Originally Published on June 02, 2026

Singer, Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, author, composer, producer, writer, director, journalist, radio DJ…. Marc Schuster wears many hats. Whether he is hosting his radio show, writing an article for his independent music website, Abominations, or if you spot him singing and playing bass for the hit trio Del Cobras, his talent is unquestioned.

I met Marc a couple years ago when he featured me on Abominations, and we talked about FMOF as a growing platform.

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I think when I started Fifteen Minutes of Fame, I had this “pie in the sky” dream that it would be the start of this utopian online community (lol) where hundreds of artists would fully support one another endlessly and we would grow together; everyone lifting together, all at once.

Well, it’s not that.

I have covered hundreds of artists. I’ve purchased thousands of dollars of music. I am grateful for every listen, every review, every dollar spent. I truly am. But as I look at this thing I’ve built, the foundation upon which it stands is (mostly) me. The artists I review are mostly grateful, but as is their right, once it’s done, I don’t hear much from them again, if at all.

I’m ok with that, too. This is reality. We can’t be angry at other people for not seeing or understanding our vision. What about their vision? Maybe my dream doesn’t align with theirs. We all have lives. I mean, people are trying to find their next meal. Not everybody is going to have thousands, hundreds, or even tens of thousands dollars to invest in buying the music for every single artist I recommend. People aren’t going to have the time to read every single article I write.

In spite of that, there have been a handful of people who, in fact, have stuck around to support this platform. Marc is absolutely one of those people. He reads every review. He often likes and comments on every single one. His opinions and input are always welcomed, objective, and insightful. He is a true role model.

But I digress. This isn’t an article about how I am so grateful to Marc (though I am). I’m not going to take 5-10 minutes of anyone’s time finding new ways to say “thank you for liking me.”

Fifteen Minutes of Fame is still about finding great independent music. Marc is a quality musician. Marc has an extensive catalog of music that is available on Spotify and it’s also available for purchase on bandcamp. Plus, as previously mentioned, he also performs with an awesome punk rock band, Del Cobras, where he plays bass and does backing and (sometimes) shares lead vocals.

FMOF first reviewed Schuster’s solo work in November of 2024, with the release of his single, Hello Johnny! Unlike Del Cobras, which is pop punk, straight up garage band rock, Schuster’s solo work can be pretty diverse. It’s mostly still rock, but there is a broader reach with what he experiments with and his solo work is probably a little more alternative.

60. Single Review of Hello, Johnny! by Marc Schuster

On May 17th, Marc posted a blog on Abominations: “I have a new album coming out soon, but I’m not going to release it through the usual channels: No streaming services, not even bandcamp.”

I don’t want to do a disservice to Marc by giving a cliff’s notes version of what he’s doing, so I will also link his article, but in an effort to bring “value” back to music, Marc is avoiding the entire streaming process. Why, because it cheapens the experience of releasing music. It cheapens the experience of how music passes hands from artist to audience. Owning music means something: not just for the artist, but for the fans of the artists. Think about what it used to mean to go into a store to buy the album of our favorite artists. The anticipation of release day. Hearing the singles on the radio. Going to their websites to see merchandise and tour announcements. Then, the day would come. We’d make a trip to whatever media retailor we preferred to go to. There would be a stack of the albums, but one of them would be ours to put into our collection. To play over and over again. We have lost that. We have lost a very special relationship.

Fuck that.

We didn’t lose it. It was stolen. Perhaps there are ways to get it back.

Marc’s latest album, In the Weeds, is only available through digital download in dropbox. It is available, by request, by simply reaching out to Marc. Leaving a comment on his article. Or leave a comment on this one and I will put you in contact with Marc.

Going with Plan B

In The Weeds

In the Weeds, is the latest album release by Philadelphia-based independent recording artist, Marc Schuster. It is 11 songs, runs at around 36 minutes, and (as previously discussed) is available exclusively as a digital download from Marc himself. The entire album was written, performed, produced, and recorded by Marc, who is an accomplished recording engineer.

Overall, this album is very good. It is dynamically diverse. It has tonal shifts within it that, when I step back and look at the entire project, relate to one another. The album, simply put is a survey on going through life. There are some emotionally heavy moments, like with the album opener, Pour One Out, then Schuster comically lightens the mood in places like the song I’m Bored, where he just repetitively repeats the words “I am bored,” as if he were combating a moment of writer’s block and triumphantly wrote a song that hilariously symbolizes the feeling of “where do I start?” There are some very intriguing moments, like in the instrumental Mists of Mohonk, where Schuster experiments with cultural dynamics. The song has a sort of Eastern flow to it. Then there are songs that, no matter who we are, we all know what it’s like to fill the shoes, like Tumble Dry Low. In this song, Schuster alludes to how life can be this monotonous line of tasks to accomplish on a daily basis and how that can suck the joy out of being.

The music is really cool. But the social experiment, it’s incredible. Is there a risk? Sure. Not just for Marc, but for any musician who tries to refrain from the societal norms. After running this platform for two years, I can attest that sometimes, things do not get noticed. I’ve written a hundred articles that have viral-worthy content. I’ve written at least one song that should have. It’s not ever happened for me. I’ve never had that viral breakthrough moment because content has nothing to do with it. That’s why labels don’t look for talent anymore in bars and clubs. They sign artists who have a million followers. So, yeah, there’s a risk.

But at some point, we have to ask ourselves, “Do I want to keep feeding quarters into this big machine for a miniscule chance of generic notoriety?” or do we say “to hell with the stats and algorithm hell hole we’ve created,” and try to bring value back to music and entertainment?

I would give it a shot.

Comment on this article if you want to give it a chance.

Go press play.