Braid
Frame and Canvas
Seminal album that defined a genre and cemented Braid's legacy.
CD + MP3 : $10 LP + MP3 : $12 (180 Gram Black) MP3 : $8
|
Various Artists
6 Braid CDs Package Deal
Includes 3 Braid albums, a Hey Mercedes EP and the Friction 2xCD discography.
Save $12!
|
Braid
The Age of Octeen
PRE-ORDER
Braid's second full-length. Vinyl re-mastered by John Golden (Nirvana, Sonic Youth).
CD + MP3 : $12 LP + MP3 : $12 (Black Vinyl) LP + MP3 : $14 (Blue Vinyl)
|
Braid
Eiffel Tower T-Shirt
They're back! Unisex on American Apparel.
XS : $15 S : $15 M : $15 L : $15 XL : $15
|
Braid
Braid: Killing a Camera
DVD includes two films with band commentary and never before seen footage.
|
Braid
"braid" Typewritter Font Button
|
|
In the 1990's musical landscape, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois'
Braid carved a place for themselves
that continues to resonate. Armed with a much deserved reputation as a touring
band, their dual guitar and vocal assault coupled with a math-rockesque rhythm
section earned them a legion of fans and a popularity that continues to grow
over a decade later.
In 1992, Bob Nanna, who was playing drums and singing in a band called Friction, decided to start copying and
collecting videos of shows taped by him and his friends. Once the collection
grew to a respectable size, wanting to find others to trade videos with, he
placed an ad in the classifieds of Maximum Rock n Roll. In early 1993, his ad
was answered by another young drummer, Roy Ewing of Thomasboro, Illinois.
Roy was looking
to get a copy of the last Sludgeworth show but had nothing to trade. All he
could offer was a personalized tour of Champaign-Urbana's record stores.
Coincidently, Bob was getting ready to graduate high school in May and become a
freshman at the University
of Illinois in, you
guessed it, Champaign-Urbana. Bob took him up on the offer and Roy got the video.
In town, days after arriving, Bob called Roy
and the two arranged to meet in front of Illini Orange. They canvassed local
record stores, making a stop at Parasol Records which, at the time, was but a
mere door-in-a-wall. The two became quick friends, making frequent trips to Normal, Illinois to skate
and visit acquaintances at Illinois
State University.
Bob soon introduced Roy to Pete Havranek, an old
friend from Chicago.
Pete was looking to play in a band. Despite already being involved in Lowercase N, Roy decided to take a chance and start a new
project. Pete was on guitar, Roy
on drums. Bob, who was so used to hiding behind the drums and singing in Friction, wanted to join, but only on
vocals. The only element they lacked was a bass player.
Enter Jay Ryan. Jay began to practice with the three in his basement. Around
this time, Bob tried his hand at playing guitar and they chose the name Braid. Practices were slow and Jay was
a busy senior, so he had to bid farewell. (Don't feel bad though, he ended up
forming Hubcap and Dianogah
as well as the acclaimed Chicago
screen print shop The Bird Machine.) As a replacement, Todd Bell of Lowercase N was brought aboard. Another
vocalist, Kate Reuss joined and the band's first show was planned for December
10, 1993 in Danville, Illinois. Kate left the band after only her
second show. The only song this incarnation of Braid would record, "Elephant," was released a year later
on the Ghost Dance double 7"
compilation off of Slave Cut.
The following year, Friction parted
ways and Braid became a full-time
project. After a mediocre show in Urbana,
the band decided they still wanted another vocalist. Chris Broach of Wheeling, Illinois
had come to the show wanting to hear the band being billed as "ex-Friction." He ended up leaving the
show as Braid's new singer. Shortly
thereafter, by mutual decision, Pete left the band in August 1994 and Chris
took over on guitar. A week later, Braid
recorded the Rainsnowmatch 7"
and released it on Enclave Records. When the 7" went out of print, the
band convinced Polyvinyl Records to re-release it.
All cylinders were clicking. The band now had a solidified line-up and entered
the studio in Urbana, IL to record their debut full-length with
Andrew Bedinni. Across 26 tracks (each one named using a different letter of
the alphabet), Frankie Welfare Boy Age
Five melded a spastic amalgamation of punk rock onto textured math rock
movements. The album was released on Divot Records in June 1995. Despite
moments of excess and the occasional lack of focus, the album captures the
early, youthful urgency of the band and remains a necessity for Braid fans.
In late 1995 Bob and Todd decided to form their own label, Grand Theft Autumn.
The following summer their first record, released in conjunction with Polyvinyl
Records, was Braid's I'm Afraid of Everything. The record
quickly sold through repeated pressings and many would argue the three songs
were the most representative recordings the band released in its six-year
history. One month later they would release their second album.
On July 25, 1996, Braid's The Age of Octeen was released on Parasol's
MUD imprint. In three years, the band had played 151 shows. On The Age of Octeen alone, they would play
nearly 200. The band was winning over fans left and right. In March 1997,
because of time and job constraints, Roy
had to leave the band. He would eventually take over Bob's half of Grand Theft
Autumn and go on to play drums for Days
in December and Very Secretary.
He was replaced by Damon Atkinson whom the band had met a few weeks earlier.
Damon's first recording was "Collect From Clark Kent" which appeared on the World Domination in 13 Easy Steps
compilation off of Stratagem. His next appearance was on the First Day Back 7" released on
Polyvinyl.
1998 was the defining Braid year.
The band played almost 200 shows that year, toured Europe twice (first with The Get Up Kids, then with Burning Airlines), and Polyvinyl released Frame and Canvas, the quintessential Braid album, recorded and produced at
DC's Inner Ear studios with J Robbins. The record was released in April 1998
and met with more success than neither Braid,
nor Polyvinyl had ever imagined. By early 1999, Braid was ready for a break and, ultimately, ended up deciding to
call it quits. The last five days of the band were documented by the
Bifocal-directed Killing a Camera video. Nearly a year later, Damon, Todd, and
Bob emerged with friend Mark Dawursk as a new band--Hey Mercedes.
Not mentioned thus far was Braid's
prolific output of 7"s and compilation material. A complete discography of
these songs had widely been planned (and even announced by the band) but it
wasn't until a year after Braid
parted ways that the discography saw the light of day. Movie Music Volume 1 culls together all of Braid's non-compilation 7" material and one previously
unreleased song. Movie Music Volume 2
includes all of Braid's compilation
material and five previously unreleased tracks.
Hide  More
|
|
I'm Glowing and You're the Reason
|
|
|
Sounds Like Violence
|
|
|
Motion Light
|
|
|
Perfect Pitch
|
|
|
I'm Afraid Of Everything
|
|
|
Radish White Icicle
|
|
|
Now I'm Exhausted
|
|
|
Fire Makes the House Grow
|
|
|
Niagara
|
|
|
Damon Atkinson
|
Drums (1997 - 1999)
|
|
Todd Bell
|
Bass Guitar
|
|
Chris Broach
|
Guitar, Vocals
|
|
Roy Ewing
|
Drums (1994 - 1997)
|
|
Bob Nanna
|
Guitar, Vocals
|
|
