Never Meant: The Story of American Football

In today's video, I discuss American Football, a trailblazer of the subgenre known as Midwest Emo. Largely known for their track "Never Meant" along with their 1999 self titled album, the band broke up for many years. Their return over a decade later is something neither the fans nor the band ever saw coming. This is the story of American Football.
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[@ConA1]

A band so good they named a sport after it

[@theboxingboy7422]

‘And the Autumn nights We realized’

[@bluespy8130]

"we were falling out of love....."

[@awhile]

i keep scratching my head at how your channel is still this small, just keep making videos, people will eventually catch on

[@TheMusicNarrative]

Thank you! That really means a lot, greatly appreciate it

[@JeffNixonComedy]

Totally agree…Only a matter of time before the channel takes off…keep at it!

[@sqito]

fr

[@WaldoWalker]

I think one of the beauty of their songs has to be how timeless it seems. We remember albums like Ok Computer which is released around the same time, and how it defined an era. But this, it’s just raw.

[@CraicPype]

Ok computer is a masterpiece, but sounds a little dated in 2023. Some AF tracks genuinely feel timeless.

[@David_prod-eNGee]

I might be alone on this, but Uncomfortably Numb might be the song that emotionally hits the hardest for me. Even after years of listening to their first LP. Something about that song just brings me down in a way more than others.

[@aazreaal]

What a great channel. Also, I was born 3 days after their first album was released.

[@dabulls1g]

Tortoise, The Unicorns, American Football, Ozma, Mogwai, Sufjan Stevens. It doesn’t get better than this in Illinois during September-February.

[@jameswittak3483]

This was a seriously great video, glad to have stumbled upon your channel. So many favorites from AF, but I love" Everyone is Dressed Up" for that line... "everybody knows the best way to describe the ocean to a blind man is to push him in". Although the two songs they just released are sure contenders as well!

[@BigHeavyLove]

I'll never forget stumbling upon these guys in 06' being a vulnerable little lad caught up in the hysteria of being a teen and finding absolute solice in every last second of these guys' songs. I even done one of their songs as my high school music piece (drums and vocals) and i recall the confusion on my fellow students' faces. I remember only noticing their rise to fame in 2017 when posters started appearing around melbourne with the iconic house and their name and thinking "what in the fucking world?". It'd been years since i had listened to them again at that point and was utterly astonished that they'd, all of a sudden, become famous. Unfortunately, i couldn't make the gig, kicking myself to this day, but I am and was just so proud to see that it wasn't just me that believed they were special. They just are.

[@TylerBergstrom-br4jx]

Saw these guys live with my sister last year

[@justsomemincedgarlic]

Really thankful that the algorithm brought me here this morning. Fantastic content.

[@simongorelik92]

dude yes finally a video on the history of my favorite band thankyou so much for makeing this, i was in highschool when i found out this band (2008) someone gave me a burned cd hat i just loved becuase it was hard to find their music back than so glad i know about this band

[@x2phat2cmytoes]

Hey what other bands are you into that fits this category?

[@GavinFromWeb]

Imma fucking miss Lamos.

[@trekgreenwood6743]

The first time I heard Silhouettes off of LP3 blew my mind. I always had ideas of songs in 15/4, or 8/4 + 7/4, but never heard anyone else do it. And then they did it in that song and it sounded just as amazing as I thought it would be in theory.

[@Revealingstorm.]

I don't know really anything about time signatures, but even though LP3 is very simple, there's always something about the songs that captivated me, and maybe that's the reason why.

[@cheezdip3533]

Off topic but I’m glad we agree about it being in 15/4. My other musician friends give me shit about saying that and they all have their own interpretation on what that time signature. But it just goes to show how cool the song is bc there’s some things about the instrumentation that was hard to figure out

[@Skeptycx]

A diamond in the rough. What a wonderful channel.

[@mdenryu9383]

I'm sad that Lamos won't be in the band anymore, for sure will change the sound quite a lot... that is if they decide to continue with LP4

[@TheMusicNarrative]

Maybe it’d be best for them to call it quits. I mean, I love the band but without Lamos, it would just be so different. At this point, we should be lucky we even got LP2 and 3. They had an extremely good run.

[@mdenryu9383]

@@TheMusicNarrative I understand that, but I've decided that I wanna give them the chance to try it out at the very least

[@TheMusicNarrative]

@@mdenryu9383 For sure! If they end up releasing LP4, I’m sure it’ll be very interesting. But since Lamos was so integral to the band, who knows if they’ll end up continuing on.

[@Revealingstorm.]

@@mdenryu9383 it would just be an Owen album. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Most of Kinsella's solo LPs are great.

[@KieronSchenko]

Saw them on tour this month and Lamos is back!

[@niles8102]

1:03 My mind: "OH MY GOD, THEY WERE ROOMMATES"

[@StellasEncounter]

Great video! And a great band too!

[@justins4215]

Fantastic video, instant sub

[@lorenzodufech]

Love your Channel

[@rite2843]

You'll get big someday, keep at it!

[@uriel.campoya]

Amazing channel!

[@Ryuga31823]

Also u should for sure think of doing a vid on Chavez too. Another criminally underrated, talented group of guys. There's not too much on them on KZbin. Them or the wrens. Just suggestions tho, hope you're having a good day and thanks for the content.

[@parkerraikes1152]

i already subbed before the video started.

[@brognar123]

I like the vibraphone on that last release. Adds a diff vibe

[@brackencory]

Hey man, great video! I’m the guy in the back playing what’s called a vibraphone (not xylophone) 😊

[@binder.u]

oh shit man, phenomenal sound. Were you also on LP3? Love from Mongolia

[@chatelaindavid2985]

Good video thanks!

