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Mark Eitzel
Birth name John Mark Eitzel[1]
Origin Walnut Creek, California[2][3]
Genres Rock
Occupations Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1980–present
Labels Decor, Cooking Vinyl, Thirsty Ear Recordings, New West Records, Matador Records, Diablo Records, Warner Brothers
Associated acts American Music Club, Toiling Midgets, The Naked Skinnies, Peter Buck, The Undertow Orchestra
Website markeitzel.blogspot.com

Mark Eitzel is a musician, best known as a songwriter and lead singer of the San Francisco band American Music Club.[4][5][6]

Contents

History [link]

Eitzel spent his formative years in a military family living in Okinawa, Taiwan, Ohio and the United Kingdom.[7] He moved to America in 1979.

He started making music while he was a teenager in Southampton, England. His first band was a punk band called the Cowboys when he moved to Columbus, Ohio at 19. They released one single in 1980. His second band was called The Naked Skinnies[8] 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. 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 1994, and Eitzel focused on his solo career, releasing 60 Watt Silver Lining[9] in 1996. It was a surprisingly smooth, jazz-pop departure. Also in 1996, Eitzel contributed to the AIDS benefit album Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip produced by the Red Hot Organization. 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[10] on Matador Records. This was followed by two covers projects in 2002: Music for Courage and Confidence,[11] which was material written by other songwriters, and The Ugly American,[12] an album which included reinterpretations of American Music Club songs performed with a band of traditional and non traditional Greek musicians.

American Music Club reformed in 2003 for a sold out show at the London South Bank Centre, The following year they released Love Songs For Patriots[13] and toured both the United States and Europe several times. The Guardian Newspaper called Mark "America's greatest living lyricist"[citation needed] and the album received glowing reviews across the world. In 2008 the band line up changed again and the band released The Golden Age[14] which UNCUT magazine said was their best since Mercury with a 5 star album of the month review.

Eitzel released a compilation album of electronic soundtrack material in 2005, Candy Ass.[15] His most recent album is Klamath which was released at the end of 2009 on Decor Records. UNCUT magazine said it was his best solo album yet. 2010 saw the launch of Marine Parade. This was a musical written by Simon Stephens for which Mark had written all the music. It was premiered in the 2010 Brighton Festival to good reviews and featured two of the songs from Klamath. He also contributed a cover of the Ira Gershwin song 'S Wonderful to the soundtrack of "Vidal Sassoon - The Movie".[16] The film was directed by Craig Teper, and the soundtrack was produced by David Spelman. The soundtrack also included music by post-rock chamber ensembles Clogs (featuring Padma Newsome and Bryce Dessner of The National), Redhooker, and Arcade Fire side project Bell Orchestre. The film had its premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.

In addition to all the above albums Mark has also released many mail order tour CDs, his most recent being the limited edition (500 copies) Brannan St., which is available at his concert dates and at the Decor records website.

Discography [link]

Cowboys

The Naked Skinnies

American Music Club

Toiling Midgets

Solo

References [link]

