{"title":"American Football","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmerican Football is a rock band from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Originally active from 1997 through 2000, the band consists of guitarist\/bassist and singer Mike Kinsella, drummer Steve Lamos, and guitar player Steve Holmes. After reuniting in 2014, American Football has continued to make music together. Nate Kinsella also joined the band permanently as bassist during the recording of LP2.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith members who have been part of other notable bands such as Cap'n Jazz and Joan of Arc, American Football brings a wealth of experience to their music. Their unique sound blends elements of rock with introspective lyrics that resonate with listeners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince their reunion, American Football has played festival sets and headline shows, captivating audiences with their emotive performances. With each release, they continue to push boundaries and create music that connects deeply with fans around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"american-football","title":"American Football","description":"\u003cp\u003eNot long after Polyvinyl Records released \u003cem\u003eAmerican Football\u003c\/em\u003e's self-titled debut album in 1999, the band called it quits, having only played a smattering of Champaign-Urbana college house parties and sets at small clubs like Chicago's legendary Fireside Bowl. Such an inauspicious turn of events made what followed all the more incredible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver time, the record went on to become one of Polyvinyl's best-selling releases to date, and ended up serving as \"one of the single most influential rock records of its time\" according to Noisey and many others. To most everyone that found them after the fact, the band was no more than an apparition. The record the only artefact left behind as a timeless snapshot of a group of individuals in transition, newly discovered each year by a fresh crop of music fans reaching a similar inflection point in their own lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe again self-titled \u003cem\u003eAmerican Football\u003c\/em\u003e finds the band with new material that takes them on a serendipitous detour down a familiar road. It is replete with the swelling emotions that might be spurred on by locked away memories unearthed by a familiar scent or crack in the concrete, or the rush of warm apprehension when coming face to face with a lover left before the fire was close to going out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"The past still present tense\" sings \u003cstrong\u003eMike Kinsella\u003c\/strong\u003e on \"Home Is Where The Haunt Is\", but while the house on the cover and the title of the album are the same, they are made strange by time and newfound perspective. \"We've been here before,\" he declares on album opener \"Where Are We Now?\", \"but I don't remember a lock on the door.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt a time when reunions have become rote, \u003cem\u003eAmerican Football\u003c\/em\u003e is decidedly an anomaly. There is no past glory to relive or reignite, nor the burden to branch out and break from a well-worn formula. Seventeen years later everything still feels brand new, because for them it is. They are a band that for one reason or another closed the lid on their creative output just as they were beginning an unforeseeable upswing, and are just now after a stasis returning to uncork it with the benefit of greater maturity and better musicianship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe sound is even more expansive, the lyrics less naive and more world-weary, the songs have greater depths to explore and layers to peel back throughout. \"You can't just forget all the other lives you've lived,\" Mike Kinsella sings, and every single one of the nearly two decades worth of experiences since they last put pen to paper as \u003cem\u003eAmerican Football\u003c\/em\u003e seem to bleed through on this record.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Polyvinyl","offers":[{"title":"Green LP | Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":50412931416395,"sku":"2198310","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - Blue","offer_id":50412928598347,"sku":"2013141","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50412927385931,"sku":"406009","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/American_Football_3465de47_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726669698"},{"product_id":"american-football-3","title":"American Football 3","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eAmerican Football\u003c\/i\u003e (LP3) is the third album from the scene giants - American Football. American Football’s original triumph, on their 1999 self-titled debut, was to reunite two shy siblings: emo and post-rock. It was a pioneering album where lyrical clarity was obscured and complicated by the stealth musical textures surrounding it. Like Slint’s \u003ci\u003eSpiderland\u003c\/i\u003e, or Codeine’s \u003ci\u003eThe White Birch\u003c\/i\u003e, even Talk Talk’s \u003ci\u003eLaughing Stock\u003c\/i\u003e, American Football asked far more questions than it cared to answer. But there wasn’t a band around anymore to explain it, anyway. The three young men who made the album – Mike Kinsella, Steve Holmes, and Steve Lamos – split up pretty much on its release. