When not busy being mistaken for Peter Bjorn & John, Jersey dude Pete Yorn makes his own music. As is evidenced by the video for the Election Year one-off “American Blues, Vol. 1.” As you’ll soon pickup, the title’s a pun, digging into the contemporary state of things (i.e. shitty) in the US of A. The video includes some images of a beardo Yorn guitar strumming, but more often it’s CNN footage, stills from the Great Depression, pictures of soldiers in mourning, gas station station signs, etc. Yorn explains:

I wrote American Blues Vol. 1. on the 4th of July after reading the morning paper. It’s unlike any song I’ve ever written. I was moved by how much negativity I was reading about and how even groups were boycotting Independence Day because they were so disgusted with the state of our Nation. I was hoping things would improve … they obviously haven’t ye t… but I know they will in time. I sent the song to some friends and one of them (a really old friend of mine who is actually a huge reason I didn’t give up on a musical career back in 1998) was really affected by the message. He always has had an unwavering faith in America and has always been able to laugh when times got tough. The video for American Blues Vol. 1 was made by this friend of mine. He is not a video-director … just a guy from New Jersey who wanted to put images to a song that hit home for him. He wanted me to share it…

This other dude from Jersey likes Obama, too.