Mark Eitzel’s new solo record, Don’t Be A Stranger, will be released on CD, LP and digital by Merge Records on October 2 and by Décor Records in Europe on Sept 24.

After a string of bad luck that included a heart attack that set him back several months and the implosion of his band American Music Club, Mark Eitzel fortuitously found himself in the studio with celebrated producer Sheldon Gomberg (Rickie Lee Jones, Ron Sexsmith, Ben Harper), thanks to the generosity of an old friend. The result is Eitzel’s finest solo album in over a decade.

Mark Eitzel has released over 15 albums of original material with his band American Music Club and as a solo artist. The Guardian has called him “America’s Greatest Living Lyricist” and Rolling Stone once gave him their Songwriter of the Year award. Originally formed in 1983, American Music Club released seven albums before breaking up in 1995. They reunited in 2004 and subsequently released two albums on Merge Records, Love Songs for Patriots and The Golden Age.

Mark plans to tour the US in late 2012 and Europe in early 2013 with his band Mark Eitzel’s Warm Gentle Rain, whose stateside members include Kristin Sobditch (Little Fuzzy), Marc Capelle (American Music Club), Jon Langmead (Loquat), and Pete Straus (Dwarves). His live set consists of a mixture of songs from his rich catalog, including selections from American Music Club as well as newer material. Mark’s touring band will consist of piano, bass, and drums in the classic lounge style, but he also plans to “bring the chaos” in the form of his electric guitar. Renowned for his self-deprecating sense of humor, Mark’s live shows are always unique and unpredictable in the best possible way.