IT’S CALLED THE ASTOUNDING FEAT AND HAS PICTURES OF FEET. GET IT? The new album from Mark McElwain, formerly of The Sky is Falling, Boink, and Scar Tissue Heart.

When you meet Mark McElwain for the first time, you get the idea that something interesting is about to happen. About as enthusiastic a conversationalist as you can imagine, it soon becomes apparent that McElwain has the capacity to enlighten and entertain at the same time. His latest album, The Astounding Feat, exemplifies this aspect of the experienced musician, mixing densely packed, oftentimes dark lyrics with upbeat and mysteriously fitting rock music.

A veteran of the music scene, over the years McElwain has played in The Sky is Falling, Boink, and Scar Tissue Heart. He’s lived the rockstar lifestyle, spent a stint in jail, and been an avid promoter of love in all its forms, both positive and negative. He speaks in a way that lets you know his brain is moving faster than his speech can follow; he’s been described by friends as a “thought salad,” and it’s easy to see why.

McElwain covers the Jim Carroll song, People Who Died. He tells me that he sent it to Carroll a day before he died. He jokes that he feels somewhat responsible, convinced that his cover of the song affected the author enough to kill him. Like its creator, Astounding Feat is not afraid to have a sense of humor about itself. Indeed, McElwain is convinced that, “Intolerance would cease to exist if we could all just laugh at our differences.” He feels that overzealous political correctness is ruining communication, and that everyone needs to be a little more open minded and the world could be a better place. 

Alongside the album, McElwain is in the process of publishing a book chronicling his time in jail, tentatively called Boogers & Blood. He describes it as a handbook to the experience, and reading through it you’re taken not only by its frankness, but also the way that it humanizes the existence of those who find themselves behind bars. There is a chapter about what God means in prison and a chapter about farts. It touches on any subject you can imagine, and jumps from experience to person to category in a way that only adds to the feeling that you’re getting a direct and honest relation from someone who has been there. 

In a weird way, the manuscript and the album seem to flow together. When asked about his reasons for putting out Astounding Feat, McElwain says he wanted to have a legacy for his family. In fact his son, daughter, and mother performed on two of the album’s tracks. He said he’s not looking for praise, but wants discussion and feedback. “I just want people to listen to the album and read the book with an open mind,” he said, reiterating a desire for better communication. “Hearing from people is what matters.”

After his time in jail and what he describes as a “dark period brought on by a poor judgment call,” McElwain tells me the label doesn’t define who he is. “I don’t want to be a big rock star, I just want to do something worthwhile with this thing.” His humor and honesty return quickly, “I’ve also written 150 unfinished songs, and 150 that I thought sucked. I found 16 that didn’t fit either category, and put them on an album.”

He’s eager to share the credit for what he’s done, emphatically thanking Steve Palomaki for his musicianship and support, Flat Black Records and Jeffrey T. Johnson, and Tommy Tutone. 

   Mark McElwaine’s album is available online at CD Baby and PiggySpankRecords.com, and in Eau Claire at Trucker’s Union, Benny HaHa’s, and Speed of Sound.