New York-based singer/songwriter Eytan Mirsky, who burst onto the pop scene with his debut album, Songs About Girls (& Other Painful Subjects), in 1996, walks the musical line between pure pop genius (à la Nick Lowe) and rock & roll innocent (à la Jonathan Richman). With songs that can entice foot-tapping and incessant humming, Mirsky has gained great praise from the critics, but sadly remains just outside the arms of fame and fortune. Shortly after the release of his debut, Mirsky, formerly a student at N.Y.U.'s Graduate Institute of Film and Television, wrote the theme song for the independent film Happiness, which was performed over the closing credits by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. In 1999, Mirsky released his sophomore effort, Get Ready for Eytan!, a fabulous collection of pure pop songs that stands up as one of the best albums of that year. Oddly enough, Mirsky again made his way onto celluloid by penning three songs for the critically acclaimed film The Tao of Steve (two of which can be found on the soundtrack). With a new album due in 2001 and more soundtrack work just around the corner, Mirsky is bound to be discovered by the general public at large. Until then, enjoy him before everyone else does. ~ Steve Schnee