Written by: Alex Green
(Photo by Dave Watt)
Multi-instrumentalist Mark Weber’s new EP Crashing In Color is an energetic blast of passion, grit and the kind of layered sonic textures that bring to mind everyone from The Mars Volta to At The Drive In. Weber is a true craftsman and his compositions are thoughtful and wide ranging. There’s the wild crunch of “A Long Way To Go,” the pop punk of “Circles”–which brings to mind the early work of Jimmy Eat World–while the chorus of “Crashing In Color” is decidedly catchy.
Weber was kind enough to be CITC’s Scouting Report subject and brave enough to confess that for him it really comes down to cats and guitars…
FULL NAME: Mark Weber
HOMETOWN: New Lenox, IL
WEBSITE: twitter.com/theemarkweber and http://theemarkweber.bandcamp.com/ Get that info the second it comes out!
RECORD LABEL: Unsigned
DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN ONE SENTENCE: Take some pop-punk, mix it with some alternative and pick a messed up song structure!
PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT: I always feel like a proud parent when I hear the mixed versions of my songs.
THE SONG YOU WISH YOU’D WRITTEN: “Degausser” by Brand New. I wish I could rock that hard.
FIVE MUSICIANS YOU ADMIRE: Claudio Sanchez, Casey Crescenzo, Jesse Lacey, Chris Conley, Omar Rodriguez Lopez.
ALBUM YOU CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO: De-Loused in the Comatorium by The Mars Volta
DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A KID: I tried really hard to be as cool as my sister. She was a punk rocker.
THREE THINGS THAT KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT: Cats that demand I pet them, planning for the day ahead, and thinking of what could be.
LAST BOOK YOU READ: Marvel Civil War. If we’re counting Graphic Novels.
FAVORITE MUPPET: Beaker. He gets me.
CATS OR DOGS? Cats
THINGS WE’D FIND IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR: A lot of paper, a hoodie, and maybe a suitcase.
HARDEST PART ABOUT YOUR JOB: Not getting distracted.
FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU GET TO A NEW CITY: Look online to find the “must see” places.
WHAT WORD DO YOU OVERUSE IN CONVERSATION?: Super.
WHAT WILL THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE?: Cats and Guitars. That’s what the whole book would be about.
FAVORITE LATE NIGHT TV SHOW: Jimmy Kimmel
DRINK OF CHOICE: Pepsi
BEST ALBUM TO PLAY AFTER A BREAK-UP AND YOU’RE HOLDING A BOTTLE OF VODKA AND SOMETHING SHARP: The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me by Brand New
INDULGENCE YOU REFUSE TO GIVE UP: Video Games
SOMEONE SAYS, DON’T TELL ANYONE I TOLD YOU THIS. DO YOU? I’m actually really good at keeping secrets but I’d hint at it all the time just to make the person nervous.
WORDS TO LIVE BY: To quote the great Andrew W. K., “Party Hard!”
