Artist description the Power of Love POP

Music Style POP Rock

Musical Influences Beatles, Kinks, Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick, Jonathon Richman & the Modern Lovers

Similar Artists See 'Musical Influences'

Artist History American Boyfriends have been together in various forms for nearly 10 years. Early on, Matt Johnson and Eric Harmon joined the Chainsaw Kittens, touring the world with many national acts including Iggy Pop, the Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer to name a few. During this period Matt Goad did double duty with American Boyfriends and the Starlight Mints. All the while, he and Richard York continued to write songs and bring in other musicians to help realize their vision of rock & roll with a melody. Matt Goad would eventually leave the Starlight Mints to devote himself to American Boyfriends full time and with the demise of the Kittens the four musicians have reunited in a celebratory fashion, shaking up the Oklahoma City band scene once again. A headlining show at MOBfest in Chicago and opening spots with bands such as the Figgs and Mike Watt have created a strong following and demands for live shows have been pouring in. Current Plans American Boyfriends are currently promoting their first full-length album, What Love Can Be..., and playing frequent live shows. Check out their website www.AmericanBoyfriends.com for more information on this band including sound clips and upcoming shows.

Group Members Richard York: Vocals, Guitar, Keys; Matthew Goad: Vocals, Guitar, Keys; Matt Johnson: Bass; Eric Harmon: Drums

Instruments Guitars, Drums, Keyboards, Vox

Albums What Love Can Be...

Press Reviews American Boyfriends find meaning in melodies Oklahoma Gazette, November 29, 2001 by George Lang, Music Editor Richard York remembers a time when his band, American Boyfriends, was viewed as a freak show by certain punk ideologues in the audience. The group had started out playing punk songs, but there came a time when the power of three fast chords had to give way to something more meaningful. "At first we were really punk. In the early Nineties we were just punking it out and not really paying attention to the songwriting," said York, who will play with American Boyfriends at 9 p.m. Saturday at VZD's, 4200 N. Western. "We were just rocking out and doing what we could. “Then there was a turnaround period, I think, back in ‘93, when the melody just struck and became the focus,” he said. “When we startd playing those more melodic songs, people just sort of stared at us like, ‘What the hell are they doing?’ But then there were always a couple of people that really loved it, and it was those couple of people who kept us going. At first, it just felt really cheesy to be so melodic. But I was like, ‘I don’t care. This is what I like and that's the only reason I do it.’” This love of songcraft comes forward on “What Love Can Be...” the debut album from the Oklahoma City-based band. A collection of not-so-silly love songs that the band has been crafting in live performances over the last few years. “What Love Can Be...” is all about love, because love is all you need. From the pubescent stirrings depicted in “Teenage UFO Rock and Roll Monster Show” to the deeply romantic “Candle In My Head,” American Boyfriends come off like the cupids of rock, aiming straight for every tender heart in the audience. The band existed as an on-and-off side project for 10 years as bassist Matt Johnson and drummer Eric Harmon performed with the Chainsaw Kittens and Matt Goad played guitar with the Starlight Mints, which earned critical raves for last year’s CD, "The Dream That Stuff Was Made Of." With lead Kitten Tyson Meade in graduate school and Goad departing the Mints, York and Goad put their full focus on writing the perfect pop songs on "What Love Can Be..." releasing the disc on their own label Sunshine Factory in September 2001. ...meaning in melodies "This has been a while in the making," York said. "This is the music that I personally like, just the feeling it gives you. I’ve always been drawn to that kind of stuff, even the stuff that's considered kind of cheesy and lame these days." According to York, bands that fall into the “cheesy” and “lame” categories include the Electric Light Orchestra and Styx — groups he cannot full admire, yet they provided the soundtrack for his adolescence. Even so, when the gentle title song hits a crescendo two-thirds of the way through and the guitars ring out, it’s hard not to think of Styx’ “Come Sail Away,” and the ornate wall of sound that envelops “New Year’s Day,” replete with glockenspiels and strings, suggests the sonic audacity of ELO, although the songwriting is closer to XTC. York said the band spent more time crafting “New Year’s Day” than any other song on “What Love Can Be...” As York sings, “tell me you love me,” a crowd starts counting down and singing “Auld Lang Syne” in the background. The end result is a song that sounds like a future holiday classic, beautiful and free of irony. “I like going over the top, but not without purpose,” York said. “What I really try to do is say something. I think all the songs we have say something. They aren’t just words thrown together, they have a point. We respect the people who are listening to us and refuse to insult them by giving them the same crap that they’re already getting in large doses. It’s unhealthy. “We really just believe in what we’re doing. We hope that’s going to be infectious, that people can really get something out of our music if they give it a chance.” Hitch Magazine November 2001 by Rod Lott, editor CD of the moment The Oklahoma City-based American Boyfriends' debut, "What Love Can Be..." is just the dose of power pop I've been waiting for — an antidote to all the bubblegum crap currently littering the airwaves. If nothing else, try track three, "Supergirl". It's simply an amazing piece of work — a perfect four-minute pop song — beautifully crafted, intelligently written and most important, richly melodic. Radio wouldn't have such a bad rap if it got back to playing such things, and it's clearly a hit single in the waiting. It's my favorite song of this year, and has been ever since I first heard it early this summer. It's the kind of dreamy, intellipop that XTC excels in, delivered in an energy reminiscent of Pixies; in other words, it goes straight to your head and sticks there. But enough about "Supergirl"; there are plenty of other gems to crack your teeth on. Foremost among them is "New Year's Day", a misunderstood love song that explodes into a joyous New Year's celebration at its end, bells and all. It's so wonderfully orchestrated, it works like a charm. I'm also in love with the simple and serious "New York City", as well as the looser, irony-laced "Lazy Boy" ("This couldn't wait for commercial break?/But baby I don't have time for that when Days of Our Lives is on"). You have to admire an album that can make the jump from unadulterated, sci-fi rock ("Teenage U.F.O. Rock & Roll Monster Show," using Godzilla 2000 snippets) to a slow, methodical ballad (the title track) and make love to your ears all along the way. And dammit, I do!

Additional Info American Boyfriends are the answer the question:

Location Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - USA

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