haven't worked out the cassette deck situation, so I will take this as a sign and post some friends of the show. Dirt Communion is one of the projects my old roommate Mark (aka. Mister Vague) is currently involved with. If there is any justice in the world, they will be hosting headbangers ball before the year is out. Act now and get a piece of the next big thing.



More from Mark to follow. And a special treat for AOS fans is in the works.