Based out of Sacramento, California, American High channel punk and ’60s rock influences in their fun and catchy sound. Their melodies tend to be catchy and vibrant, though often accompanied by lyrical content that’s serious and gritty. Specifically, “Cheye Calvo” pursues a catchy vein of punk and power-pop, though the track’s themes touch on a tragic event: the July 2008 incident of Cheye Calvo, whose two dogs were shot and killed by police officers conducting a no-knock search warrant. The act has created anti-war songs in the past, so social justice is certainly an emphasis in addition to their hook-y musical accompaniments. I look forward to hearing more from this Sacramento-based act.
“Cheye Calvo” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of September 2018’ Spotify playlist.
