finetune artist: Braid

Along with Sunny Day Real Estate, one of the more popular and copied emo (emotional hardcore) bands to emerge in the early to mid-90s was Braid. Hailing from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA, the band originally formed in 1993, when singer/guitarist Bob Nanna (who was a member of another unit, Friction, and was attending the University of Illinois), hooked up with Kate Reuss (vocals), Pete Havranek (guitar), Todd Bell (bass), and Roy Ewing (drums). When Friction broke up soon after however, Nanna was free to focus on Braid, but the road soon became bumpy when both Reuss and Havranek left the band simultaneously. With Chris Broach (vocals/guitar) stepping in to fill the line-up void, Braid was officially born. In 1995, they released their debut Frankie Welfare Boy Age 5, an album comprising 26 songs (one song for each letter of the alphabet). Shortly after the release of 1997's The Age Of Octeen, Ewing opted to leave the band, and was replaced by Damon Atkinson (ex-Alligator Gun). The following year Braid played nearly 200 shows (including two tours of Europe), in addition to completing their third album, Frame & Canvas. With its members understandably burned out from their breakneck schedule, many assumed Braid would take a hiatus to recharge their batteries. Instead, the band shocked their fans by announcing in 1999 that they were breaking up. Nanna, Bell, and Atkinson went on to form, Hey Mercedes, while several posthumous Braid releases hit the record store shelves.

Listen to Braid at Finetune.

A Dozen Roses
Please Drive Faster
Never Will Come For Us
The New Nathan Detroits
Always Something There to Remind Me