Maria BC’s sophomore effort Spike Field arrived in 2023, and the following year the Oakland-based musician contributed to the stacked I Saw The TV Glow soundtrack. Now they’re announcing their third album, Marathon, whose smoldering title track is out today.
About “Marathon,” the artist explains:
There was a Marathon gas station at the end of the street I lived on as a kid. Its big, glowing sign was a landmark for me — when I could see it from the window of my mom’s car, I knew we were about to be home. Its iconic “M” — on the rare occasion I encounter one these days — still brings up that old feeling, the familiarity of homecoming, and a twinge of nostalgia. There’s something perverse about this, I think. The oil company’s branding is, or at least was, exceptionally patriotic, what with its red, white and blue color scheme and idealized Midwestern imagery, all dusty roads, cowboys and wild horses that harken the brand’s slogan, “Fueling the American Spirit.” I once heard someone refer to advertising as “satanic poetry” — I have to agree. That this logo, even with all the evil it connotes, can invoke nostalgia — can be a beacon — is very sinister to me.
Watch its music video below.
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TRACKLIST:
01 “Marathon”
02 “As the earth turns”
03 “Peacemaking”
04 “Safety”
05 “Rare”
06 “Port authority”
07 “The sound”
08 “Sabotage”
09 “June”
10 “Night & day”
11 “May this rain”
12 “Channels”
13 “Miami”
TOUR DATES:
02/12 – Asheville, NC @ AyurPrana Listening Room
02/13 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
02/14 – Washington, D.C. @ Songbyrd
02/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
02/17 – Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s
02/18 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
02/19 – Providence, RI @ Alchemy
02/20 – Boston, MA @ Arts at the Armory
02/21 – Portland, ME @ Space Gallery
02/22 – Burlington, VT @ Foam
02/24 – Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo
02/26 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Garage
02/28 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
03/01 – Columbus, OH @ Natalie’s Grandview
supporting Marissa Nadler
Marathon is out 2/27 via Sacred Bones. Pre-order it here.
