Released a new album the other week for the first time in 18 years and I can’t see a thread about them.
I’m not sure how others remember them, but to teenage me they were perfect. 10/10 lo-fi indie rock. I sort of thought that they would be DiS darlings but there’s hardly any mention of them when I do a search. Now if everyone would chime in and tell me that they love them as much as I do, that would be great, thanks.
I was similarly excited about the new album. I know it’s a remote hope but maybe they will tour? I never managed to see them as on previous European tours they completely skipped the UK e.g, they played about 5 dates in Belgium and not even a solitary London date. Andrew Kenny did exactly the same when the Wooden Birds toured Europe - he must really hate the UK (which is understandable nowadays).
I’d love it if they were to tour, but yeah, I feel the same as you. I also never got to see them live. I remember wondering if I could get to Brussels for the Set Free tour in 2005, but it was the day that was moving to uni for the first time and felt like an expensive logistical nightmare. If they toured like that again I’d probably be able to do it though.
Didn’t get much from the new album on first listen but used to love them. Hope they’ll tour over here
It is a band I have definitely heard of but not knowingly listened to. (Maybe filed alongside American Music Club who I have given similar treatment to?) but this is the second mention of them I have seen today along with a Pitchfork review so I’ve checked them out. Yep, great. I went for a 1999 album The Golden Band rather than anything new and it has that kind of slowcore, mumbled delivery crossing into post rock at times almost. I’m on a track now which could pass as an Arab Strap song.
‘The Golden Band’ is a good place to start, once you’ve finished that stick on ‘Everclear’ by American Music Club.
I only know one of their songs, but I love it- I think it was on an old ATP compilation cd or something. Think it’s time to listen to the rest of their stuff!
That’s their best track imo but lots of other good stuff
This is really good if you haven’t seen it already
they basically invented Death Cab, didn’t they, but BG’s take on their sound was broader strokes
love the first three albums most of all, listened to them a lot at university
gorgeous, warm, subtle, droney indie pop rock
maybe my favourite tune
Ben Gibbard provides backing vocals on this track.
I know 
dgmw, I like (early) Death Cab
I’ve always felt that they had greater kinship with Yo La Tengo when they got into a groove - I think it was Pitchfork that called AMANSET Yo La Tingle.
Absolutely love them. Took me years and years to see them live – kept missing them for various reasons – and finally saw them at a very quiet Camden Barfly, maybe around 2003. Couldn’t find that gig on setlist.fm – and slightly concerned that I imagined the whole thing – but I did find this AmAmSet setlist from 2011, which is surely a figment of someone’s imagination (unless they paused their hiatus to play a single London gig and I entirely missed it)
Is there a consensus view on what their best album is? Because I’ve been listening to Promise of Love today and it’s really doing it for me. Right up my street.
can’t imagine so
I would have thought the first three were considered collectively the best
If you put a gun to my head I’d probably say ‘Promise of Love’ but then their only album that I thought was less than brilliant was ‘Set Free’ - I should probably revisit it.
Like buses, you wait 18 years for an AMANSET album…
Didn’t get much from the last one, but probably need to listen to it a bit more.
Know by Heart