Essentials: American Football

by Samuel on August 18, 2009

Music history is so important in helping people decide what to love and hate in terms of personal preference. Without a little subconscious knowledge or previous music exposure you wouldn't have a clue what to look for in a song or artist. I realized today that I only review / comment on new or upcoming music so I've decided to start throwing around a piece to celebrate all the stuff that has influenced me from the past. The music is NOT new; this feature will focus on a wide range of older music, often far-out genres, and essential, sometimes obscure bands, so have an open mind. I'll start off easy for the first incarnation with the seminal 90s emo band from Illinois: American Football.

It's hard not to vibe on music like this. Sweet, naive, vocals reminiscing of boy-hood dramas in your parents basement, under soft guitar ramblings and quiet brass lines. Along the same lines as any essential emo band, they only have 2 releases, one of which is a 3 song EP, so it's not surprising if you haven't heard of them, but their side projects and members have ties to many major indie bands of the past 10 years and their distinct sound has influenced a generation of song writing.

Recommended If You Like: broken hearts, tambourine, and drinking

Check out all the related projects:

http://www.myspace.com/amfootball
http://www.myspace.com/mybandowen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap%27n_Jazz
http://www.joanfrc.com/