Money Mark

Mark Ramos-Nishita was a keyboard player who kept his bills paid as a carpenter. His job and his passion led him to building a home studio for the Beastie Boys, who were to record their 1992 album Check Your Head. Under the name Money Mark he became the unofficial 4th Beastie, adding his jazz, funk, and pop stylings to three of their albums and on many tours.
Money Mark did a few solo records, but none so loved by my ears as his 1998 release Push The Button which alternated instrumental tracks with songs, letting his voice be heard on wax for the first time. My copy of this CD is beaten more than any other in my collection, surviving countless trips, moves, and lending. Now Mark has a new record…

I happened to come across a new Money Mark record today, after not following him for a few years. This one, titled Brand New By Tomorrow carries that asthetic I loved about Push The Button. This is the video for “Pick Up The Pieces.”

I know we don’t talk music here at Powet that often, but music is one of those things people geek out on, and this is a guy who I’ve always wanted to see get a bigger following because of his instantly accessible and soulful music drawing from dozens of backgrounds. Money Mark’s got a few tunes and some more videos on his Myspace page.