American Music Club: Difference between revisions

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| instrument          =  
| instrument          =  
| years_active        = 1982–1994, 2004–2009
| years_active        = 1982–1994, 2004–2009
| label              = [[Cooking Vinyl]], [[Merge Records]], [[Reprise Records]], [[Virgin Records]], [[Frontier Records]], [[Grifter Records]], [[Zippo]], [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]], [[Demon Records]], [[Alias Records]]
| label              = [[Cooking Vinyl]], [[Merge Records]], [[Reprise Records]], [[Virgin Records]], [[Frontier Records]], [[Grifter Records]], [[Zippo Records]], [[Warner Bros.]], [[Demon Records]], [[Alias Records]]
| associated_acts    = [[The Cowboys]], [[The Naked Skinnies]], [[Toiling Midgets]]
| associated_acts    = [[The Cowboys]], [[Naked Skinnies]], [[Toiling Midgets]]
| website            = {{url|www.americanmusicclub.com}}
| website            = {{url|www.americanmusicclub.com}}
| current_members    =  
| current_members    =  
| past_members        = [[Mark Eitzel]]<br/>[[Vudi]]<br/>[[Danny Pearson]]<br/>[[Brad Johnson]]<br/>[[Matt Norelli]]<br/>[[Lisa Davis]]<br/>[[Tom Mallon]]<br/>[[Mike Simms]]<br/>[[Bruce Kaphan]]<br/>[[Tim Mooney]]<br/>[[Sean Hoffman]]<br/>[[Scott Alexander]]<br/>[[Greg Bonnell]]<br/>[[Joe Goldring]]<br/>[[Marc Capelle]]<br/>[[Steve Didelot]]
| past_members        = [[Mark Eitzel]]<br/>[[Vudi]]<br/>[[Danny Pearson]]<br/>[[Brad Johnson]]<br/>[[Matt Norelli]]<br/>[[Lisa Davis]]<br/>[[Tom Mallon]]<br/>[[Mike Simms]]<br/>[[Bruce Kaphan]]<br/>[[Tim Mooney]]<br/>[[Sean Hoffman]]<br/>[[Scott Alexander]]<br/>[[Greg Bonnell]]<br/>[[Marc Capelle]]<br/>[[Jason Borger]]<br/>[[Steve Didelot]]<br/>[[Dana Schechter]]<br/>[[Jonathan Heine]]
| notable_instruments =  
| notable_instruments =  
}}
}}


'''American Music Club''' is an American, San Francisco-based rock band, led by singer-songwriter [[Mark Eitzel]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book
'''American Music Club''' was an American, San Francisco-based rock band, led by singer-songwriter [[Mark Eitzel]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book
| first= Martin C.
| first= Martin C.
| last= Strong
| last= Strong
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==History==
==History==
Although born in California, Eitzel spent his formative years in Okinawa, Taiwan, Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1981. After a brief stint with the bands [[The Cowboys]] (one single: ''[[Supermarket/Teenage Life]]'') and [[The Naked Skinnies]] (one single: ''[[All My Life]]'') he founded American Music Club in San Francisco in 1983 with guitarist [[Scott Alexander]], drummer [[Greg Bonnell]] and bass player [[Brad Johnson]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> The band went through many personnel changes before arriving at a stable line up of guitarist [[Vudi]], bassist [[Danny Pearson]], keyboardist [[Brad Johnson]] and drummer [[Matt Norelli]]. This lineup would change over the next several years, but Eitzel always remained the core of the band in terms of its vocals, lyrics and thematic focus, with [[Vudi]] and [[Danny Pearson]] accompanying him on guitar and bass.
Although born in California, Eitzel spent his formative years in Okinawa, Taiwan, Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1981. After a brief stint with the bands [[The Cowboys]] (one single: ''[[Supermarket/Teenage Life]]'') and [[Naked Skinnies]] (one single: ''[[All My Life]]'') he founded American Music Club in San Francisco in 1983 with guitarist [[Scott Alexander]], drummer [[Greg Bonnell]] and bass player [[Brad Johnson]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> The band went through many personnel changes before arriving at a stable line up of guitarist [[Vudi]], bassist [[Danny Pearson]], keyboardist [[Brad Johnson]] and drummer [[Matt Norelli]]. This lineup would change over the next several years, but Eitzel always remained the core of the band in terms of its vocals, lyrics and thematic focus, with [[Vudi]] and [[Danny Pearson]] accompanying him on guitar and bass.


