Biography written by Garrett Phillips
We all know a typical Behind the Music story. The upside down story of Mark Kozelek, (pronounced Coz-e-LEK), 33 yr. old leader of San Francisco's Red House Painters, frequent solo artist, and former Atlantan, throws that all to hell. He got the substance abuse, (primarily prescription pills and booze), out of the way before he was eligible for a driver's license, (which he's never bothered to get). Leaving all intoxicants behind for going on twenty years now, he's had critically acclaimed records on a cool label, but his talent is lost on the masses. He found himself acting in a major movie completely by accident, landing the part of the bass player in Almost Famous only because a fan, director Cameron Crowe, asked him to join the cast. Appropriate enough, because to anyone that has followed Mark Kozelek closely, he is nothing if not almost famous.
His story began in Massillon, Ohio, a rust belt town just South of the rock and roll capital of the world. After Kozelek kicked the bizarre teenage drug habit, he was free to develop his natural gift for the guitar. Despite being influenced by the usual suspects, (Page, Hendrix, etc.), the head Painter showed early signs of a pattern of following his own path, becoming enamored with playing classical guitar. Although his recorded works to date rarely suggest it, Kozelek is notable for a well-rounded mastery of the instrument.
After playing typical metal cover songs in skating rinks and the like, he took his droning, albeit very original, post-high school outfit God Forbid to Atlanta in search of greener pastures. Indeed, for two years in the late eighties, Kozelek logged time here as a warehouse worker, "dustpan boy" at a luxury hotel, and cashier at the midtown grocery store that is now Kaya. And of course there were the bouts with unemployment, which meant he could also be severely under-funded. "I remember one time I was so broke, I was standing in a dump apartment in Chamblee, dying for potatoes stolen from my ex-drummer to finish boiling so I cold eat." This wasn't the original plan when he first headed South with his two God Forbid, (now the moniker under which his songs are published), bandmates. They first crashed on the apartment floor of an old high school friend before landing their own place in Chambodia, (before it was cool!). Alas, excess took it's toll on the bass player's motivation and the drummer got pussy-whipped, so Kozelek was left with no band in a town he didn't much like. "The guys I was with were more interested in Friday arriving so they could party than being in a band." In addition, the Ohio native was a target for barbs from the less enlightened in this island in the middle of bible belt, redneck ignorance. "I thought Atlanta was cool at first, and compared to Ohio, it was great", Kozelek explains, "but after some redneck yells out his car about my haircut for the fiftieth time, you kind of think there might be something better somewhere else."In addition, his songwriting was suffering and stopped playing live due to the clash of his style and local interest. As bad as things seemed at the time, the Atlanta trials proved to be keen in the development of Kozelek's songwriting and musical style, if only due to a lot of idle time.
When not writing, he listened to lots of Smiths, reflected in many of the subtle, intricate Painters arrangements, and plenty of Dead Kennedy's, " for the uniqueness." Kozelek soon took his unrealized potential west, to the more laid back, creative environs of the San Francisco Bay Area, where he stayed with an Uncle for six weeks. "The best decision I ever made." Kozelek quickly noted. He started subsisting with a brief stint at a retail job and then a string of hotel front desk gigs while finding the other two original Painters, drummer Anthony Koutsos and bassist Jerry Vessel, to pursue their unique sound. When asked about qualities the other Painters have that makes everything work so well, Kozelek offers: "The best thing about them is that nobody is changing their style to fit into the band; the music we play is what we like playing." After wallowing without a record deal for a year, Kozelek started wondering if he'd ever "make it", writing "24", off of 1992's debut Down Colorful Hill, about the fear. Alas, friends in San Francisco's American Music Club got the ear of the influential label 4AD boss Ivo Watts-Russell, and, as Kozelek puts it: "I haven't worked a day since." Saying that one hasn't worked is one thing, but that's certainly not to say that the songwriter hasn't stressed.
