American Steel
American Steel was formed in 1995 in West Oakland. When offered their first… Read Full Bio ↴American Steel was formed in 1995 in West Oakland. When offered their first show, the group took their name from the block-long sign on the warehouse across the street. After playing at parties and smaller venues around the Bay Area for over a year, and undergoing several lineup changes, which resulted in a more serious and tour-ready conglomerate, the band bought a van and embarked on their first tour of the US, lasting 32 days and covering 12,000 miles.
After returning from tour, American Steel went into the studio with engineer Kevin Army (Operation Ivy, Green Day, The Mr. T Experience, etc.) to record their eponymous first album, released on San Francisco's New Disorder Records, home of Half Empty, The Cost, The Enemies, and many others. In 1998, the band appeared on several compilations and toured the country twice, re-visiting some cities from previous tours and playing numerous new ones.
In the spring of 1999, American Steel signed to Lookout! and again went into the studio with Kevin Army to record Rogue's March, released in October 1999. The recording process was intermittent, due to guitarist Ryan's initial diagnosis and early battle with leukemia. Part of the urgent, soul-searching quality of the album came from the band's personal struggle with Ryan's illness, most poignantly captured in their song, "Hope Springs from Somewhere." 2000 saw the band tour relentlessly in both the U.S. and Canada, including appearances at South by Southwest and CMJ. Rogue's March became an underground favorite, topping many fanzine's lists of "Best Record of the Year." By the end of 2000, American Steel was firmly established as one of the most explosive bands in the Bay Area. In addition to their bigger and better than ever local shows, they also received a nomination for "Best Punk Album," along with Rancid, Green Day, No Doubt & Blink 182 in the California Music Awards 2001.
While clearly influenced by the early East Bay sound, American Steel's song structures often owe more to the much older sounds of traditional Motown, folk, and rock than to punk or hardcore. This combination of traditional music and punk rock, of the subtlety of the former with the power of the latter, defines and reconciles the diverse group of songs that make up Jagged Thoughts, American Steel's latest LP. Having fully absorbed their punk influences to make Rogue's March, a new definitive East Bay Punk album, American Steel set forth to start creating an entirely new genre of music. An exciting take on rock and roll equally tempered by punk's hardness, swagger and jangle and melodic pop's irresistible essence, Jagged Thoughts was a masterwork by a band of incredible promise.
In the spring of 2002 the band broke up, only to shortly reform under the name of Communique with the addition of a keyboardist.
The band reformed early in 2007, and have since released the album Destroy Their Future on Fat Wreck Chords.
American Steel toured Europe in October of 2009 supporting All American Rejects and played a one off headline show in Camden, London with Rooftops.
After returning from tour, American Steel went into the studio with engineer Kevin Army (Operation Ivy, Green Day, The Mr. T Experience, etc.) to record their eponymous first album, released on San Francisco's New Disorder Records, home of Half Empty, The Cost, The Enemies, and many others. In 1998, the band appeared on several compilations and toured the country twice, re-visiting some cities from previous tours and playing numerous new ones.
In the spring of 1999, American Steel signed to Lookout! and again went into the studio with Kevin Army to record Rogue's March, released in October 1999. The recording process was intermittent, due to guitarist Ryan's initial diagnosis and early battle with leukemia. Part of the urgent, soul-searching quality of the album came from the band's personal struggle with Ryan's illness, most poignantly captured in their song, "Hope Springs from Somewhere." 2000 saw the band tour relentlessly in both the U.S. and Canada, including appearances at South by Southwest and CMJ. Rogue's March became an underground favorite, topping many fanzine's lists of "Best Record of the Year." By the end of 2000, American Steel was firmly established as one of the most explosive bands in the Bay Area. In addition to their bigger and better than ever local shows, they also received a nomination for "Best Punk Album," along with Rancid, Green Day, No Doubt & Blink 182 in the California Music Awards 2001.
While clearly influenced by the early East Bay sound, American Steel's song structures often owe more to the much older sounds of traditional Motown, folk, and rock than to punk or hardcore. This combination of traditional music and punk rock, of the subtlety of the former with the power of the latter, defines and reconciles the diverse group of songs that make up Jagged Thoughts, American Steel's latest LP. Having fully absorbed their punk influences to make Rogue's March, a new definitive East Bay Punk album, American Steel set forth to start creating an entirely new genre of music. An exciting take on rock and roll equally tempered by punk's hardness, swagger and jangle and melodic pop's irresistible essence, Jagged Thoughts was a masterwork by a band of incredible promise.