Their 1985 debut, ''[[The Restless Stranger]]'', is widely considered as the first slowcore release, establishing the band as major pioneers of slowcore and an early influence on post-rock.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/american_music_club/the_restless_stranger/ |title=The Restless Stranger by American Music Club (Album, Slowcore): Reviews, Ratings, Credits, Song list |publisher=Rateyourmusic.com |date= |accessdate=2015-05-18 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It was later followed by 1987's ''[[Engine]]'' which saw record producer [[Tom Mallon]] as a full-time member.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>
Their 1985 debut, ''[[The Restless Stranger]]'', is widely considered as the first slowcore release, establishing the band as major pioneers of slowcore and an early influence on post-rock.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/american_music_club/the_restless_stranger/ |title=The Restless Stranger by American Music Club (Album, Slowcore): Reviews, Ratings, Credits, Song list |publisher=Rateyourmusic.com |date= |accessdate=2015-05-18 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It was later followed by 1987's ''[[Engine]]'' which saw record producer [[Tom Mallon]] as a full-time member.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>
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On June 20, 2007, AMC announced a new lineup connected to the band's base of operations moving to Los Angeles. Eitzel and Vudi remained, while Mooney and Pearson stayed behind in San Francisco. They were replaced by bassist [[Sean Hoffman]] and drummer [[Steve Didelot]] from the band The Larks. AMC's next record, entitled ''[[The Golden Age]]'', was released in the UK on February 4, 2008 on [[Cooking Vinyl]] and in the US on February 19 on [[Merge Records]].
On June 20, 2007, AMC announced a new lineup connected to the band's base of operations moving to Los Angeles. Eitzel and Vudi remained, while Mooney and Pearson stayed behind in San Francisco. They were replaced by bassist [[Sean Hoffman]] and drummer [[Steve Didelot]] from the band The Larks. AMC's next record, entitled ''[[The Golden Age]]'', was released in the UK on February 4, 2008 on [[Cooking Vinyl]] and in the US on February 19 on [[Merge Records]].


[[Tim Mooney]] died of a blood clot in June 2012; he was 53.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/uncut-editors-diary/american-music-clubs-tim-mooney-rip |title=American Music Club's Tim Mooney: RIP |publisher=Uncut.co.uk |date=2012-06-19 |accessdate=2014-04-24}}</ref>
Shortly after an extensive 2008 tour, the group disbanded and then reformed with a new line-up including [[Mark Eitzel|Eitzel]], [[Vudi]] and [[Steve Didelot|Steve]] as well as members of Bee and Flower: [[Dana Schechter]] on bass and [[Jonathan Heine]] on second guitar. This short-lived lineup disbanded for good in 2009.


[[Tom Mallon]] died after a long battle with brain cancer on January 9, 2014; he was 57.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/tom-mallon-s-f-brain-tumor-support-group-benefit/44462 |title=Tom Mallon at Coming Home Hospice, SF &#124; Medical Expenses |publisher=YouCaring.com |date= |accessdate=2014-04-24}}</ref>
[[Tim Mooney]] died of a blood clot on June 13, 2012; he was 53.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/uncut-editors-diary/american-music-clubs-tim-mooney-rip |title=American Music Club's Tim Mooney: RIP |publisher=Uncut.co.uk |date=2012-06-19 |accessdate=2014-04-24}}</ref>
 
[[Tom Mallon]] died after a long battle with brain cancer on January 9, 2014; he was 57.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/tom-mallon-s-f-brain-tumor-support-group-benefit/44462 |title=Tom Mallon at Coming Home Hospice, SF &#124; Medical Expenses |publisher=YouCaring.com |date= |accessdate=2014-04-24}}</ref> Prior to his death, a benefit festival for Mallon (TomFest) took place in San Francisco at The Great American Music Hall on March 3, 2013. A band consisting of various former members and associates performed under the American Music Club name - this band consisted of Mallon (bass), [[Danny Pearson]] (guitar, vocals), Joe Goldring (guitar), [[Mike Simms]] (drums), Nancie Lualhati (backing vocals), [[Vudi]] (percussion) and Steve Lindstrom (backing vocals). The band performed "[[Clouds]]", "[[Electric Light]]", "[[Mom's TV]]" and "[[Bad Liquor]]".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://grifterrec.org/tomfest/tomfest.html | work=grifterrec.com | date=2013 | author=Tom Mallon | title=TomFest | accessdate=June 16, 2017}}</ref>


==Discography==
==Discography==
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*[http://www.markeitzel.com/ Mark Eitzel's official website]
*[http://www.markeitzel.com/ Mark Eitzel's official website]
*[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p3539|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic entry]
*[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p3539|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic entry]
*[https://archive.org/details/AmericanMusicClub American Music Club collection] at the [[Internet Archive]]'s live music archive
*[https://archive.org/details/AmericanMusicClub American Music Club collection] at the Internet Archive's live music archive