American Hi Fi

Drummer Stacy Jones already had his hand in rock & roll prior to his gig with American Hi-Fi. Having been a part of some of the 1990's biggest alternative acts, Letters to Cleo and Veruca Salt, Jones turned his experience inside out for his own musical project. While working on Nina Gordon's Tonight and the Rest of My Life solo album, Jones looked toward the vibrancy of Cheap Trick and cast the healthy rock sounds of American Hi-Fi. Jones, guitarist Jaime Arentzen, bassist Drew Parsons, and drummer Brian Nolan established home base in his native Boston and signed to Island to issue their eponymous debut in 2001. The album spawned the catchy radio single "Flavor of the Weak", and was followed by plenty of touring, Live From Tokyo (2002), and Art of Losing (2003). And yet, soon after Losing's release, Island gave American Hi-Fi the heave-ho. Undeterred, Jones moved Hi-Fi's HQ to Los Angeles, hooked up with producer Butch Walker, and got to work recording a new record. Hearts on Parade was released in Japan first, and as they shopped for a domestic label Jones and his band went out on tour with Walker. Maverick eventually expressed interest, and Parade was issued stateside in April 2005.

"Another Perfect Day" MUSIC VIDEO



American Hi-Fi out of the box once again with The Art of Losing. The album arrives after a curious live offering, which seemed to exist solely as an opportunity for Jones to fulfill a Live at Budokan fantasy. Nevertheless, fans of the 2001 hit "Flavor of the Weak" will find The Art of Losing and its title track lead single worthy follow-ups. It's appropriate that "The Art of Losing"'s slick, reconstituted punk jerk found its way into a Coors Light ad -- its chants of "Hey ho/Let's go/I'm gonna start a riot" and "One two/F*ck you/Don't tell me what to do" take the packaging of punk for mass consumption to macrobrewery levels. Impossibly, the similarly processed grit of "The Breakup Song" is a straight-up knockoff of blink-182's "First Date."

Track listing

1. The Art of Losing
2. The Breakup Song
3. Beautiful Disaster
4. Save Me
5. Nothing Left to Lose
6. Teenage Alien Nation
7. Rise
8. This Is the Sound
9. The Gold Rush
10. Built for Speed
11. Happy

"The Art of Losing"

Last call now I'm outta time
And I don't got no valentine
Singled out, now I stand alone
The underdog in a modern world
Suburbia is hot tonight
But nothing seems to feel alright
I don't want your sympathy
I just need a little therapy
At least that's what they say to me
Hey ho let's go
I'm gonna start a riot
You don't wanna fight it
One to fuck you
Don't tell me what to do
I don't wanna be like you
Can't you see it's killing me
I'm my own worst enemy
Knock me down I'll keep on moving
It's the art of losing
Fit the mold and do what you're told
Get a job and start growing old
9 to 5 can make your dreams come true
But I don't wanna be like you
I'm not cool and I'll never be
I break the rules and I guarantee
I don't want your sympathy
I just need a little therapy
At least that's what they say to me
Hey ho let's go
I'm gonna start a riot
You don't wanna fight it
One to fuck you
Don't tell me what to do
I don't wanna be like you
Can't you see it's killing me
I'm my own worst enemy
Knock me down I'll keep on moving
It's the art of losing
You call me a loser
Say I'm just a user
But I'll just keep on moving
Cause that's the art of losing
Hey ho let's go
I'm gonna start a riot
You don't wanna fight it
One to fuck you
Don't tell me what to do
I don't wanna be like you
Can't you see it's killing me
I'm my own worst enemy
Knock me down I'll keep on moving
It's the art of losing
Wahhhooo (It's the art of losing)
Wahhhooo (It's the art of losing)
We're the kids
We're the kids
We're the kids in America
We're the kids
We're the kids
We're the kids in America