[2] American Nightmare was formed when Tim Cossar and Wesley Eisold (who was then a roadie for Ten Yard Fight) met up with Azy Relph and Jesse van Diest in 1998.

[4] This was later combined with their self-titled effort to form Year One, which was released by Reflections Records in 2001 and reissued posthumously by Bridge 9.

[9] Members went on to join/form other bands such as Cold Cave, Some Girls,[10] XO Skeletons, Ye Olde Maids, Head Automatica,[11] Bars, and the Hope Conspiracy.

Give Up the Ghost came back into the headlines in 2007 under accusations that Fall Out Boy had taken lyrics from Wes Eisold, the band's lyricist, resulting in an out-of-court settlement and a credit in the liner notes of both the multi-platinum selling From Under the Cork Tree and Infinity on High.

[18] Their music was a reaction against the lyrical positivity of Youth Crew revival bands that had been popular in Boston at the time like In My Eyes, Floorpunch and Bane.

[19][20] Other influences include Turning Point, Mission of Burma, the Bruisers, Heroin, the Lemonheads, Slapshot, Bauhaus, Converge, Ink & Dagger, New Order, Unbroken, Orchid, One Last Wish, Archers of Loaf, Cat Power,[21] Leatherface, Avail, Jawbreaker, Lifetime, Sebadoh, SSD, Sick of It All, Moss Icon, Chisel, Suede, Chain of Strength, Sheer Terror, the Afghan Whigs, the Magnetic Fields, Sonic Youth, Eric's Trip, Agnostic Front, Galaxie 500, the Microphones, Cave In,[22] Black Flag, the Cro-Mags and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

[20] They have been cited as an influence by the White Noise,[24] Frameworks,[25] Killing The Dream, Defeater, Touché Amoré and Dead Swans.