New York, NY (Top40 Charts) American Television is a Washington DC area melodic punk band. Their debut LP, 'Watch It Burn' was released on Wiretap Records in January 2020. The band will play Fest 19 this fall, and is currently shaking off the dust after a long year apart.
Their new EP "Adolescence" (out today on Wiretap Records) pays tribute to their punk influences and includes 5 tracks of covers from
Black Flag, Green Day, Bad Religion, Operation Ivy and Fugazi.
Track List:
1 · Nervous Breakdown (Black Flag cover)
2 · Officer (Operation Ivy cover)
3 · American Jesus (Bad Religion cover)
4 · Merchandise (Fugazi cover)
5 · Brain Stew / Jaded (Green Day cover)
Buy: https://amtv.bandcamp.com (with a limited 5 Sticker Pack inspired by original artists)
At the start of a year apart, American Television spent the first few months of the pandemic doomscrolling. During the nationwide protests in response to
George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Rob from Wiretap Records asked about recording a cover for a
Black Lives Matter fundraiser compilation. That set things in motion for their new EP, Adolescence. Each member got set up with some home recording equipment and started recording their parts for "Officer" by Operation Ivy. Once that cover was complete, the band felt like this was something that could continue. Recording covers allowed them to stay active and engaged with each other from the isolation of their own homes. They moved on to other punk rock classics that shaped them in their youth, but still maintained relevance today. Bad Religion's "American Jesus" spoke to the band's thoughts on the election year and was featured on another Wiretap Records compilation benefitting the ACLU. As workplaces literally became toxic, employers showed how they really valued their workers, and cheaply-made designer face masks began showing up in targeted ads, "Merchandise" seemed as relevant today as when it was written. Lack of sleep set in as people went home to juggle work, family, and a pandemic that forced them to move only between a sofa and a desk in the basement. "Brain Stew" reflects those feelings of anxiousness and insomnia.
Black Flag's "
Nervous Breakdown" captured emotions best as the year and election cycle dragged on. Each member feeling at moments that they might snap.
Steve Rovery (vox/ guitar) expands on the recording process for "Adolescence": "Engaging in the recording process independently was challenging with limited experience recording ourselves and no ability to support each other on takes. Choosing songs that have been with us for most of our lives helped us channel our energy despite being solo, and the fact that they were still relevant 25 years later helped fuel the ferocity of the performance. The toughest challenge was when things that could be a 5-minute studio conversation could take 3 to 4 days of passing files in order to get things right. And with the obvious inspiration from the Adolescents self-titled album artwork that recently turned 40, why not cover "kids of the black hole?"
Jerred Lazar (guitar/vox), says: "It ticked a lot of boxes for us adding another iconic element to the mix and slipping in the allusion to our younger years all wrapped up in a sarcastic little package. Given the heaviness of the themes within the songs, we wanted to balance it all with a cheeky sort of vibe."
What others have said about American Television:
"...we definitely need more of American Television making this kind of poignant and pertinent music in the punk realm today."- Punknews
"Watch It Burn doesn't let up from start to finish, peppering listeners, with an aggressive and powerful yet bouncy mid-tempo melodic punk record."- *Keep Track of the Time*
"There are snapping drums, a strong guitar sound, and a sense that this band is giving its all on the recording. To top it off, there is an abundance of energy from start to finish."- Razorcake
"...hard-edged pop punk, reminding me of a blend of the power of
Orange County bands and the melodic sensibility of Teenage Bottlerocket. There's an aggressive undercurrent in these songs that doesn't let up - every song has that powerful sound. Yet there's tons of melody, bunches of bounce."- Jersey Beat
" ....songs of pure punk rock, apocalyptic sh*t for apocalyptic times. From the opening power chord "Awkward Universe" to the closing, well, power chord of "Great Divide," the songs of Watch it Burn blister forward with all of the energy of a car on fire."- Mixed Frequencies
"...a melodic punk rock gem that leans on its guitar riffs and rhythms to chug you alongside the fuel-charged vocals ...they knock you square in the teeth by singing directly and honestly about a lot of today's hot button issues. This is an album for the old school, punk rock heart; One designed for (those) who can't get enough of bands like Face to Face, Millencolin, Pennywise, and The Lawrence Arms."- All Ages Zine
"10 tracks that feel like a molotov cocktail of rad, mixing in elements of 'The Dopamines, 'Anti Flag' and
Saves The Day if Chris Conley had spent his youth chugging beer bombs and gurgling gasoline."- Bloggin Rotten
American Television is:
Steve Rovery - Vox/Guitar
Jerred Lazar - Guitar/Vox
Bryan Flowers - Drums
Edwin Wikfors - Bass
www.facebook.com/americantelevision
www.instagram.com/amtvband
https://wiretaprecords.com
