It was released as the lead single from their second studio album, Sound of Silver, on February 26, 2007 as a digital download and on other formats on March 5, 2007.

The song was also frequently used to open up The Ron and Fez Show on XM Satellite Radio and was also featured in the 2008 film Step Brothers as well as the video games Saints Row 2 and Top Spin 4.

[citation needed] The music video for "North American Scum" was directed by Benjamin Dickinson.

It features James Murphy initially in a photo shoot, then entering space via a door, planting a DFA Records flag on the moon and engaging Pat Mahoney in a fight on the moon being cheered on by Tyler Pope and Nancy Whang, and finally leaving space through another door where he meets himself, Mahoney and Whang in a room filled with leaves.

[2] During the band's farewell performance on April 2, 2011 at Madison Square Garden, the band was joined onstage for "North American Scum" by several members of Arcade Fire, who sang backing vocals.