American Dinosaur
Feb 27, 2020
American Dinosaur is a rock band from and based in Philadelphia, PA. Formed in 2013,
the band consists of D. Bryant Spitko, John Callaghan, John Welsh, and Lukas Gelleri.
It’s been an impressive run for American Dinosaur over the past several years. They’ve
released a collection of music spanning singles, EP’s, and an album, as well as playing
Philly venues like MilkBoy, Bourbon & Branch, Connie’s Ric Rac, TLA, and more.
Some cities beyond Philly they’ve played include Richmond, VA, New York City, and
Newark, DE. American Dinosaur’s rock sound spans several styles, elements, and
influences, providing an adventurous, unique, and exciting listening experience. The band
is currently with PreHistoric Records.
American Dinosaur released their latest single, “Joshua,” on February 18th. This track is
well written and uniquely arranged, featuring an extended bridge section with a lot of
cool nuances. Drums are tight and give off a vibe reminiscent of 90’s grunge and
alternative. Guitars have a similar vibe in the verses and choruses, and have great
harmony and technicality in the extended bridge. Bass is smooth, present, and warm
sounding as it plays though the progressions. Vocals are well delivered, have an edginess
to them that fits the track perfectly, and make great use of harmony throughout. The band
also produced and released a music video for the track alongside videographer and editor
Andy Belcher. Set throughout the streets of Philly, the video follows the day of two
skateboarders as they hang out, skate and party, with some incredible shots of awesome
skateboarding and great views of Philly. Earlier this year, in January, the band released
the single “Burn Carolina.” This track has a super chill, garage rock feel to it, and is
extremely catchy, especially in the choruses. Drums are steady and confident throughout,
throwing in some technical fills at spots. Guitars and warm and bright as they play
through the progressions, ringing out and adding fullness to the track. Bass is crisp and
sets a strong melodic foundation. Vocals have a cool relaxed delivery and great melody,
once again taking advantage of some awesome harmony. Once again, this track has a
music video produced and released by the band, this time with videographer Rob
McCandless. The video features a variety of trippy images and effects to create a crazy
and unique viewing experience while listening to the song.
Currently, American Dinosaur’s most recent show was their album release show at
Johnny Brenda’s in Philly, alongside Honeytiger and Kirby Sybert. The album, titled Are
You Decent? is dropping and setting the stage for what is sure to be an incredible 2020
for the band. Still staying active after so many years of releasing music and playing
shows, American Dinosaur doesn’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon, and the
best is definitely yet to come. Follow them today and explore their unique sound
spanning all different musical styles.