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Tag: Life’s So Hard

Marc With A C-Life’s So Hard

marcwithacBand: Marc With A C
Album: Life’s So Hard
Best Element: Quirky, interesting lyrics.
Genre: Lo-fi pop
Website: www.marcwithac.com
Label: Self-released
Contact: marc@marcwithac.com

Anyone who listens to a fair amount of lo-fi music should know that a single band can fall into several categories: the single musician who strums an acoustic and sings sad lyrics, the band that plays electric and has quite a few ingenious guitar solos (Built to Spill of course), and miscellaneous. I am afraid that Marc with a C falls in the latter of those categories. Marc must have been thinking the same thoughts as Eric Elbogen because, simply stated, Marc with a C feels like Say Hi to Your Mom’s little brother. While it might not feel as polished or as subtle, the quirky lyrics are paramount to both. Life’s So Hard is an acquired taste, or something that you might think is amusing after the first ten listens. The lyrical content may surprise or even mildly offend some listeners. For example, during “What the Hell Were You On”, he bashes his hypothetical baby-boomer parents by describing their poor parenting skills. This, of course, is all in good fun and a part of the album’s style.

The majority of songs on the album are entertaining. In “We’re All Going to Die,” he ad-libs and says “cheer up emo kids, you think life’s hard now,” “it’s only going to get worse,” “wait until you have to do your own taxes and laundry.” “Counting Down” is Marc with a C’s most unnecessary track on the album, no matter how funny it may be hearing him say that “we’ll have a sleepover/we’ll watch Homestar Runner.” However, I do give kudos to Marc for adding some good allusions to pop culture, as it gives his lyrics character. The following track, “Diane Works for Ozzy,” which is about a girl with superpowers, lyrically feels like it should have been on The Flaming Lips’ Clouds Taste Metallic. Wayne Coyne should do a cover.

This is one album that I will always save for a day that I am feeling particularly sarcastic- and when you hear it in full you will understand. It is the little things included in Life’s so Hard that give the album its lyrical character. The album will probably not win a prized spot in your collection based upon musical merit, but that is beside the point. This album’s lyrics are original, inventive, and pleasantly surprising for the most part.

-Mark Pranger

markysparky07@yahoo.com