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{{Infobox musical artist
|name            = Mark Eitzel
|image             =MarkEitzel-1.jpg
|caption        = 
|image_size        =
|background      = solo_singer
|birth_name      = John Mark Eitzel
|alias           =
|birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1959|1|30}}
|origin          = Walnut Creek, California<ref>California Births, 1905 - 1995, [http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461?c=search&first=&last=Eitzel John M. Eitzel] – Birth Date: 01/30/1959, County of Birth: Contra Costa (Walnut Creek)</ref>
|instrument      =Vocals, guitar, keyboards
|occupation      = Singer-songwriter, musician
|years_active    = 1980–present
|label           = [[Decor Records]], [[Cooking Vinyl]], [[Thirsty Ear Recordings]], [[New West Records]], [[Matador Records]], [[Diablo Records]], [[Warner Bros.]], [[Merge Records]]
|associated_acts = [[American Music Club]], [[Toiling Midgets]], [[The Naked Skinnies]], [[The Cowboys]], [[Peter Buck]], [[The Undertow Orchestra]]
}}

'''Mark Eitzel''' (born January 30, 1959) is a musician, best known as a songwriter and lead singer of the San Francisco band [[American Music Club]].<ref name="StrongPeel2004">{{cite book|last1=Strong|first1=Martin Charles|last2=Peel|first2=John|title=The great rock discography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_WoRAPJQ58sC&pg=PA38|accessdate=August 13, 2011|date=2004-10-25|publisher=Canongate U.S.|isbn=978-1-84195-615-2|pages=37–}}</ref><ref name="Taylor2006">{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=Steve|title=A to X of Alternative Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KPOsu8JOHO8C&pg=PA12|accessdate=August 13, 2011|date=2006-08-29|publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8264-8217-4|pages=12–}}</ref><ref name="Buckley1999">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Jonathan|title=Rock: the rough guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fie47qSuTsoC&pg=PR2-IA27|accessdate=August 13, 2011|date=1999-11-18|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1-85828-457-6|pages=25–}}</ref>

==History==
Eitzel spent his formative years in a military family living in Okinawa, Taiwan, Ohio and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://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|title=All on his own and more's the pithy...|last=Belcher|first=David|date=February 13, 1998|work=Glasgow Herald|accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> 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]]<ref name="George-WarrenRomanowski2001">{{cite book|last1=George-Warren|first1=Holly|last2=Romanowski|first2=Patricia|last3=Bashe|first3=Patricia Romanowski|author4=Jon Pareles|title=The Rolling stone encyclopedia of rock & roll|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uU9AAQA6kAMC|accessdate=August 13, 2011|date=2001-10-30|publisher=Fireside|isbn=978-0-7432-0120-9|pages=18-}}</ref> 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]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/entertainment/music/feature/1997/05/08/eitzel970508|title=Mark Eitzel|last=Eggers|first=Dave|date=May 8, 1997|work=Salon|accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> 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]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://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|title=The Melancholy Man Lightens Up|last=Harrington|first=Richard|date=May 24, 2002|work=Washington Post|page=T6|accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> on Matador Records. This was followed by two covers projects in 2002: ''[[Music For Courage And Confidence]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2002-05-31/93940/|title=Mark Eitzel - Music Review|last=Caligiuri|first=Jim|date=May 31, 2002|work=Austin Chronicle|accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> which was material written by other songwriters, and ''[[The Ugly American]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-02-13/music/american-music-club-s-san-francisco-fixation/|title=American Music Club's San Francisco Fixation|last=Sanders|first=Mark|date=February 13, 2008|work=SF Weekly|page=1|accessdateAugust 13, 2011}}</ref> 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]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29481-2004Nov5.html|title=POP MUSIC|last=Foster|first=Patrick|date=November 6, 2004|work=The Washington Post|page=C3|accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> and toured both the United States and Europe several times. The album received glowing reviews across the world. In 2008 the band line up changed again and the band released ''[[The Golden Age]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/a-divine-evening-at-the-music-club-with-old-friends-1280682.html|title=A divine evening at the music club with old friends|last=Sweeney|first=Eamon|date=February 4, 2008|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> which ''Uncut'' magazine said was their best since ''[[Mercury]]'' with a 5-star album of the month review.

