Mark Eitzel
Brokenhearted Romantic By Jim AllenA putative sad sack with a switchblade sense of humor.
As the singer/songwriter for sadcore kings American Music Club, Mark Eitzel has been called everything from the American Morrissey to the Franz Kafka of rock 'n' roll. With his deep, mellifluous croon and poetic, downcast lyrics, he crafts songs for the sad sacks, ne'er-do-wells, and brokenhearted losers of the world, always being careful to count himself among their lot. Eitzel, an Army brat who grew up mostly in England, moved back to the States at 19, and started American Music Club in San Francisco a few years later. The band matched Eitzel’s self-effacing songs with an idiosyncratic blend of post-punk, art-folk, and alt-country, becoming cult heroes over the next decade. After years of rapturous reviews, AMC finally got their big break, cutting two underrated albums for Warner Brothers, but when their eccentric sound failed to take grunge-era America by storm, they were dropped, disbanding soon after. Eitzel began a solo career in 1996, and released two more albums for Warner, one in collaboration with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. In the 2000s, as his profile decreased, his solo releases came out on progressively smaller labels, but in ’04 he reformed AMC, and began splitting his time between the band and his solo work.
-
Music Profile
Leonard Cohen The Only True Rock Poet
By Jim AllenFolk-rock's Canadian Poet Laureate.
>> -
Music Profile
Red House Painters Hazy Folk-Rockers
By Stewart MasonDelicate folk-rock with a gently narcotic shimmer.
>> -
Music Profile
Sun Kil Moon Alt-folk Changelings
By Stewart MasonMark Kozelek's ever-evolving second act.
>> -
Music Profile
Destroyer Expansive Canadian Indie Rockers
By Stewart MasonDan Bejar's ever-shifting musical vision.
>>
-
Music Review
California
American Music Club -
Music Review
Everclear
American Music Club -
Books Review
Wish the World Away: Mark Eitzel & The American Music Club
Sean Body
| Johnny Mathis' Feet (American Music Club) | |
|---|---|
