by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Ah, Pitchfork. The folks at Chicago’s hipster music site purport to be fans of American Analog Set, but within in a month, they gave the band’s sixth album a mediocre review, made fun of them for signing to a Canadian label (Arts & Crafts) and mistakenly announced their break-up.

Pitchfork may have jumped the gun on bearing bad news, but their report was based in reality. American Analog Set had announced on their Web site that their tour in support of their latest LP, Set Free, would be their last.

Founded in 1995 by Andrew Kenny (the last original member standing), once based in Austin, now scattered across the USA, American Analog Set is, currently, Kenny (vocals, guitar), Sean Ripple (vibraphone), Craig McCaffery (keys), Mark Smith (drums) and Lee Gillespie (bass). Over a decade, they built a small, steady international fan base with their pretty, pulsating indie rock, accentuating tone and colour over force and dramatics.

Kenny says they’ve played “hundreds and hundreds” of shows in recent years, “touring to support our recording habit,” he says, but as a band of 30-somethings that never intended to make a career of music, their day jobs, side projects and significant others increasingly merited more time.

“It’s not gonna keep us from being chummy and making records but it’s gonna keep us from touring for four months every year,” says Kenny. “I’ve never been more proud of my band than I am now, so in a way it’s the best time to do a victory lap, have a good time and concentrate on other stuff.”

That other stuff includes Ripple’s short-story writing, Gillespie’s successful Parts & Labour boutique in Austin, McCaffery’s laptop music and freelance graphic design, and Kenny’s compiling of a new American Analog Set singles/outtakes CD. The band won’t abandon recording, however, and aim to move their sound in new directions.

“We want to take advantage of the different things we think we do well,” says Kenny. “So I’m really excited about our future, but this last tour is a little bittersweet.”

With Shawn Hewitt at Petit Campus on
Monday, Nov. 14, 8 p.m., $12

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