American Heartbreak

Guitarist Billy Rowe launched American Heartbreak in San Francisco during 1996, shortly after the breakup of his prior band Jetboy, a group that had earned critical praise despite scant commercial success and that had also included ex-Hanoi Rocks bassist Sam Yaffa. Joining Rowe were singer Lance Boone, bassist Michael Butler, formerly of the Bay Area thrash outfit Exodus, and several players who would soon leave the lineup. Through these musicians Rowe unveiled the band’s glam-inflected sound rooted in 1970s rock, echoing the styles of T. Rex, Starz, Cheap Trick, and the New York Dolls, first on the 1997 EP What You Deserve. Three more years passed before the full-length debut Postcards from Hell appeared. In 2001 a split CD with the Libertines arrived alongside the addition of rhythm guitarist Casey Crenshaw, while 2003 brought the hybrid live-studio-acoustic and wryly humorous set You Will Not Be Getting Paid. After mounting road work alongside Backyard Babies, the Donnas, and other acts, the group—now completed by drummer Paul Scavuzzo—issued its self-titled second album on Liquor and Poker in 2006.