In the spring of 2002 the band broke up, only to shortly reform under the name of Communique with the addition of a keyboardist.
The band reformed early in 2007, and have since released the album Destroy Their Future on Fat Wreck Chords.
American Steel toured Europe in October of 2009 supporting All American Rejects and played a one off headline show in Camden, London with Rooftops.
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American Steel Lyrics
Beatdown I met you at a party and i should have known…
Bergamot Now you don't give up or give in On anything without…
Bloody Murder Hidden tombs and solitude - hunger stikes or belly aches…
Cheer Up Parading through the streets this ain't no ordinary beat I…
Crashing Down passion overcomes reason again drunk clarity amid such desp…
Dark Corner Wrote this when I was 39 Still in my head but…
Dead And Gone I'll tell you what we're gonna do Gonna paint the desert…
Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts Hello, dear friends And gentle hearts My mind can't be fre…
Decycling tightened up clean my nose and act up cuz now i'm…
Emergency House Party It's been a long time coming Trying to get our fun…
Every New Morning I've been watching too many suns rise spliced together by p…
Fargo Faggot, faggot they called as I walked down the street fag…
Finally Alone Remember when we thought we owned the night? We cursed at…
From Here to Hell As the years pass, we are ground down Whether by gravity O…
Got A Backbeat My lady left me, my boss gave me no break What…
Graveyards It's not your fault that for years I've daydreamed in…
Hope Springs From Somewhere The days stretch out into endless fever dreams I could slee…
Huckleberry Flynn you're just a simple man god loving christian proud americ…
Hurtlin' I know that you've been lonely And I've been losing my…
I Don't Mind I'll be sure to roll off your back So that I'm…
Insurrection Ave They wanna isolate the left, isolate the right And all of…
It's Too Bloody Anyway I shatter everything when i want to see my mind i'll…
Landmine Lullabye Landmine fuck i'm out of time how was i to know…
Latchkey Kid see the rollers rolling up they put me in the handcuffs i…
Lights Out You take your entrances anything but lightly With a smile k…
Loaded Gun Who's the enemy, you're gonna point your gun at GI…
Lonely All The Time Every place I've been's a shimmering sea of degradation And…
Long Day It's been a long day breaking my back for pay It's been…
Love And Logic Sunrise, I see in your eyes Destroy the future now Of thos…
Maria Maria! Honey, The say these colors don't run. But they ble…
Meals & Entertainment He was the last casualty The last standing of the punk…
Mean Streak You better calm down I'm not liking the sound of your…
More Like A Dream Let us mourn the passing of the weekend My liquor's all…
Old Croy Road When I lost my dad, I was ten years old Had…
One of These Days There's no justice There ain't no peace until you're dead …
Or Don't You Remember The summer sun gleans sickly off my jaundiced skin Reflectin…
Parting Glass Times like these are fleeting at best But to hell with…
Passerby everybody's just filled with hate, but ill always offer a c…
Rainy Day Whenever it's a rainy day I pack my troubles up…
Razorblades You know Jesus, the magician Statistician, God bless your s…
Rogue's March I'm ashamed that you're not more angry It's a man's world…
Rotting well we've been fucking hibernating, all these years, just …
Safe and Sound Rise and shine, it's morning in America You're running out …
Should Have Died Young Well the years have surely slipped on by The alarm bell…
Shrapnel Jagged words are all I've heard, spitting shards of vitriol …
Smile On Me It's eight in the morning, you've been crying all night Why…
Sons Of Avarice Speak of heroes You're swift to nominate them Darling, be …
Standstill what can i say but it's like me far too often your…
Tear the Place Apart My dark rose Don't go despairing, no Don't you know I am…
The Blood Gets Everywhere Waking dead and sleepwalking I beat the odds by making ever…
There Could Be More Yeah, there could be more but then think of the…
There's a New Life As if on cue to replace my own tattered body The…
Three Cheers thanks for treating me like dirt when i was just like…
Time Gone By So alone The ghosts of ex-lovers haunt me like they haunt…
To The Sea They're all lies Everything that helps you sleep at night …
Trust How could i expect love or trust the people here are…
Turn It Out Constellations of corpses Hovering hateful hymns Intimate …
Two Crooks You fell in love with a brash young thing An unpredictable…
Wake Up Alone The year is growing old, under a cloudy sky Like pouring…
Where You Want To Be Sweetheart, baby, we can't let the whole thing fall apart…
Your Ass Ain't Laughing Now I need a holiday for my poor little heart So show…