American Steel
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American Steel is a Californian Punk Rock band formed 1995.
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[edit] Biography
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, 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. 2000 saw the band tour 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.[citation needed] In addition to their 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 makes up Jagged Thoughts, American Steel's final LP.
American Steel changed their name and sound in 2002, becoming Communiqué.
The band reunited in 2007, and has signed to Fat Wreck Chords. They released a new album entitled Destroy Their Future on October 2nd, 2007. The album has already received some very good reviews.[citation needed].
[edit] Members
- Rory Henderson- Vocals, Guitar
- Ryan Massey- Guitar, Vocals
- John Peck- Bass, Vocals
- Scott Healy- Drums (1997-2000, 2007-present)
- Jamie Kissinger- Drums (1995-1997, 2000-2002)
[edit] Discography
[edit] 7-inch singles and EPs
- Hope Wanted (1996)
- Every New Morning (Cheetah Records, 1998)
- Fat Club 7" (Fat Wreck Chords, 2000)
[edit] Full-length albums
- American Steel (New Disorder, 1998)
- Rogue's March (Lookout!, 1999)
- Jagged Thoughts (Lookout, 2001)
- Destroy Their Future (Fat Wreck, 2007)
[edit] Compilation appearances
- "One Of These Days (demo)" from 'Worse Than Alternative: Its Another Punk Comp' 1997
- "Latchkey Kid" (alternate), "Whos Counting?" from 'Ramencore' 1997 [both exclusive]
- "Close Enough Away" from 'Live at KZSU 1998' [live]
- "Loaded Gun (demo)" from 'This Ain't Rocket Science' 1999
- "Got A Backbeat" [taken from Rogue's March], from Lookout! Freakout (Lookout!, 2000)
- "Turn It Out" [taken from Jagged Thoughts] and "Shrapnel (demo version)" [exclusive track], from Lookout! Freakout episode 2 (Lookout!, 2001)
- "More Like A Dream", from Lookout! Freakout episode 3 (Lookout!, 2003) [exclusive track]
- "Maria" from 'Kitestringing: The Prison Literature Project' [album version]
- "Trust" from 'A Little Something For Everyone' (New Disorder) [album version]
