Mark Lemhouse is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for releasing critically acclaimed solo albums as well as collaborating with Black Francis of The Pixies serving as producer for the album, ''Bluefinger.'' Lemhouse is known to write and perform music that is a combination of influences rooted in blues, old country, and American folk music.
Biography
Lemhouse got his professional start in music in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
playing in
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
,
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
, American roots bands and also as a solo performer. While in Memphis, he released two solo albums on the
Yellow Dog Records label. His debut album, ''Big Lonesome Radio'' was nominated for two
Blues Music Award
The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...
s for "Best New Artist" and "Acoustic Album of The Year."
His song "Edwin's Lament" was used in the
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
-winning film, ''
Hustle and Flow.'' The follow-up album, ''The Great American Yard Sale'', was more eclectic in themes than the first, with songs covering subjects from
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
to astronauts.
In 2007, Lemhouse produced the album ''
Bluefinger'' for
Alternative Rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
musician
Black Francis
Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965), better known by the stage name Black Francis, is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies. Following the band's break ...
(AKA Frank Black) of
The Pixies
The Pixies are an American alternative rock band from Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986 by Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass, vocals) and David Lovering (drums).
The Pi ...
.
Upon the album's release the song "Threshold Apprehension", which Lemhouse also provided backing vocals to, was picked by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine as one of the Best 100 Songs of the year.
Lemhouse has toured both the U.S. and Europe, sharing stages with an eclectic group of artists including Jimmie Vaughan, Black Francis, Gary Clark Jr, John Doe, Kelly Joe Phelps, and Lemhouse’s personal hero, Honeyboy Edwards.
Discography
Albums (Solo)
*2002 ''Big Lonesome Radio''
*2005 ''The Great American Yard Sale''
*2023 ''Better Days''
Other projects
*2002 Bluff City Backsliders ''Bluff City Backsliders -'' Lapsteel
*2007 Black Francis ''Bluefinger'' - Producer
*2011 Camino Deluxe ''Willamina E.P. -'' Guitar, Vocals
*2014 The Sublimities ''Surf and Turf -'' Guitar
Compilations
* 2004 ''Pickathon 2004'' (Song: Coal Black Mattie)
* 2006 Friends of Fahey: A John Fahey Tribute , Song: "How White's Restaurant Destroyed My Life"
* 2007 ''Drink to Bones That Turn to Dust: a Toast to Oingo Boingo'' , Song: "Who Do You Want To Be Today?"
References
External links
marklemhousemusic.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemhouse, Mark
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
American record producers
American guitarists