Americans UK

Brooklyn-based sci-fi rockers Americans UK just released their new EP, ‘Hostile Takeover.’ In celebration, the band has teamed with Revolver to premiere the video for the title track. - Revolver Magazine

It would be an easy reference to compare this to David Bowie. I said, “easy,” not accurate. Sure, there are a lot of Bowie-isms here. Many times the hooks and song structure remind me of Bowie. In general it sounds a lot like his glam period. Still, this is more modern. It has a lot of electronic sound and lands near to Rammstein, Kraftwerk and DEVO at times. Whatever you call this, though, it’s a good EP. It manages to entertain from beginning to end.

Some cool keyboard elements start the set on the introduction to “Lights out in Zap City.” As the rest of the instruments join, the bass brings some serious funk to the table. Yet, the effect is of a cool electronic rock vibe. The vocals are deep and intriguing. The chorus rocks harder, feeling a little like a less crunchy Rammstein.

“Phenomena-na” has a modern electronic vibe, but it’s almost based on a David Bowie-like glam rock formula. The vocals make me think of Talking Heads. It’s a catchy cut with an infectious hook. There are hints of something like DEVO in this piece, too.

If you’ve got dogs, prepare for the high-pitched keyboard sound that opens “Writing Back in Time” to drive them crazy. At least it does my dogs. This is a weird piece of music. It features textural sounds that are distorted and loud, with a spoken vocal line. It’s very science fiction oriented. The thing is, as odd as it is, it’s also compelling.

From the most electronic and unusual track, we’re taken to the most straightahead rock one. “Fear Wolf” is about two minutes of nearly punk rock fury. It’s got some craziness in it, too, but overall this is the most mainstream piece of the set. It’s also quite cool.

The title track closes the EP. Imagine merging David Bowie with both Kraftwerk and Rammstein and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what it sounds like. It’s high energy and has some great vocal hooks. Yet, it has an electronic edge that really adds a lot of character. It’s arguably the strongest cut here. It also does the best job of merging the various elements into something that’s cohesive, all encompassing and just plain catchy. It gets pretty hard edged and intense later on, too. It’s a great way to end this thing with a lot of power and integrity. - MusicEmmissions

T]he sound of Americans UK is immediately set as punchy and futuristic [...] the combination of styles and tones seem to be at odds with each other, and yet they manage to combine to create music the likes of which you’ve quite possibly never heard before [...] fun and upbeat [...] some truly fun listening, [...] a high octane assault on the senses. - Cross Radar

So “Lights Out In Zap City” is a dance-rock song that describes a city where superheroes and villains exist, and the heroes have lost, and the villains are destroying the population. And then “Fear Wolf” describes what may be one of those super villains. There’s a sort of continuity that runs through all the songs–it’s a loose continuity, certainly, but the songs belong together and inform one another. So then you have “Writing Back In Time,” where some future civilization has gotten some sort of message from another civilization–say, humans on Earth–and by the time the aliens get here, everybody is dead and gone (see “Hostile Takeover” and “Lights Out In Zap City”), so the aliens have to send their reply back through time, and all they want to know is, “why?” - Vents Magazine

"For its debut album, Rocktronic, the band created a 9-song assault on the senses and sensibilities. Its infectious pop beats and post-punk riffs channeled the sonic specters of The Dickies, The Ramones and Electric Six. The lyrics invoked tales of zombie invasions (“Zombies Attack”), dancehall mavens (“Rocktronic”) and bawdy teenage fantasies (“Inappropriate Words To Your Mother”)." - The Brooklyn Paper

"Though the bulk of Americans UK’s latest EP Luxuria isn’t exactly what one would term “kid-friendly,” this jazz-infused funk number will likely prove itself irresistible to listeners of any age." - Wired

"The band's first full-length album, Rocktronic, is a 9-song assault on the senses and the sensibilities, where infections dance beats and post-punk riffs invoke evocative tales of zombie invasions, dancehall mavens, and adoloescent fantasies about a best friend's mother. Their EP, I, Ape-Man, follows suit and does not disappoint." - Overflow Magazine