Kozelek's insistence at doing things by his rules led him to battle 4AD's Watts-Russell over the guitar solo lengths on Songs for a Blue Guitar. This would eventually lose the Painters their contract and eventually land them at Island records. Anyone familiar with Aimee Mann's story of works being tied up in record company red tape will get déjà vu assessing the Painter's story from there. "Old Ramon", the long awaited, (by the hardcore fans, at least), follow-up to 1997' "Songs…", has been "in the can" for nearly three years. When Island merged with Mercury in the relatively recent label fall-out/bloodbath, the new charges spent a full year deciding the record's fate. After deciding against releasing it, they proceeded to hold it hostage, citing an alleged $200,000 investment in production costs. (Eventually, The Painter's lawyer was able to score the rights to Old Ramon for 1/8th of Mercury's original demand). Presently there are several suitors for The Painter's services, with Beggar's Banquet being a leading possibility. The bottom line is, hard labor will soon be rewarded. Explains Kozelek: "I'm tired of waiting for it, but at least I'm used to being in limbo, because Island held up Songs for a Blue Guitar for a year, and I dealt with it." "I feel worse for the guys in the band", he continues, "because for this one I've had other stuff going on, so it's easier for me to deal with it." Old Ramon, due to ship in March, should satisfy critics and fans alike if the back catalog of the Red House Painters is any indication. Always garnering at least three stars in Rolling Stone reviews, (to name one publication), the past Painter releases have been consistently strong and ever-interesting. This latest effort promises to advance their sound a bit further with, as Kozelek puts it: "A lot of twin guitar leads, like Thin Lizzy or the Allman Brothers." From 1992's critically-acclaimed debut Down Colorful Hill, to the most recent, Songs for a Blue Guitar, Kozelek's soothing, unhurried vocal style has formed a unique mix with the often slow, intricate, and sometimes angry-sounding instrumental excursions. This sound, full of sometimes stunning melodies, is matched with sensitive, introspective lyrics to complete a mood in which seven-minute songs don't seem too long.
Although all of the recordings are stellar, 1995's Ocean Beach may be the most accessible jumping in point for the uninitiated. Indeed, NPR's All Things Considered radio program producers must agree, as they borrow sounds from the record for use as bumper music. Kozelek however, disagrees: "I think Songs…", (which followed Ocean Beach and features the aforementioned guitar solos), is our most mainstream record." "That's the one that doubled sales of our previous records, and songs from it have been used in movies, (A cover of the Cars "All Mixed Up", on the Excess Baggage soundtrack), and also for a (recently released) Gap ad." Despite which point one chooses jump in, any Painters record will at the very least, stand as unique compared to the rest of what's out there.
As for fans of the Red House Painters, they are hardcore by a unique standard. The behavior of a crowd at a Painters show is, to invert one of Kozelek's early song titles, to change English to Japanese. To wit: in Japan, audiences are noted for their intense concentration and utmost respect for live performances. Similarly, Painters audiences in the States and Europe take an extremely rare approach to a rock show by staying seated, even when there aren't any seats! They typically sit entranced, mouthing lyrics as if reciting a poem while rarely smiling. Indeed, many of his songs draw from deep emotions rarely brought to light by other songwriters, and a lot of his audience seems to be equally introspective. Some are sensitive enough about his "alternative-ness" as to be offended at a random Zeppelin cover, feeling their hero should be above the mainstream.
It may be fair to say that a concert featuring Kozelek may have been what Alicia Silverstone, (coincidentally a friend of his), was referring to in Clueless when she mentioned "complaint rock". For having such a reputation for mellow, emotional works, Mark Kozelek "live" must be a surprise to the uninitiated, as he's not nearly the tortured artist with revolver-near-temple that his records might suggest. Although very serious during the parts of the show when the band joins him onstage, during his "unplugged" turns, he's talkative and quick with a joke between songs. His shows can come across as light-hearted and very unique, and he often introduces a wide range of cover songs into the mix. AC/DC's "Down Payment Blues", Neil Young's, (his only true idol), "Powderfinger", REO Speedwagon's "Keep on Loving You", and John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" were all treated to a solo-acoustic turn at a 1998 Smith's Olde Bar gig. Indeed, Kozelek gives a nod to other songwriters on several Painters efforts, and this year's solo EP, Rock and Roll Singer keeps with the theme. The solo outing includes three AC/DC covers, as well as one from John Denver. The project: "was really easy, with just a guitar in the (local S.F. label) Badman's studio, explains the singer, "and I didn't have anything going on at the time, so it worked out great." So well did it work, in fact, that February of next year will see the release of another solo album on Badman, this one entirely AC/DC covers, called "What's Next to the Moon". Kozelek will re-work arrangements on "Love Hungry Man", and "Riff Raff", among others. As it turns out, Bon Scott's lyrics suit him fine to cover: "I like his lyrics because they work really well when I change the pace and sound of the song, like I do on all of my covers." "And", he adds, "they're fun to play live!"
