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American Music Club “The Golden Age”

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where two old friends take a second listen to influential bands' catalogs, track by track. For our second season, we've selected the pioneering indie rockers American Music Club.

How do you pass the President’s email: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

American Music Club "The Golden Age" (2008), Side B: One Step Ahead Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

American Music Club's 2008 album "The Golden Age", Side B: "Who You Are", "The Windows on the World", "One Step Ahead" and more.

Plus "The Dance", "On My Way" and "The Grand Duchess of San Francisco", a 2008 time capsule, JW's Backtrack Retrack, and the end of the catalog.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Arrested Development

0:06: Intro

0:38: The 2008 J. W. and Dan Time Capsule

10:21: Side B, Track 1: “Who You Are”

19:55: Side B, Track 2: “The Windows on the World”

28:38: Side B, Track 3: “One Step Ahead”

33:58: Side B, Track 4: “The Dance”

45:01: Side B, Track 5: “I Know That’s Not Really You”

52:19: Side B, Track 6: “On My Way”

1:00:07: Side B, Track 7: “The Grand Duchess of San Francisco”

1:04:55: JW's Backtrack Retrack — “The Golden Age”

1:12:42: The 24 Carat Best and the Gold-Filled Worst

1:19:00: And that’s it. The catalog is complete.

AMC LINKS:

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American Music Club “The Golden Age”

My sunsets are always one-sentence emails: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

American Music Club "The Golden Age" (2008), Side A: The Stars Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

American Music Club's 2008 album "The Golden Age", Side A: "All My Love", "The Victory Choir", "Sleeping Beauty", "The Stars" and more.

Plus "The Decibels and the Little Pills" and "All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco", the production, the band, and a chance meeting.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

CHAPTERS:

0:00: 12

0:15: The Golden Intro

0:49: Talk to my rep, Eitzel.

2:25: “Never Stray from the Chronology!”

5:29: The Basics

8:00: “Michael’s Covers” for the Patreons

20:42: Production, the Band, and a Chance Meeting?

42:14: Side A, Track 1: “All My Love”

54:07: Side A, Track 2: “The Victory Choir”

1:04:57: Side A, Track 3: “The Decibels and the Little Pills”

1:16:32: Side A, Track 4: “Sleeping Beauty”

1:23:41: Side A, Track 5: “The Stars”

1:30:28: Side A, Track 6: “All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco”

1:39:24: C’est Fin

AMC LINKS:

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Mark Eitzel “Hey Mr. Ferryman”

You pulled off your email, went “Girls Gone Wild”: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Mark Eitzel "Hey Mr Ferryman" (2017), Side B: La Llorona, Let Me Go Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Mark Eitzel's 2017 album "Hey Mr Ferryman", Side B: "In My Role as a Professional Singer and Ham", "La Llorona" and more.

Plus "Mr. Humphries", "Just Because", "Let Me Go", "Sleep From My Eyes", and bonus-track commentary on a song for Jason Molina.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Bored?

0:22: The Hanz. The Fanz.

2:38: Side B, Track 1: “In My Role As a Professional Singer and Ham”

14:30: Side B, Track 2: “Mr. Humpries”

27:50: Side B, Track 3: “La Llorona”

37:49: Side B, Track 4: “Just Because”

42:54: Side B, Track 5: “Let Me Go”

50:04: Side B, Track 5: “Sleep From My Eyes”

57:03: Bonus Tracks Commentary: For Jason Molina

58:50: Die besten und die wursten.

1:05:04: See you next Tuesday.

REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

White Bimbo Man’s video for “Just Because”

AMC LINKS:

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Mark Eitzel “Hey Mr. Ferryman”

He spent his life on the television. He even had an email of his own: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Mark Eitzel "Hey Mr Ferryman" (2017), Side A: The Last Ten Years Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

Mark Eitzel's 2017 album "Hey Mr Ferryman", Side A: "The Last Ten Years", "An Answer", "The Road" and more.

Plus "Nothing and Everything" and "An Angel's Wings Brushed the Penny Slots", the production and arrangements, and the overall vibe.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

CHAPTERS:

0:00: The Dulcet Tones

0:19: Sheer Volume

6:25: Big Momma’s Housekeeping

13:23: The Basics

19:04: Under the Covers with Michael

25:33: Production, Arrangements, and the Overall Vibe

44:10: Side A, Track 1: “The Last Ten Years”

55:19: Side A, Track 2: “An Answer”

1:03:17: Side A, Track 3: “The Road”

1:11:33: Side A, Track 4: “Nothing and Everything”

1:20:06: Side A, Track 5: “An Angel’s Wings Brushed the Penny Slots”

1:30:36: Like Styx, we’re sailing away. Until next time.

