Marcellus Hall first made a name for himself as the frontman of Railroad Jerk, which released four albums on Matador between 1990 and 1996 before breaking up. Hall and RJ drummer Dave Varenka went on to form White Hassle the next year, issuing a handful of records until disbanding in 2005. These days, Hall is pursuing a solo career, and he just released his debut album, The First Line, on Isaac Brock’s Glacial Pace label. Aside from the music, the 13-track LP also shows off Hall’s other big talent: illustration. Since moving to New York City in the late ’80s, Hall has seen his artwork appear in the likes of The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and The First Line features a 44-page book showcasing his art. Not only is Hall guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week, he’s also drawing illustrations to accompany everything he writes about. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Hall: It’s that velvety feeling when the air is damp, and all around it’s warm. There is no better way to describe it: “velvety.” Today, you made a pilgrimage to the Chinatown market beside the Manhattan Bridge and bought fuji apples. The mute woman next to you pantomimed that she would split the batch with you, and you agreed. Later, you crooned a song into your Tascam DR-07 mp3 portable recorder, then hit the road. Two architects joined you at an outdoor table in Alphabet City, and the talk revolved around revolving doors other architectural terms.
Video after the jump.
