The American Analog Set (sometimes referred to as AmAnSet) was an Austin-based
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
,
lo-fi
Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...
Formed in 1995, the group's early sound was highly-influenced by
krautrock
Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in West Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electronic music, a ...
and
post-rock
Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation ...
and British
shoegazer
Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with " dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming v ...
bands like
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instru ...
, often featuring long instrumental passages. Over time, their songs became shorter and more pop-influenced. The band has released six full-length albums, four EPs, and several vinyl singles.
The group is led by singer/songwriter/guitarist
Andrew Kenny
Andrew Kenny is the main singer/songwriter of The Wooden Birds, which released their debut LP ''Magnolia'' in May 2009. Their second album, ''Two Matchsticks'', was released June 2011. He was the frontman for the American indie/lo-fi band The ...
. Additional members include, or have included, Lee Gillespie, Mark Smith, Craig McCaffrey, Tom Hoff, Lisa Roschmann, and Sean Ripple. Founding member Roschmann left the band in late 1999; Hoff and Ripple joined in early 2000 and McCaffery replaced Hoff in 2003.
In October 2005, rumors began spreading across the Internet that the group was on the verge of disbanding. The band quickly refuted such rumors, but added that they may not tour again due to their obligations with other projects.
Their latest album, 2005's ''Set Free'', was released in North America by Canadian record label Arts & Crafts.
"Gone to Earth" from ''
Know by Heart
''Know by Heart'' is the American Analog Set's fourth studio album. It was released on September 4, 2001, and was their first album on Tiger Style Records. The song "The Postman" contains vocals by guest Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and the ...
'' was a part of the soundtrack of the 2009 romantic film ''
The Time Traveler's Wife
''The Time Traveler's Wife'' is the debut novel by American author Audrey Niffenegger, published in 2003. It is a love story about Henry, a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about Clare, his wife, a ...
''.
Discography
Albums
* ''
The Fun of Watching Fireworks
''The Fun of Watching Fireworks'' is the debut album by The American Analog Set. It was released on August 20, 1996 on Emperor Jones
Emperor Jones is a small Austin, Texas based independent record label founded in 1995 by Craig Stewart. It ha ...
'' (1996, Emperor Jones)
* ''
From Our Living Room to Yours
''From Our Living Room to Yours'' is the second album by the American Analog Set, released in 1997 on Emperor Jones. It was recorded on analog equipment at the band's Austin, Texas, home.
Critical reception
''SF Weekly'' wrote that "on 'Where Ha ...
'' (1997, Emperor Jones)
* ''
The Golden Band
''The Golden Band'' is a studio album by the indie rock band the American Analog Set, released in 1999 on Emperor Jones Records.
Critical reception
''Exclaim!'' thought that "at last, the band has created melodies and bewitching atmospheres that ...
'' (1999, Emperor Jones)
* ''
Know by Heart
''Know by Heart'' is the American Analog Set's fourth studio album. It was released on September 4, 2001, and was their first album on Tiger Style Records. The song "The Postman" contains vocals by guest Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and the ...
* ''Late One Sunday & The Following Morning'' (1997,
Darla Records
Darla Records is an independent record label founded by James Agren in October 1993 while he was in New York. Darla's first release was a 7-inch by Grifters, an indie rock/lo-fi band from Memphis.
Background
The music of the artists on the la ...
; part of Darla's ''Bliss Out'' series))
* ''Updates'' (2002, Tiger Style) (remixes)
* ''Songs Of Hurt And Healing'' (2005, Tylenol/Ouch!)) (Split with White Magic; 3 songs each) (promotional-only)
* ''Everything Ends in Spring'' (2005)
Singles
* "Diana Slowburner" (1996, Emperor Jones)
* "Magnificent Seventies" (1997, Emperor Jones)
* "The Only Living Boy Around" (1999)
* "New Equation" (2001, Tiger Style)
* 3-way split 7-inch (with
The Twilight Singers
The Twilight Singers are an American indie rock band. The group was formed in 1997 by Greg Dulli as a side project during a hiatus from his group The Afghan Whigs. After the Afghan Whigs disbanded, Dulli used The Twilight Singers as his own art ...
,
Jeff Hanson
Jeff Hanson (March 3, 1978 – June 5, 2009) was a singer-songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist,
Compilation
* ''Through The 1990s: Singles And Unreleased'' (2001, Emperor Jones)
* ''Hard To Find: Singles And Unreleased 2000-2005'' (2009, Hometown Fantasy)