“When I Called You Disintegrator" : Daniel Markham Nails it Again
Daniel Markham’s Disintegrator comes out today, even though you’ve been able to pick up a hard copy for a couple weeks. For Markham fans, this is the rainbow following a hard rain for local music and live performance in Denton.
Markham’s gift for both identifying bullshit, and offering a fractious solution to heartache is in full effect with his new effort. This gift is manifest in the title track and first song, “Disintegrator”, in which Markham laments: “When I found you in the gutter, you were something, maybe not /and I tried to raise you higher, we were only falling down.” Upon acknowledging defeat, Markham adds: “40, 000 middle fingers, only some were meant for you / Will you isolate the lowest stinger? Build it up and let it fade.” However, in true Markham “good guy” form, he is hopeful for recovery when he adds: “I won’t call you disintegrator.”
Markham’s dark journey doesn’t end there, the second track “Slayer Tapes and A.M. Radio” begins with “I’ve been walking underwater, all the lightening striking overhead.” Markham’s use of metaphor depicts an imagery that has become a welcome sound for listeners. However treacherous Markham’s day may be, his reaction is safe and welcome because he knows, like the rest of us, the dark cloud will dissipate, and we will all be free to go see Will Johnson perform at Dan’s very soon. It’s all going to be ok; there are tacos and new Markham music.
Disintegrator offers proof of this pending happiness with tracks like “Show me What You Got” and the compliment to his 2013 hit “No Mosquitos” with full-circle wisdom marked in his final track, “Mosquitos”. With this, Markham offers the wistful plea: “I am dreaming / I can only see you.” Markham lessons are best learned after repeated listening’s, with time after to contemplate the exceptional method by which Markham sees the world; we are fortunate to have a glimpse of tragedy and recovery through his cracked lens.
Markham is one of Denton’s most cherished mascots. Markham is the dude with a big truck who can help transport a new headboard, he can play bass guitar on the fly at your birthday party when your scheduled bassist has a sound gig, and he’s the good buddy to help with all that Tecate in the fridge.
When Markham is not being one of the nicest guys in music, he is cranking out art with psychotic fury. In the past two years he has released a full length album, Pretty Bitchin’, in addition to a death-metal album under a pseudonym (Larry Legion), and he also released a collaborative writing effort with Tony Ferraro under the moniker Smoke Paint, which also features his band.
Markham has also just returned from a 3-week tour of the North and South East, and is currently performing new material from Disintegrator as he promotes his other new works. Markham is supported on stage by guitarist Ryan Becker, bassist Tony Ferraro, and drummer Grady Sandlin. While this trifecta of awesome is an adequate provision for the incandescent Markham sound, additional Denton brilliance appears on Disintegrator in the likings of Petra Kelly, Scott Danbom, Hank Early, and Justin Collins and Britton Beisenherz, who also assisted in production at Echo Lab Studios.
Disintegrator is available in wide release. You can stream and purchase via Bandcamp and iTunes, or just stream on Spotify.