Vietnam

Brooklyn's shadowy, mesmerizing rock group Vietnam originated from the vision of singer and guitarist Michael Gerner alongside guitarist Josh Grubb. After realizing their shared admiration for Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Velvet Underground, and Sonic Youth, the duo started composing and performing material, which soon grew into a complete ensemble featuring drummer Michael Foss. The band inked a deal with Vice Records, which issued their first EP, The Concrete's Always Grayer on the Other Side of the Street, during 2004. Following joint performances with All Night Radio—the side project of ex-Beachwood Sparks guitarist Dave Scher—Vietnam teamed up with Scher and Maroon 5's Mickey Madden, who took on executive producer duties for the group's debut full-length. Working with co-producers Scher and Jason Lader, Madden captured the album at Los Angeles' Sound City Studios using vintage analog gear, while additional contributions came from Jenny Lewis, Paz Lenchantin, and Future Pigeon's horn section. The digital single Welcome to My Room surfaced in autumn 2006, and Kemado Records put out Vietnam's self-titled debut album in early 2007. By 2008, accounts indicated the group had split, prompting Gerner to move west and focus on analog synthesizers for film scores and his own experimental ambient work. Near the 2013 arrival of A.merican D.ream, Gerner came back to New York and revived the project with a fresh six-piece lineup that incorporated a violinist and a synth player.