Eytan Mirsky's Power-Pop

Eytan Mirsky could form a band called the A-Tones?then people would have some idea of how to pronounce his first name. Except that might make Eytan feel less miserable, and then Todd Solondz would have to find somebody else to write bizarre songs like the one Michael Stipe sings at the end of Happiness. And being miserable in small films is working out pretty well for Mirsky.

In addition to Happiness, Mirsky has landed songs in films like The Tao of Steve. That'll also be Eytan on the screen performing the title song in the upcoming film adaptation of Harvey Pekar's American Splendor. But Mirsky isn't any happier?even though his comparatively lush day job is working as a sound and sound effects editor on films like A Beautiful Mind and The Winslow Boy. He's certainly not happy to find himself part of this month's International Pop Overthrow. But then, the festival of power-pop acts is only allowing him to play in a forced show of inclusiveness.

The IPO doesn't like Mirsky. That's why he's stuck opening a day of shows at Arlene Grocery at the non-rocking hour of 1 p.m. But that's to be expected, since Mirsky scares power-pop fans. His first two self-released CDs weren't too notable, but last year's Was It Something I Said? was a true achievement. He took his twangiest tunes yet and created an inspired setting for his growing disdain for the ladies.

Songs like "Love Is For Girls" and "Sluts!" naturally scare off the kind of innocent guys (or, if you will, virgins) who love power-pop. Mirsky doesn't care about that, either. It's just something else that he recently dwelled upon during another uneventful night at his home in Queens.

For an unknown guy, you've got a fairly high-profile credit with Michael Stipe singing your song at the end of Happiness.

That mainly just meant me getting e-mails from people who were big fans of Stipe. They clearly didn't care much about me. I mean, they could at least acknowledge that I wrote the song, instead of being an obsessive Stipe fan who needs a copy. Go bother Stipe. I didn't even get the song placed on the Happiness soundtrack. Stipe made it clear they couldn't use it. He had his reasons, I'm sure. The obsessive completists will have to wait for the box set.

Did The Tao of Steve win you any fans?

Yeah, but Happiness is more international. I get a lot of e-mail from Sweden. They're more depressed there, probably because of Seasonal Affective Disorder. They always either want a copy of the song or want to know how to play it on guitar. Supposedly, the Steve McQueen song from The Tao of Steve is going to be on Scrubs. If they use it, I'll make a lot of money.

They just released a Scrubs soundtrack album.

I'm getting kind of pessimistic, really. They haven't used the song yet. That may turn out to be a major disappointment. Maybe I'll do some stuff on the next Todd Solondz film, though. And I've been approached about other low-budget films, but who knows if they'll ever get made.

It's unusual for you to bother doing a concert.

My focus is mainly on film. To me, it's the best way to get exposure. I don't want to play for the same 50 people who I'm always begging to attend the next show. That's no fun. But maybe after this interview, I'll get thousands of people at my show. Preferably supermodels. The people who like the Press' sex articles should come to the show.

What'll really be amazing is if you get power-pop fans to come to the show.

Yeah. What's weird is that David Bash, who's the guy behind IPO, doesn't like my music. It became a whole personal thing. Whatever kind of music he likes, I'm not it. And he's got this pal who's no goldmine, either. They criticize my stuff on the basis of my outlook on life. To me, that's like saying a movie's bad because it's too depressing.

They also can't be comfortable with your unromantic attitude toward the ladies. Power-pop fans tend to fetishize women, since a lot of them don't have much experience in things like touching a boobie.

I'm not going to get into that. But power-pop music can get tied up in an era where things were more innocent. Not all of the groups at IPO will be like that, but a lot are trying to recreate this imaginary innocence. I like upbeat music, but my life is negative.

What's negative about your life?

Everything. I'm not the happiest guy.

But you're constructive with your misery. "Just Another In A Long, Long Line" really stands out as a pop song, since it takes a stand against the pathetic notion of pining after a girl.

Yeah, unrequited love is pathetic. In music, you mean? I don't want to talk about my love life. Not that I'm disagreeing with you about the song. It's important to not put women on a pedestal. The message is, "Who are you? You're not that special." But the guy's being rejected too, so there's comedy in that.

Maybe the people at IPO finally decided you must be joking.

Supposedly the reason I was invited to play IPO is because I had this song on a George Harrison tribute that they liked. I didn't know what they wanted from me. Was I supposed to play a set of George Harrison songs? I'm not a total outcast, but?like I said before?the guy who runs the festival prefers a real sunny outlook.

Power-pop fans get scared of anything that sounds like frustration.

Exactly. What about the people who are into things like early Nick Lowe? Or I've been compared to this band called Any Trouble. Some people think I'm misogynist, but a few people get into it. This guy in Sweden interviewed me for?well, some big Swedish magazine, and he was really into me as a spokesman for a different viewpoint.

So you're in the underground of the Underground Pop Movement.

Yeah, but power-pop is too small of a niche to even react against. I'm just trying to do my own thing, as they used to say. I'm not going to get rich from writing pop songs. Straight pop just isn't interesting. I don't like writing songs where I insert the name of Girl X and how she's so great. But not everyone's mind is as poisonous as mine.

It's still strange that you're on the periphery, when you've actually been more successful than a lot of songwriters.

The years have passed since Happiness and The Tao of Steve, but it helps that I'm in a city where people actually watch indie films. Somebody like me putting out my own albums, most people wouldn't know anything they did. But it's also frustrating. I wrote those songs, but I still need a break. Why can't I land a song in a James Bond film?

Do your film credits ever impress the ladies?

No. Who knows who I am? Actually, some girls get impressed. It helps in conversation. Instead of, "I'm a loser," it's "I'm a loser who wrote this song you might have heard in a movie." I'll drop Michael Stipe's name. I always said it's just a conversation piece.

What was your longest relationship?

I don't want to talk about my love life. Really. It's not good. I should probably be in therapy?not that it would make any difference. Could you just get some women down to the show? Women who read this article should really understand that I'm the ultimate rock sex star.

Eytan Mirsky performs at 1 p.m. at Arlene Grocery on Sat., Dec. 14. 95 Stanton St. (betw. Ludlow & Orchard Sts.), 358-1633.