Marginal Man was a hardcore punk band that emerged in the Washington, D.C. … Read Full Bio ↴Marginal Man was a hardcore punk band that emerged in the Washington, D.C. hardcore scene in 1983. Some members of Marginal Man played earlier in Artificial Peace, a band which appears on Dischord Records' important Flex Your Head compilation, an essential document of the 1980's D.C. punk scene. They played for five years before a final performance at the 9:30 Club in 1988.
Members of the band included:
- Steve Polcari - Vocals
- Pete Murray - Guitar, Vocals
- Kenny Inouye - Guitar
- Andre Lee - Bass
- Mike Manos - Drums
They released one EP, Identity (Dischord 13), an LP in 1984 called Double Image (Gasatanka/Enigma) and appeared on the compilations, State of the Union and 20 Years of Dischord (Dischord 125).
Marginal Man were known for energetic live performances, with long haired lead singer Polcari leaping into the air, displaying a more "rock" style than many bands in D.C. They were also a precursor to today's "emo" scene, with shows interrupted on occasion by a grief stricken Pete Murray who could break down with thoughts of a friend who'd committed suicide. Unlike the lower class punks of the U.K, or blue collar roots elsewhere, many D.C bands like Marginal Man had family links to solid middle & upper class establishment instituitions, their shows were attended on occasion by guitarist Inouye's father for example, a prominent Senator from Hawaii. Although Marginal Man and many other bands of this era were neither as commercially sucessful, long-lived nor as memorable as such bands as Minor Threat, such lesser-known bands are considered by some to be more representative of the energy, spontaneity, and communal feeling of the time.
Members of the band included:
- Steve Polcari - Vocals
- Pete Murray - Guitar, Vocals
- Kenny Inouye - Guitar
- Andre Lee - Bass
- Mike Manos - Drums
They released one EP, Identity (Dischord 13), an LP in 1984 called Double Image (Gasatanka/Enigma) and appeared on the compilations, State of the Union and 20 Years of Dischord (Dischord 125).
Marginal Man were known for energetic live performances, with long haired lead singer Polcari leaping into the air, displaying a more "rock" style than many bands in D.C. They were also a precursor to today's "emo" scene, with shows interrupted on occasion by a grief stricken Pete Murray who could break down with thoughts of a friend who'd committed suicide. Unlike the lower class punks of the U.K, or blue collar roots elsewhere, many D.C bands like Marginal Man had family links to solid middle & upper class establishment instituitions, their shows were attended on occasion by guitarist Inouye's father for example, a prominent Senator from Hawaii. Although Marginal Man and many other bands of this era were neither as commercially sucessful, long-lived nor as memorable as such bands as Minor Threat, such lesser-known bands are considered by some to be more representative of the energy, spontaneity, and communal feeling of the time.
Fallen Pieces
Marginal Man Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Marginal Man:
Friend If I say something that you don't like Just think about…
Mental Picture Your mental picture I try to recall but The more you're…
Torn Apart I know pain And i know life It's not a game I've got…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@jakecarlo9950
I’ve been looking for the last track on this album for 35 years. 35 years. In the middle of the night on the Towson, Maryland college radio station somebody played that song. I recorded it on a cassette, crouched under my bed covers on a boombox. My parents had bought me off an Amway catalog. That song meant something to me, a lot. And I don’t know if the guys in this band will ever know that there was some child out there who felt like somebody had put his story in a song. So everything else can sit and rot as far as I’m concerned. That song was like a beacon to me, it changed the course of my life. And the fact that maybe a dozen people on the planet know or give a shit about this band or this record really just kind of says it all. If anyone knows how to send a message to whoever that singer was, tell him this this, if you would.
@guillaumegrosdidier1745
An other "classic" mid-80s emo-core band ! Great !
@fabiorossetti9117
Just tears from my eyes
@jimmyvelez324
I was in a band briefly 'C20' as a new drummer 1985 and my band mates where really into this band. Still I delivered the Goods!
@vinylrichie007
Love this album. Emo not so much.
@thehardcorepunkarchive
Same
@dirtywhiteboy4963
i remember when i first heard it in 1985 i believe? and it still moves me! great shit!
@thelostbobby7
im so happy i refound this/ it was in my recommended
@jetthreat389
This album is a bit amateurish, but that’s what makes me keep coming back. What makes this special is how genuine it is, how blunt it is without being self-conscious. Though they may sound a bit cheesy/dramatic, these guys had real angst—not like emo or pop punk angst of today (“school sucks, my mom doesn’t give me enough freedom and the teachers are lame”).
What happens to punks when they stop feeling this strongly? They give up. They become cynical. This album is refreshingly positive, it should be the cure for aged punk syndrome.
@kevinviolao
I wouldn't call it amateurish. Every band from the 80's had a similar sound to this. I think most of the DC bands of that era stand the test of time.