Eitzel released the electronic ''[[Candy Ass]]'' in 2005.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://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|title=Spin control|date=November 27, 2005|work=Chicago Sun-Times|page=D2|accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> In 2009, he released ''[[Klamath]]'' 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 Eitzel 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".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vidalsassoonthemovie.com/ |title=How One Man Changed The World With a Pair of Scissors |publisher=Vidal Sassoon The Movie |accessdate=2012-10-31}}</ref>  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.

His eleventh solo studio album, "[[Don't Be A Stranger]]", was released in October 2012 on [[Merge Records]] and produced by [[Sheldon Gomberg]]. The follow up, 2017's ''[[Hey Mr Ferryman]]'', was produced by [[Bernard Butler]]. In addition to all the above albums Eitzel has also released many mail order & tour CDs, his most recent being the limited edition (300 copies) ''[[Copenhagen 2009]]'', which was first available during his 2017 SXSW appearances and later through his website. 

==Discography==
[[The Cowboys]]
*''[[Supermarket / Teenage Life]]'' (7") - [[Tet Offensive Records]] - 1980
[[The Naked Skinnies]]
*''[[All My Life / This Is The Beautiful Night]]'' (7") - [[Naked House Records]] - 1981
[[American Music Club]]
* ''[[The Restless Stranger]]'' (LP/CS) - [[Grifter Records]] (January 1985)
* ''[[Engine]]'' (CD/LP/CS) - [[Frontier Records]] (October 1987)
* ''[[California]]'' (CD/LP/CS) [[Frontier Records]] (October 1988)
* ''[[United Kingdom]]'' (CD/LP) - [[Demon Records]] (October 1989)
* ''[[Everclear]]'' (CD/LP/CS) - [[Alias Records]] (October 1991)
* ''[[Mercury]]'' (CD/LP/CS)  [[Reprise Records]] - (March 1993)
* ''[[San Francisco]]'' (CD/LP/CS) [[Reprise Records]] - (September 1994)
* ''[[Love Songs For Patriots]]'' (CD/LP) [[Cooking Vinyl]] - (September 2004)
* ''[[1984-1995]]'' (CD) (2004)
* ''[[A Toast To You]]'' (CD) (2005)
* ''[[The Golden Age]]'' (CD) [[Merge Records]] - (February 2008)
* ''[[Atwater Afternoon]] (CD) (2008)
* ''[[The Everclear Rehearsals Late 1990]]'' (CD) (2008)
* ''[[The Mercury Band Demos April 1992]]'' (CD) (2008)

[[Toiling Midgets]]
* ''[[Son]]'' (CD)  [[Matador Records]] - 1992

Solo
*''[[Mean Mark Eitzel Gets Fat]] (CS) - 1982
*''[[Songs Of Love Live]]'' (CD/LP) - [[Diablo Records]] - 1991
*''[[60 Watt Silver Lining]]'' (CD/CS) - [[Warner Bros.]] - 1996
*''[[Lover's Leap USA]] (CD) - 1997
*''[[West]]'' (CD/CS) - [[Warner Bros.]] - 1997
*''[[Caught In A Trap And I Can't Back Out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby]]'' (CD/LP) - [[Matador Records]] - 1998
*''[[The Invisible Man]]'' (CD) - [[Matador Records]] - 2001
*''[[Music For Courage And Confidence]]'' (CD) - [[New West Records]] - 2002
*''[[The Ugly American]]'' (CD) - [[Soul Sister]] | [[Tongue Master Records]] | [[Thirsty Ear Recordings]] - 2003
*''[[Candy Ass]]'' (CD) - [[Cooking Vinyl]] - 2005
*''[[Klamath]]'' (CD) - [[Decor Records]] - 2009
*''[[Brannan Street]]'' (CD) - 2010
*''[[Don't Be A Stranger]]'' (CD/LP) - [[Merge Records]] - 2012
*''[[Glory]]'' (CD) - 2013
*''[[The Konk Sessions]]'' (CD) - 2013
*''[[Hey Mr Ferryman]]'' (CD) - [[Merge Records]] - 2017
*''[[Copenhagen 2009]]'' (CD) - 2017

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*Wish The World Away: Mark Eitzel and the American Music Club by Sean Body, SAF Publishing, Ltd. (April 1999), ISBN 0-946719-20-9, ISBN 978-0-946719-20-4
*[http://www.markeitzel.com/ Official site]
*[http://www.americanmusicclub.com American Music Club Official Site]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eitzel, Mark}}

[[Category:AMC Members]]