The stage magnifies a side of Kozelek's personality that may explain why he is still only "Almost Famous". Never one to kow-tow or particularly care what anyone else thinks. For example, he dropped a "I lived in Atlanta for two years….it sucks!" on the aforementioned Smith's crowd. At his most recent stop at the Variety, bible-thumpers were the target when he mentioned that he was rooting for boxer Lennox Lewis to "beat the Jesus" out of notoriously religious Evander Holyfield. Needless to say, this disdain for ass-kissing hasn't exactly served him well when it comes to getting radio airplay, but on the other hand, he goes to bed every night as his own man. "It's not always that I don't want to, necessarily", explains Kozelek, "it's that I don't know how to do it convincingly." Although clearly talented enough to write "pop" songs, he steadfastly refuses to follow a tired verse/chorus/verse/chorus formula when writing, and he isn't interested in a nice, tight song length, either. "You know", the singer begins, "I'm bothered that song length is such an issue. I mean, do you like music or not?" "Why", he continues, "are people perfectly willing to sit through a three hour movie, yet a seven minute song is too long?"
Another example of Kozelek's disregard for marketing himself as effectively as possible would be his work as the force behind last winter's Take me home: a tribute to John Denver. Contributing three tracks himself, (two of which were with the Painters), he was glad to give props to Denver's songs. "I like the idea of being able to point out the great stuff that Denver wrote that might've been overlooked because of some of the decisions he made, like the cheesy TV show." His subject is open to ridicule from those that can't give Denver, "a dork", credit for good work done. Despite taking a risk at displaying questionable taste, Kozelek, as always, forged ahead with what he wanted to do, regardless of the reaction, (like Pearl Jam thinking he was kidding when he asked them to contribute to the record).
Adoring a granola-crunching songwriter's work seems natural enough for Kozelek, but it makes his main passion outside music even more bizarre: boxing. Yes, despite always hating sports in general, at some point the head Painter found the mano a mano nature of boxing to be fascinating. "I'm addicted to the suspense and drama of it all", he says, "and it gives me a hobby outside of music". Indeed, his apartment is strewn with literally hundreds of boxing videos, running the gamut of the sport's history. He rarely misses a pay-per-view event , and has been known to travel far and wide to be ringside live. (And the aforementioned fan thought a Zeppelin cover was bad!) Equally un-alternative is a rock figure playing a role in a mainstream movie, in this case this past Summer's Almost Famous. Kozelek offers up several comic lines, as well as standing around and nodding like a true pro. The period of shooting was spent primarily waiting around, but the head Painter wouldn't trade the experience for anything, describing it as: "Seven months of being treated like a king, with no worries". In addition, let's just say he benefited from the lead actors all staying faithful to their girlfriends, and, when arriving on the set at 5:30 a.m., he was buoyed by the presence of hundreds of attractive extras. As for any future acting, the guitarist offers: "I'm not going to pursue it, but I probably won't turn down offers, either." True to old friends, Kozelek suggested the drummer from his high school band to fill the same position in the movie. (Unbeknownst to everyone, the poor guy's only line would be an admission to his homosexuality.)
Along with "What's next to the Moon", Kozelek's latest project was writing and performing the score for a fledgling "indi" film called Last Ball, which is due to surface at next year's Sundance Film Festival. Though completely "going Hollywood" may or may not happen, you can rest assured that this interesting artist probably won't make it there by schmoozing.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/1854/bio.htm