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFifteen years later, American Football reunited (now as a four-piece, with the addition of Nate Kinsella). They played far larger shows than in their original incarnation and recorded their long-anticipated second album, 2016’s \u003ci\u003eAmerican Football \u003c\/i\u003e(LP2). The release was widely praised, but the band members still felt like their best work was yet to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP3 is less obviously tethered to the band’s past than the second album. An immediate contrast between LP3 and its two predecessors is its cover. The two previous albums featured the exterior and interior of a residence in the band’s original hometown of Urbana, Illinois (now attracting fans for pilgrimages and photo opportunities), by the photographer Chris Strong. But American Football knew that LP3 was an outside record. Instead of the familiar house, this time the cover photo (again by Strong) features open, rolling fields on Urbana’s borders. It is a sign of the album’s magnitude in sound, and of the band’s boldness in breaking away from home comforts. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmerican Football also joked that LP3’s genre was ‘post-house’, because of this very conscious visual break. But, in a strange way, there are links in LP3 with an actual post-house genre: shoegaze. The more exploratory members of the original British shoegaze scene were inspired by the dreamtime and circularity of house music (ambient house in particular), cherishing its sonic possibilities. That spirit drips into LP3, most obviously on \u003ci\u003eI Can’t Feel You\u003c\/i\u003e, a collaboration with Rachel Goswell of Slowdive. The album also features Hayley Williams from Paramore on the album’s catchiest moment, \u003ci\u003eUncomfortably Numb\u003c\/i\u003e, and Elizabeth Powell, of the Québécoise act Land Of Talk. Mike wrote lyrics in French especially for her. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP3 is contemplative, rich, expressive, yet with a queasy undercurrent. It is heavy with expectancy, revealing its ideas slowly, eliciting the hidden stories people carry around with them. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Scary Monsters","offers":[{"title":"LP - Light Blue","offer_id":52533121188171,"sku":"R8238-2344","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":50426142196043,"sku":"1052891","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50426141638987,"sku":"1052892","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - White","offer_id":50426141933899,"sku":"1052890","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/ca7bd8a4-fb49-4091-bf62-04cc31a1855c_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726802629"},{"product_id":"american-football-2-2","title":"American Football 2","description":"\u003cp\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wichita Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Orange LP","offer_id":50432126157131,"sku":"2166532","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/American_Football_2_6d37708e_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726863962"},{"product_id":"american-football-25th-anniversary-edition","title":"American Football (25th Anniversary Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter quietly releasing their self-titled debut album in 1999 while still in college, American Football disbanded after the album’s release to focus on other projects, only to reunite 15 years later to a fanbase that had been consistently growing throughout the underground \/ emo scene. The album later appeared on Rolling Stone’s “40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time” list at #6, with Pitchfork giving its deluxe reissue the “Best New Reissue” title, calling it the “most influential album in the genre.” To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album’s release, Polyvinyl is thrilled to announce a new remastered edition of the album with re-imagined artwork and packaging.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Polyvinyl","offers":[{"title":"Silver LP","offer_id":50447351513419,"sku":"2213581","price":37.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/AMERICAN_FOOTBALL_-_AMERICAN_FOOTBALL_25TH_ANNIVERSARY_0b2e395d_thumbnail_40.jpg?v=1727076444"},{"product_id":"american-football-deluxe-edition","title":"American Football (Deluxe Edition)","description":"Quintessenial emo, a wistful look into heartbreak and the melancholia of being young and in love - five seconds of the guitars on the opening track is enough to transport you back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eConnor, Rough Trade Bristol\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Polyvinyl","offers":[{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50462854578507,"sku":"375878","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"2LP - Red","offer_id":50462857101643,"sku":"375877","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/dc13b52d-1766-89d9-5db3-e93c4d48bf41_2de64d72_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727260104"},{"product_id":"rare-symmetry-fade-into-you","title":"Rare Symmetry \/ Fade Into You","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter quietly releasing their self-titled debut album in 1999 while still in college, American Football disbanded after the album’s release to focus on other projects, only to reunite 15 years later to a fanbase that had been consistently growing throughout the underground\/emo scene. The album later appeared on Rolling Stone’s “40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time” list at #6, with Pitchfork giving its deluxe reissue the “Best New Reissue” title, calling it the “most influential album in the genre.” The reunion was followed by 2 more self-titled full-length albums (LP2 and LP3), collaborations with the likes of Paramore’s Hayley Williams, San Holo, boyband and others, as well as numerous sold-out world tours.