[@Asrr2008]

Midwest pen pals/Merchant Ships could be coool too

[@bismarckrobles1987]

LP 2 is their best work imo

[@pottyputter05]

Hey you popped up on recommended off all the American football albums today, push another video out asap and capitalize on the algorithm my friend 😀

[@pottyputter05]

Doesn't need to be AF

[@jgalla5549]

Doom in Full Bloom felt like old-school AF. It's my favorite song of theirs.

[@stratarmadillo7900]

very good work on this!

[@kevin71794]

I'd like to see an episode for Mike Kinsella alone...I'd like to see your take on Owen and I just wanna hear someone else talk about him for a change besides the two minute promos from Polyvinyl lol

[@mustardorb8867]

I fucking love american football

[@TempleOfTheMartyrs]

love this band

[@MonoEstitico]

YES

[@assonance9057]

Owen is such a beautiful project

[@Revealingstorm.]

It really is. Wish I had listened to those albums a lot sooner than I did

[@sighswoons]

I got into AF through Owen. Been listening for 15 years until the AF boom in the mid 2010s and i was like "oh that's mike" lol

[@vans2548]

that red flannel shirt

[@lianju]

loved the video but im so annoyed that when u talked about lp1 you forgot to talk about honestly?. definitely my favourite song of all time and the reason i connected with this band spiritually and musically. anyways, keep up with the good work! would love to see you talk about tangled hair and some other bands too :)

[@paulparantala499]

The One Up Downstairs (not "The One Upstairs" as stated around 1:22), but otherwise good job here.

[@TheMusicNarrative]

Good catch. You’re right, that was a mistake on my part. Thanks for the comment!

[@wigger2499]

emo before mcr >

[@aazreaal]

Mcr isn't emo

[@wigger2499]

@@aazreaal exactly my point, are you lost?

[@pechondelgado]

If MCR broke up after their first album they'd probably be considered good by a lot of kids who like late 90s Post Hardcore. That first album had some raw punk energy then they went for the cash.

[@tunsaree]

Ong

[@ghost_to_a_ghost]

Facts. as a punk and hardcore fan first back then, I first got in to emo in the mid-late 90's via The Get Up Kids, The Ataris, and post-hardcore shit like Poison The Well. 2nd wave emo was wonderful back then and was still a big part of the hardcore and punk scene. very painful to listen to (in the best way) for a guy that was 12-16 years of age. perfect soundtrack to that mindset. Especially living in Oklahoma lol

[@cheriomey]

I wonder if anyone clicked on this video expecting to learn the history of football in america

[@Zgamer7]

Nobody loves this band more than me, I swear😭.

[@pukish_smelly]

The story of built to spill maybe?

[@Waferdicing]

💗

[@Vandalgia]

Coate took a massive inspiration from AF and they're really great although they're still pretty small. If you like AF, you should definitely check Coate!

[@kynansmusic9724]

I owe it to "Real Friends" with their song "Home For Fall" for introducing me to "American Football" and the genres of Mid West Emo and Math Rock!

[@gloryxkid]

Dude same!

[@Steven-wm9vu]

It was "The On Up Downstairs".

[@mohdezzadinayub9890]

♥️♥️♥️🔥💪🏻Yeahhh

[@selfaware7617]

Been listening since middle school. Completely missed LP2 and that's fine. Did not know Never Meant had a music video made for it. I sleep to LP3 everyday. It's better than even LP1. I was surprised there was a history video for such a surprisingly unknown band.

[@bendover9663]

4:40 what's the song playing in the background please, it sounds so familiar i can't place it 🤷‍♂️

[@alexfloresschool]

yeah it's

[@bendover9663]

@@alexfloresschool drum roll ......

[@electricstallion7862]

Good video but…“every local band that came afterward were simply trying to be the next American Football” is a false statement.

[@gulliverarchives9529]

I agree man. I'm fairly local from where they originated and yes, their impact is still here, bands grab inspiration, but the bands were their own thing.

[@deadredeyes]

So many of these video essays always seem to imply that AF was huge back in the day, but the reality is that AF was NEVER big back in the day and were dwarfed by many other bands at the time, such as: Sarge, Braid, Compound Red, Promise Ring, Dianogah, HUM, Shiner, Castor, Sarge, Failure, Jawbox, and Cursive.

[@jacksonbellis8231]

@@deadredeyes u forgot sarge

[@Ibrahim-ft5tf]

they pretty well-known in my country too.

[@mildred78]

betul bang, sedih si gw ga nonton pas mereka ke indo wkwk

[@pottingsoil]

The one riff wonders

[@tristanbowne9177]

whats the song used for the very beginning

[@boilingoden7984]

I mostly get actual football videos in my recommended, so this video confused me heavily

[@Cityboy.84____________________]

Story of WEEDEATER

[@Cityboy.84____________________]

Story of WEEDEATER!!! The people must learn bout this band. I still don't know too much about the band story.

[@adriatic.vineyards]

Hahaha that'd be fun

[@benruiz3191]

I peed in the american football house

[@GucciMiniCooper]

Good videos mommy

[@GucciMiniCooper]

Daddy*

[@GucciMiniCooper]

Man*

[@leuves9973]

Algum KZbinr Br faz esse vídeo versão br pfv🙏😎👍

[@artemispeaslee894]

False advertising, this video has nothing to do with sports

[@NicDoesDumbThings]

crying is a sport

[@SpriteCranberry6699]

Who here thought the video was gonna be about football the sport?

[@miroslavmartinek522]

Americ Anfootball