  1. ^ MetroLyrics, American Music Club: "Why Won't You Stay?" Songwriters: John Mark Eitzel
  2. ^ AllMusic Overview, Mark Eitzel
  3. ^ California Births, 1905 - 1995, John M. Eitzel – Birth Date: 01/30/1959, County of Birth: Contra Costa (Walnut Creek)
  4. ^ Strong, Martin Charles; Peel, John (2004-10-25). The great rock discography. Canongate U.S.. pp. 37–. ISBN 978-1-84195-615-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=_WoRAPJQ58sC&pg=PA38. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  5. ^ Taylor, Steve (2006-08-29). A to X of Alternative Music. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 12–. ISBN 978-0-8264-8217-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=KPOsu8JOHO8C&pg=PA12. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  6. ^ Buckley, Jonathan (1999-11-18). Rock: the rough guide. Rough Guides. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-1-85828-457-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=Fie47qSuTsoC&pg=PR2-IA27. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  7. ^ Belcher, David (February 13, 1998). "All on his own and more's the pithy...". Glasgow Herald. https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/smgpubs/access/60147468.html?dids=60147468:60147468&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+13%2C+1998&author=DAVID+BELCHER&pub=The+Herald&desc=All+on+his+own+and+more's+the+pithy%3B+Boss+Grooves%3A+garb+yourself+in+finely+textured+tunes+cut+from+very+different+cloths&pqatl=google. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  8. ^ George-Warren, Holly; Romanowski, Patricia; Bashe, Patricia Romanowski; Jon Pareles (2001-10-30). The Rolling stone encyclopedia of rock & roll. Fireside. pp. 18-€“. ISBN 978-0-7432-0120-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=uU9AAQA6kAMC. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  9. ^ Eggers, Dave (MAY 8, 1997). "Mark Eitzel". Salon. https://www.salon.com/entertainment/music/feature/1997/05/08/eitzel970508. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  10. ^ Harrington, Richard (May 24, 2002). "The Melancholy Man Lightens Up". Washington Post: p. T6. https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/121246940.html?dids=121246940:121246940&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+24%2C+2002&author=Richard+Harrington&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=The+Melancholy+Man+Lightens+Up&pqatl=google. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  11. ^ Caligiuri, Jim (May 31, 2002). "Mark Eitzel - Music Review". Austin Chronicle. https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2002-05-31/93940/. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  12. ^ Sanders, Mark (February 13, 2008). "American Music Club's San Francisco Fixation". SF Weekly: p. 1. https://www.sfweekly.com/2008-02-13/music/american-music-club-s-san-francisco-fixation/. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  13. ^ Foster, Patrick (November 6, 2004). "POP MUSIC". The Washington Post: p. C3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29481-2004Nov5.html. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  14. ^ Sweeney, Eamon (February 4, 2008). "A divine evening at the music club with old friends". Irish Independent. https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/a-divine-evening-at-the-music-club-with-old-friends-1280682.html. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  15. ^ "Spin control". Chicago Sun-Times: p. D2. November 27, 2005. https://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10E384114C1BCEC8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  16. ^ https://www.vidalsassoonthemovie.com/

External links [link]


https://wn.com/Mark_Eitzel

Podcasts:

Mark Eitzel

ALBUMS

Glory

Released 2013

Don't Be a Stranger

Released 2012

Klamath

Released 2009

Candy Ass

Released 2005

The Ugly American

Released 2003

Music for Courage & Confidence

Released 2002

Eitzel Superhits International

Released 2001

The Invisible Man

Released 2001

Songs of Love

Released 1999

Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back Out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby

Released 1998

West

Released 1997

60 Watt Silver Lining

Released 1996

Songs Of Love: Live at the Borderline 1-19-91

Released 1991

Lover's Leap USA

Live at WFMU

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PLAYLIST TIME:

Aspirin

by: Mark Eitzel

Is the pain they caused you
your final destination
it’s just going to make you
hate your own reflection
you try and endure it
but you know you gotta give in tell me
why such a cheap thing
always hides the real thing
My love,
though all you had was stolen,
tell me will your heart always be broken
The little hero who threw away your life
feeling hate and being proven right
always looks into mirrors trying to see
bullets instead of eyes
sees a handsome devil who’s
the spirit of the skies
Relax my love
it’s just the gates of hell swinging open
I hope your heart won’t always be broken
Hate seems like the sun in the heavens
and there’s nowhere to run, no way to get even
Just hide in the shadow of your own making
and hold your head high, even if you’re faking
The goal I guess is to be like glass
transparent to anyone looking through
but our lives aren’t like that
and once the glass is broken
you do the best
you can do
Relax my love
though this time the world wasn’t joking
I hope your heart won’t
always be broken
I hope your heart won’t always be broken
I hope your heart won’t always be broken
Broken
Will your heart always be broken
always be broken
Always be broken




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