The Best of American Music Club

San-Francisco-based American Music Club is, in simplest terms, a band that can't be defined to the restraints of genre. The term "alt-country" would begin to define an aspect of their sounds, but wouldn't describe their drawing from jazz, lounge, punk, folk, and even Sonic Youth-ish noise rock. It's an eclecticism that from the surface wouldn't seem to work. But it does, and it goes beyond simply working. The songs are incredibly cohesive portraits of a grim, disappointing, and often harrowing American landscape sung from the flexible voice of the band's openly gay frontman Mark Eitzel. The band has confronted issues pushed out of the mainstream with songs such as "Sick of Food," told from the point-of-view of a hospital patient dying of AIDS. It's this kind of disenchantment and realism that's for years kept the band out of the limelight, but nevertheless planted a dedicated cult following.
Anyone who's listened to two albums by AMC will soon realize Eitzel's persona is multi-dimensional. For this reason, I've included songs I think best represent the spirit of the band, which isn't easy. Albums like Everclear fully achieve this, while Restless Stranger--an album the band omits from their repertoire (and I've not included in the mix)--represent an young band searching for a voice. I've included a few songs, which I personally don't believe is the band's "best," such as songs from their two comeback albums Love Songs for Patriots and The Golden Age--as they show where the band is going, and where they are still drawing on their rich past. Similarly, I've completely left out Mark Eitzel's productive, post-1991 career as a solo artist (I'm considering adding a second disc here to highlight the best of his solo work.) Anyways, I think AMC is a real gem of a band: a miracle, even? If you've never heard them before, this would be a place to start. If you are a fan, even, I've included enough off-the-beaten-path tracks for a good listen. Now, listen and then go buy the full albums!

The tracks:
1. Johnny Mathis' Feet
2. Royal Cafe
3. All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco
4. Rise
5. Another Morning
6. Dallas, Airports, Bodybags
7. The Confidential Agent
8. Lonely
9. What the Pillar of Salt Held Up
10. Why Won't You Stay
11. Western Sky
12. Blue and Grey Shirt
13. Decibels and the Little Pills
14. I Broke My Promise
15. Miracle on 8th Street
16. Gratitude Walks
17. Chanel #5
18. Love Doesn't Belong
19. The Stars
20. Jesus' Hands
21. Fearless (Live)

HERE