Mark Mallman

All Music Guide:

Minneapolis by way of Milwaukee singer/songwriter Mark Mallman got his start with trashy glam rockers the Odd in the late '90s (prior to that, Mallman had been in a few bands with future Promise Ring leader Davey VonBohlen). But the group was almost over as soon as it began, and Mallman launched a solo career straight away. In 1998 came the release of Mallman's solo debut, The Tourist, while the VonBohlen side project Vermont recorded a Mallman original composition ("We Only Have Each Other in the Night") for a split 7" single. On December 10, 1999, Mallman received some publicity when he performed a never-ending song he dubbed "Marathon" for 26 hours with a rotating cast of 28 musicians and 312 pages of lyrics.

In 2000, Mallman issued his sophomore effort, How I Lost My Life and Lived to Tell About It, which featured guest spots by Kat Bjelland (ex-Babes in Toyland), Ed Ackerson (Polara), and Mallman's old pal, VonBohlen. A third release, Mark Mallman & Vermont, followed a year later. The Red Bedroom, his fourth album, was issued in spring 2002. It was produced by Radiohead producer Paul Q. Kolderie. The Who's Gonna Save You Now? EP and the live effort Live from First Avenue, Minneapolis were released in 2003. Mr. Serious, Mallman's first self-produced album, followed in 2004. It marked his first album for Badman.

Wikipedia:

Mark Mallman (b. July 20, 1973, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a Minnesota musician and composer for film.

Education

Mallman graduated from Waukesha South High School in 1991. He studied jazz piano at The Milwaukee Conservatory of Music then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1991. In 1995, at age 21, Mallman earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where he studied painting and performance art.

Musical career

Mallman started his career in the late 1990s with the short-lived band, the Odd, a surprisingly popular postmodern joke on 70's rock histrionics. Days after they topped the City Pages "Best new Band" poll, they broke up, but reunited to record and release one album, Oh My G*d – It's the Odd in 1998, which was co-written and co-produced by Mallman. His solo debut came in 1998 with the release of The Tourist. In 2000, Mallman issued his sophomore effort, How I Lost My Life and Lived to Tell about It, which featured guest spots by Kat Bjelland (Babes in Toyland), and Mallman's school mate, Davey von Bohlen of The Promise Ring. The Red Bedroom, his third album, was issued in spring 2002. It was produced by Radiohead producer Paul Q. Kolderie. The Who's Gonna Save You Now? EP and the live effort Live from First Avenue, Minneapolis were released in 2003. Mr. Serious, Mallman's first self-produced album, followed in 2004. It marked his first album for Badman Recording Company. His energetic performance style, combining the attitudes of punk rockers like Johnny Rotten and Darby Crash over the 70s disco-glam of Elton John, began to gain attention throughout the United States around the time of this record. While he tirelessly performing 150 shows per year, Mallman released Between the Devil and Middle C in 2006, and Invincible Criminal in 2009. Invincible Criminal featured a duet with Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, and violins by Shannon Frid of Cloud Cult.

Marathon song cycles

In 1999 Mark Mallman performed a 26-hour long song titled "Marathon 1". Later, in 2004, Mallman’s s “Marathon Two” session took place back at the Turf Club in St. Paul, Minn. Seventy-five musicians took turns backing Mallman as he performed one song for over two consecutive days, only breaking to go to the bathroom. On October 10, 2010, he completed "Marathon 3", a 78 hour long song complete with 576 pages of lyrics. During the performance, he injured his left foot. He finished at 10pm on Sunday night by biting into a bouquet of flowers and spitting them over the crowd. Mayor Chris Coleman declared Oct 7-10th, 2010 “Mark Mallman Days” in St. Paul, Minnesota in honor of his creative achievement. The mayor's proclamation included the statement “Whereas Mark Mallman is totally AWESOME.”

Recognition

Film music

Mark Mallman works as a professional composer for film by day, mostly doing music for major motion picture trailers, such as Adventureland, 10,000 BC and Haunting of Molly Hartley (film). He has composed music for Living Arrangements (2009).