"mEMOries" Part 25 feat. Letterpress

8 years ago, back on the old site, we did start a series called mEMOries. It was all about asking new Emo-bands or other scene affiliates about their all time favourite (Midwest-)Emo-record. It was about nostalgia. And it was about connecting the new with the old. I had big plans for this series, wanted to collect 20 parts and then release some sort of a sampler with an XL-booklet attached, that features all of the text pieces...

...after 7 parts the series was buried, when the end of borderline fuckup 1.0 was on the horizon. I'm still in love with the idea and tried my best to start a relaunch in 2021, but it mainly was a chore. However, I got back on track somehow, with a lot of support by some lovely people. Now, here's part 25 for your reading pleasure!

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// The band // Letterpress

LETTERPRESS are a newly formed Midwest-Emo-act out of Jacksonville, Florida. They released their debut single "Hiraeth" in November of 2021, and are preparing their second single due out next month. They say MINERAL, RAINER MARIA & SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE has influence their style, though they are using a violin to freshen things up. In "mEMOries" Part 25 Joshua, one of their guitarists, shares his special story connected to AMERICAN FOOTBALL's debut LP.

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// The record // American Football - s/t (LP1)

Release: 1999 // Label: Polyvinyl Records

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Joshua on "LP1" by American Football

“I love you.”

“I love you too, bud.”

Unknowingly, these would be the last words I would have with my friend M before his death by suicide later that day. He was only seventeen when he died, just shy of adulthood, which in his mind would be the day he could leave his abusive household. But that day never came, and M went out on his terms - something I tried and failed at doing before, instead resolving that if I didn’t want to live for myself, I’d live for helping others and making the world a better place. While I wish M had chosen differently, he is finally free from his pain. M was the best damn guitar player I’ve ever known, and his favorite band was American Football.

Joshua's foot tattoo.

After M’s death, I went back and immersed myself into American Football’s discography, which at the time still ended at LP1. This was my way of grieving and trying to better understand my friend. The album resonated with me on a whole other level. It has had a tremendous impact on my life, and in honor of my friend, has a permanent spot on my body.

The repetitive interplay of Mike Kinsella and Steve Holmes’ guitar melodies, the tight polyrhythmic drum beats and the tasteful solemn trumpet of Steve Lamos, the occasional catchy bass lines from song to song, the minimalist lyrics and unpolished youthful vocals that call and respond seemingly without rhyme or reason, and of course the (one with the) Wurlitzer, are close to perfection, at least to me. The themes of love, loss, reflection, and the uncertainty of the future resonate with me still to this day. American Football is the perfect soundtrack to an introspective late-night drive. All of this to say, I regard the album as genre-defining, anomalistic, and mature, despite them coming from a college-aged band in the process of breaking up.

Having grown up in the hardcore scene, LP1 contrastingly shaped me as a musician, introducing me to the magic of open tunings, warm, twinkly guitar tones and play style, and complex yet complementary drumming. At one point, I was so curious about how Steve Lamos got his drum tones that I sent a Hail Mary email to his management, hoping that somehow someone would be kind enough to pass it on to him. In that email I shared the story of M with him, the importance LP1 has been in my life, and asked if he would share his knowledge. Sure enough, one day I opened my email to a message from Steve, expressing his condolences for my friend, thanking me for my support, and sharing everything he could remember about his drums from that time in the late 90s. While he might be a hero of mine and a legend in the relatively small world that is emo, he was still a kind and humble human being. I was sad to see him leave American Football, and I wish the best of luck to whoever might replace him because those are big shoes to fill.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this. I’m sure you have your own memories surrounding this album, it’s kind of hard to escape, being as influential to our scene as it is, and if you are willing to share, I’d love to hear them. If you haven’t already, I implore you to do yourself a favor and listen to LP1 and tell your loved ones that you love them.

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"mEMOries" Part 1 feat. Mosey Jones
"mEMOries" Part 2 feat. Daniel Becker (Time as a Color Records, Amid the Old Wounds)
"mEMOries" Part 3 feat. Former States 
"mEMOries" Part 4 feat. Edie Quinn (Middle-Man Records, Coma Regalia)
"mEMOries" Part 5 feat. Human Hands 
"mEMOries" Part 6 feat. Alex Miles (Is this Thing on?)
"mEMOries" Part 7 feat. Boys' Club
"mEMOries" Part 8 feat. Keith Latinen (Mt. Oriander, Parting) 
"mEMOries" Part 9 feat. Villain of the War 
"mEMOries" Part 10 feat. John Szuch (Deep Elm Records)
"mEMOries" Part 11 feat. Flight Mode 
"mEMOries" Part 12 feat. Comic Sans
"mEMOries" Part 13 feat. Joe C (What Price Wonderland?, Plaids, Zochor)
"mEMOries" Part 14 feat. Mentah 
"mEMOries" Part 15 feat. Walking Race
"mEMOries" Part 16 feat. Against Realism
"mEMOries" Part 17 feat. Klaus Axmann (Goddamn Records) 
"mEMOries" Part 18 feat. Atlanta Arrival 
"mEMOries" Part 19 feat. Mary's Letter
"mEMOries" Part 20 feat. Sinking 
"mEMOries" Part 21 feat. Lakes
"mEMOries" Part 22 feat. Downhaul
"mEMOries" Part 23 feat. About Leaving
"mEMOries" Part 24 feat. The Arrival Note