Terrorbird

The magnificent Mark Mallman breaks his own mold with a new sound and his most lyrical record to date, 'Invincible Criminal'.  "I live in the basement of an old church, and I write my music down there as well. It's haunted," he says. "There have certainly been nights when I lie awake in fear down there. These tunes are steeped in those moments." As one of the strongest artists on the Midwest scene today, for the first time, he addresses just that. "It was about time I studied up on my Dylan and Westerberg. I'd explored all I could with glam rock, and I needed to research the roots of these here streets I crawl. So I changed my sound." Then, in January of 2009, just before the vocal sessions were to begin, Mark had a disturbing vision while visiting Graceland, in Memphis Tennessee. "I was standing in Elvis' kitchen, when I closed my eyes, and I could see the King passed out on the floor with no one to help him. It sounds corny, but it spoke to me. I realized that my own lyrics were coated in nihilism and self destruction. So, when we got to Louisville to track vocals and piano, I changed the lyrics. Suddenly the record became alive, powerful, moving."Â

Hold Steady singer Craig Finn guest sings on "You're Never Alone in New York". The two became fast friends in the late 90s after sharing an obsessive affinity with 70s classic rock. Finn released Mark's 'Besides the B-sides' on his Crisp Songs label in 2004. Cloud Cult violinist Shannon Frid duets on "In These Times of Harsh Economy", a chilling ballad about John Dillenger's Lady in Red, "Anna Sage". On the Michel Gondry inspired "Eternal Moonshine", Mark celebrates the perils of life as a traveling a rock musician and "Mercy Calls" is a soul bearing confessional of the sacrifices in musical life.Â

An artist renowned for his unbelievable live shows, Mark Mallman has toured America 23 times supporting Of Montreal, Cat Power, Guided by Voices and Donovan, to name a select few. His songs have been featured on This American Life, MTV, and Public Radio International. As the frontman for Kindercore records dance-rock act, Ruby Isle, or composer for major motion picture trailers such as Adventureland and Wall-E, or film columnist for a Minneapolis weekly newspaper, the young Mark Mallman has accomplished more creatively than most artists twice his age. Unlike ANY other artist, he's performed the longest rock song ever written twice over with "Marathon" (over 26 hrs) and "Marathon 2" (over 54 hrs!), as well as a piano solo with the rear tire of a full-sized motor scooter, and for 10 hours from the inside of a refrigerator box.Â

Badman Recording Company presents The Fastest Piano in the Midwest starring in a musical portrait of the one of today's best songwriters and performers. "Don't be confused, the Invincible Criminal isn't me, it's time,' says Mark Mallman. "In the past three years, I've tasted death one too many times to let a second slip through my fingers anymore. I was born a rock singer, and I will die one." Media outlets have heralded Mallman as the second coming of arena rock. But today, Mr Mallman, no longer a man out of time, is here with the modern model of future classic.