American Football

A sublime band returns to help us all cope

Not every article every day can be about healthcare. American Football is a band whose first album, eponymously titled, was released in 1999. They formed in Urbana, Illinois, in 1997. It’s math rock and very emo all at once. They clearly could have stepped on a distortion pedal and rocked out…but never do. I’m a huge fan of Rainer Maria, a band on the same Polyvinyl label. Mike Kinsella went on tour with them more than once. He even had a solo project called, yes, “Owen.” This band does a thing better than most—they get the point across that emotions, especially harrowing emotions, are best conveyed with restraint. Music is always how I’ve coped. I even recorded a full-length album at Tiny Telephone in San Fransisco before the pandemic closed this Mission studio down. American Football inspired me more than most.