Mark Eitzel
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Mark Eitzel (born January 30, 1959, Walnut Creek, California) is a musician, best known as a songwriter and lead singer of the San Francisco band American Music Club.
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[edit] History
Eitzel spent most of his formative years in a military family traveling to different areas of the world, including Ohio and the United Kingdom.
His first bands were formed while he was in Columbus, Ohio. His first band was a punk band called the Cowboys. They released one single in 1980. His second band was called the The Naked Skinnies and they released one single in 1981. He moved to San Francisco with The Naked Skinnies in 1981 where they disbanded in 1982. Eitzel formed American Music Club (AMC) in San Francisco in 1982. The band performed and created albums for twelve years, never very stable as a group. At one point, Eitzel also sang with San Francisco's Toiling Midgets, and often recorded solo work while involved in AMC.
American Music Club disbanded in 1993, and Eitzel focused on his solo career, releasing 60 Watt Silver Lining in 1996. It was surprisingly smooth, jazz-pop departure. Following this, he released West in 1997 co-writing all of the songs with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, with whom he also toured. He followed up with Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby, assisted by Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo bassist James McNew.
Eitzel released more music in 2001, beginning with a more electronic turn in The Invisible Man. This was followed by two covers projects in 2002: Music for Courage and Confidence, which was material written by other songwriters, and The Ugly American, an album which included reinterpretations of American Music Club songs performed with a band of Greek traditional musicians.
American Music Club reformed in 2003, released an album and toured the United States and Europe. Eitzel released new solo material in 2005, Candy Ass.
[edit] Discography
Cowboys
- Supermarket / Teenage Life (7") Tet Offensive Records - 1980
- All My Life / This Is The Beautiful Night (7") - Naked House Records - 1981
- The Restless Stranger (LP) - Grifter Records (January 1985)
- Engine (LP) - Frontier Records (October 1987)
- California (LP) Frontier Records (October 1988)
- United Kingdom (LP) - Demon Records (October 1989)
- Everclear (CD) - Alias Records (October 1991)
- Mercury (CD) Reprise Records - (March 1993)
- San Francisco (CD) Reprise Records - (September 1994)
- Love Songs for Patriots (CD) Devil In The Woods Records - (September 2004)
Toiling Midgets
- Son (CD) Matador Records - 1993
Solo
- Mean Mark Eitzel Gets Fat (Self-released Cassette) - 1981
- Songs of Love (CD) - Diablo Records - 1991
- 60 Watt Silver Lining (CD) - Warner Brothers - 1996
- Words and Music (CD) - 1997
- West (CD) - Warner Brothers - 1997
- Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby (CD) - Matador Records - 1998
- The Invisible Man (CD) - Matador Records - 2001
- Music for Courage and Confidence (CD) - New West Records - 2002
- The Ugly American (CD) - Thirsty Ear Recordings - 2002
- Candy Ass (CD) - Cooking Vinyl - 2005
[edit] External links
- Official site.
- American Music Club
- American Music Club & Mark Eitzel Tour History
- Allmusic entry
- Concert photos by Laurent Orseau
- 2003 interview
- Discography of Ohio Art and Pop 1977-1983 by Henry Weld.
- Discography of Ohio Punk 1976-1983 by Henry Weld.
[edit] References
- Wish The World Away: Mark Eitzel and the American Music Club by Sean Body, SAF Publishing, Ltd. (April 1999), ISBN-10: 0946719209, ISBN-13: 978-0946719204