AMC LINKS:

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Mark Eitzel “Don’t Be a Stranger”

To the slots, I go everyday. I know the email will come my way: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Mark Eitzel "Don't Be a Stranger" (2012), Side B: Break the Champagne Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

Mark Eitzel's 2012 album "Don't Be a Stranger", Side B: "Lament for Bobo the Clown", "Break the Champagne" and more.

Plus "We All Have to Find Our Own Way Out", "You're Waiting" and "Nowhere to Run." The worst is first, the best is second.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Girl, Don’t Go Away Mad….

1:26: How Can You Hate Amusement?

10:53: Side B, Track 1: “Lament for Bobo the Clown”

19:15: Side B, Track 2: “Break the Champagne”

26:12: Side B, Track 3: “We All Have to Find Our Own Way Out”

36:11: Side B, Track 4: “You’re Waiting”

42:15: Side B, Track 5: “Nowhere to Run”

48:54: The Worst is First, the Best is Second

55:00: …in the old, familiar places.

AMC LINKS:

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Mark Eitzel “Don’t Be a Stranger”

We all have to find our own email: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Mark Eitzel "Don't Be a Stranger" (2012), Side A: The Bill Is Due Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

Mark Eitzel's 2012 album "Don't Be a Stranger", Side A: "I Love You But You're Dead", "The Bill Is Due", "Oh Mercy" and more.

Plus "All My Love", "Costume Characters Face Dangers in the Workplace" and "Why Are You With Me?". An epic season for an epic songwriter.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Cold, Cold Opens

0:17: An Epic Season for an Epic Songwriter

4:15: How much darker? None.

11:11: The Basics

14:00: “Cover Me” by Michael

22:20: The Less Basic Basics

44:30: Side A, Track 1: “I Love You But You’re Dead”

58:26: Side A, Track 2: “The Bill Is Due”

1:05:49: Side A, Track 3: “All My Love”

1:15:35: Side A, Track 4: “Oh Mercy”

1:25:20: Side A, Track 5: “Costume Characters Face Dangers in the Workplace”

1:33:40: Side A, Track 5: “Why Are You With Me?”

1:40:50: Catch You on the Flipside

AMC LINKS:

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Mark Eitzel “Live Solo Acoustic 2005 – 2007”

The music it was blasting, and I couldn’t hear what she said. But when she signed my poster, she wrote: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Mark Eitzel Live: "Live Solo Acoustic 2005-2007" and "Copenhagen 2009" Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Two Mark Eitzel live albums in one episode: "Live Solo Acoustic 2005-2007" and "Copenhagen 2009", covers and track listings included.

Quantity has a quality all its own. We run down both records, and have opinions about how the track breaks were edited.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUMS:

Mark Eitzel “Copenhagen 2009”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Stay Hydrated!

0:21: Welcome Back

0:59: Quantity Has a Quality All Its Own

3:18: A Double Live Album Week

4:18: Housekeeping

14:30: Eitzel “Live Solo Acoustic 2005 – 2007”

16:10: The Cover

18:12: Track Listing

20:00: The Rundown

42:41: Eitzel “Copenhagen 2009”

43:17: Another Cover for Michael the Cover Lover

44:33: Track Listing

45:27: The Editing of Track Breaks Is Fucked

48:25: Another Rundown

1:09:29: Two Albums, One Bucket

AMC LINKS:

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Mark Eitzel “Brannan St.”

The email in my outbox is gone: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Mark Eitzel "Brannan St." (2009), Side B: Ramblin' Man, Tori, River Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

Mark Eitzel's "Brannan St." (2009), Side B: "Ramblin' Man", "Your Heart", "Eva", "Corny Spaceship Song", "Tori" and "River".

Plus the question of how you rewrite perfection, Rush's literal riches, somehow, and the besties and resties.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

CHAPTERS:

0:00: How can you rewrite perfection?

0:33: Welcome Back

1:10: Rush’s Literal Riches

2:28: Side B, Track 1: “Ramblin’ Man”

12:16: Side B, Track 2: “Your Heart”

17:18: Side B, Track 3: “Eva”

22:47: Side B, Track 4: “Corny Spaceship Song”

30:00: Side B, Track 5: “Tori”

34:33: Side B, Track 6: “River”

42:56: Besties and Resties

47:00: Buh-bye.

AMC LINKS:

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