The members of American Football formed in 1997 as students at the University of Illinois, and released only one album and an EP before breaking up about three years later. Their critically acclaimed debut went on to achieve cult status as one of the most influential records of the ‘90s, and was reissued as a deluxe double-LP last year.

In this episode, Mike Kinsella, Steve Holmes, and Steve Lamos of American Football break down the first song they wrote together, “The One with the Tambourine,” from their self-titled EP. They talk about being influenced by the Chicago music scene of the ‘90s, and how they combined alternative tunings, unconventional time signatures, and naiveté to craft their sound.

Buy “The One with the Tambourine”on iTunes, or directly from American Football on their bandcamp page.

The good folks at Landland designed a limited-edition, silkscreened poster for the live event where this episode was recorded. You can order your own copy here.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes
The Sea and Cake – “Jacking the Ball”
The EBow

(Live recording photo by Chase Igliori)

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In this episode, Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno of the band Best Coast take apart their song “Feeling Ok,” from the 2015 album California Nights. They trace their process and their influences, from the movie 10 Things I Hate About You to the video game Rock Band. Plus, we’ll hear from producer Wally Gagel.

Buy “Feeling Ok” on iTunes.

Watch the “Feeling Ok” video:

A photo backstage, just before we recorded Bethany’s interview in front of a live audience at The Line Hotel:

A photo posted by Song Exploder (@songexploder) on Jul 17, 2015 at 3:51pm PDT

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes
Letters to Cleo – Cruel To Be Kind (from the 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack; a cover of a Nick Lowe song.)
The Police – Every Breath You Take

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The band HEALTH formed in Los Angeles in 2005. Their newest record, Death Magic, came out in 2015. They spent four years trying to make it. They describe themselves as a noise band, but for this record, they reinvented their palette and their process. In this episode, John and Jake from HEALTH take apart the song Stonefist, which they made with their bandmates, Jupiter Keyes and BJ Miller.

Buy the HEALTH record: on their website, on iTunes, or on Amazon.

Watch the “Stonefist” video:

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes
Lady Gaga – Telephone (feat. Beyoncé)

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