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the \u003ci\u003eRare Symmetry \/ Fade Into You\u003c\/i\u003e 10” single, American Football (Mike Kinsella, Nate Kinsella, Steve Holmes) expand on the dense beauty of LP3 with “Rare Symmetry”, incorporating chiming vibraphones, intricate picking patterns, and devastating lyrics. For the B-side, the band offers up a dazzling cover of Mazzy Star’s 1994 hit single, “Fade Into You,” with Miya Folick contributing vocals. Both tracks feature the iconic, jazz-infused drumming of former founding member Steve Lamos, who played on these songs before announcing his departure earlier this year.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Scary Monsters","offers":[{"title":"Brown | 10\"","offer_id":50466391982411,"sku":"1140003","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/7e5a8092-70f8-4638-8e78-cb3f84c8d09d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727312154"},{"product_id":"american-football-live-in-los-angeles","title":"American Football (Live In Los Angeles)","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn October 12th and 13th, 2024, American Football performed two sold- out shows at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles - part of the band’s 25th anniversary tour for their self-titled debut album. Featuring guest appearances from Ethel Cain and M.A.G.S., these special shows were recorded for American Football’s first and only live album, \u003cem\u003eAmerican Football (Live in Los Angeles).\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter quietly releasing their self-titled debut album in 1999 while still in college, American Football disbanded after the album’s release to focus on other projects, only to reunite 15 years later to a fanbase that had been consistently growing throughout the underground \/ emo scene. The album later appeared on Rolling Stone’s “40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time” list at #6, with Pitchfork giving its deluxe reissue the “Best New Reissue” title, calling it the “most influential album in the genre.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Polyvinyl","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Green","offer_id":52623207629131,"sku":"R3416-5024","price":37.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/click_b26f2fe8-51cc-40c1-8fa6-22349b0de451.jpg?v=1751468765"},{"product_id":"american-football-lp4","title":"American Football (LP4)","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen the idea of recording a fourth album came up (for the second time), American Football knew things were going to get darker. After touring a year’s worth of sold-out 25th Anniversary shows around the world and releasing a covers album (featuring Iron and Wine, Ethel Cain, Blondshell and more), the quartet of Mike \u0026amp; Nate Kinsella, Steve Lamos, and Steve Holmes linked up with producer\/engineer Sonny Diperri (My Bloody Valentine, M83, Kurt Vile) to record what would become their most substantial record to date. Blending atmospheric textures with emotive, post-rock style catharsis,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLP4\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis unlike anything American Football have recorded thus far, yet it fits right in with their evolving and beautiful catalog.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecorded during a 10-day retreat at Panoramic House in Stinson Beach, CA,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLP4\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efinds the band intentionally walking into the abyss, themes of divorce, upheaval, and uncertainty are at the forefront. Yet the band sounds more engaged and legitimized than ever before. Opening track “Man Overboard” showcases each member’s strengths: the unmatched style and jazz swing of Lamos’ drumming, the lyrical vulnerability and multi-instrumental mastery of both Kinsellas, and Holmes’ signature guitar work, all swirling together like a shoegaze tornado as the guitars and bass surge into something twisted and warped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther standouts like “Blood On My Blood” showcase the band’s unique use of alternating time signatures, while “Bad Moons” (the longest track the band has ever recorded) includes some of Kinsella’s most intense lyrics yet. The album also features guest vocals from Turnstile’s Brendan Yates (“No Feeling”), Wisp (“Wake Her Up”), and Rainer Maria’s Caithlin De Marrais (“Blood On My Blood”).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLP4\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis an ambitious artistic statement from a band that continues to push the boundaries of genre and culture. It’s a gorgeous and elaborate album, one that takes its time to reveal its beauty while hinting at the darker parts trying their best to stay hidden.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Polyvinyl","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Blood Red Ripple | Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":56768940245323,"sku":"R6525-2218","price":36.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"2LP - Yellow","offer_id":56768996933963,"sku":"R6525-5759","price":36.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"2LP - Red","offer_id":56768996966731,"sku":"R6525-7966","price":33.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56768996999499,"sku":"R6525-5898","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Screenshot_2026-03-10_at_7.53.15_PM.png?v=1773187581"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_7b1801c7_thumbnail_4096_0280d0c4-ecc4-476d-9b35-aa9f4c9ec090.jpg?v=1726669639","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/collections\/american-football.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}