Mark Kaschak

Mark is a tremendous musical talent in his own right. Playing with his brother Sean as The Brothers Kaschak, Mark released the album “The Ark & The Amateur” earlier this year. To put it simply, A&TA is one of my favorite albums of 2015, and I would not be doing anyone justice if I did not take a moment to sing its praises. It is a record that shines in its extremes. The Bro Kaz deliver both on acoustic singer-songwriter goodness and hard rocking rave ups, often on the same track. Lyrically the album straddles the fine line of being poetic with out being vague, accessible with out becoming confessionally obvious. Mark Kaschak is equally equipped to draw you in with moments of intimate balladry and seconds later lead the charge on a quest of foot stomping insanity. Guitarist Sean keeps up with him in a prime example of effortless sibling synergy, sustaining a note here, leaping in with a dirty blues lead there. All of this comes together to leave the listener with the feeling one takes from their live show, “Wait…this is only two guys?” - All the Day Sounds

The Brothers Kaschak (Sean Kaschak & Mark Kaschak) debut last year showed potential with their release Marching On. I’m happy to report that the duo tapped into their talent with their most recent album entitled The Ark & The Amateur.

The Ark & The Amateur was made possible through a kickstarter campaign and was recorded and mixed at a professional studio and then properly mastered. In all honesty there is not much comparison between their first recording and what you have on this album. They have upped the ante and these songs have gotten the treatment they deserve. That being said, we all know a polished album is only one aspect of the package. The music itself is still the most important thing and the duo doesn’t let us down in that department either.

The Brothers Kaschak brings us eleven songs that blend folk/rock and a bit of blues. Some songs are sparse with no more than an acoustic guitar and vocals while others are more fleshed out with distorted guitars, bass and drums. Either way the band keeps it pretty simple and doesn’t add any unnecessary decoration.

In my opinion the strongest songs were the acoustic based folk tracks. One of the highlights was “Grandfather Clock,” which starts out with some sweet pickin on the guitar. I wanted it to last longer before they started strumming chords and adding bass but either way it works. The song is covered in warmth and is a danceable knee slapper that would sound best being played at dusk with your favorite whiskey.

The duo also sounds good when their songs are covered in melancholy. Take for instance “Colors That’ll Kill You,” which contains one of the catchiest and well delivered vocal performances. Another highlight was the eight-plus minute “My Feet.” I thought the song structure was inventive. The song rocks out pretty hard and fast for about the first two minutes, then has a brief lull before rocking out again but the second half is purely acoustic guitar and vocals. The other notable songs were “You & Me & The Moon” and “Shoulders.”

The album isn’t flawless - there were a couple songs that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Overall, The Brothers Kaschak made a good album with a majority of the songs delivering upon the potential that was present in their previous effort. - The Even Ground

The Brothers Kaschak is a duo born in upstate New York and currently residing in Cleveland, Ohio. The band is comprised of two brothers who have been playing together for more than a decade. There’s nothing more real about family members getting together and making some real music, and on The Brothers Kaschak’s latest EP titled Marching On you can hear the honesty permeating every song. The entire collection has a soft yet rugged feel of down-home southern folk music. These are a few songs that are fit for grabbing a cheap brew, walking down to the lake in your boots, and laying out by the banks to soak up the dusk.

The track that named the album “Marching On,” is a solemn ode to the simplicity behind moving on after an event of misfortune, and remaining resolute throughout. The lyrics in the song, “the battle goes on” reflects on the innate strife of life, and the soft tempo of the song shares optimism with the listeners. Mark Kaschak, the lead singer, has an inquisitive voice as he softly sings through the gentle melodies on the EP. He also plays acoustic guitar and some percussion, sharing most of these roles with his brother, Sean who plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar and some percussion. It is hard to tell who is controlling any of the instruments just mentioned, and that’s a type of synergy between band-mates that is rarely seen. "The Orchard" relies of sparse instrumentation as the vocals and guitar need little accompaniment to let the solid songwriting shine through. The guitar picking is its most delicate and the vocals are there most fragile on "Real Thoughts" which exudes solace and melancholy.

The most upbeat track on the EP is “Shoulders,” the song maintains its southern folk vibe while also infusing some good old fashion strumming to get your foot a-tapping. The song definitely showcases the abilities behind the band; the song is clean and simple, while maintaining complexity in lyrics and melody. The song “Moonshine Kids” is a song for flailing about besides a blazing fire under a bright moon, they really give you the melodies and lyrics to construct a beautiful scene. The Brothers Kaschak is a band to watch for as they shimmer in the dawn out on the farm of fresh folk music - The Even Ground