City Newspaper Archives - 12/2006
Paul Mark & The Van Dorens
"Trick Fiction"
Published by Frank De Blase on Dec 06, 2006
Paul Mark & The Van DorensTrick Fiction
Radiation Records
I first saw this cat at the Tralf in Buffalo around 1990 and I've followed him ever since. Short answer: Paul Mark plays the blues. And being a white guy in this somewhat overrun genre has its drawbacks. The only way to keep it fresh and interesting is to bring the heat, and your own story. On Trick Fiction Markbrings the heat no prob; he works his Strat out big and clean and the man sings like a 10-foot-tall black lumberjack preacher. Mark and his group have always swung sexy like their suicide blonde bombshell namesake. But what sets them apart on this record are Mark's stories, hipster view, and turn of phrase. Lyrics like "I saw Jesus in the Riverside Diner/Working coffee and a smoke/His head was hanging low/Wondering where it all went wrong" will ring in your head long after the music has worn out your dancing feet.
