Braid

Photo credit: Shawn Scallen / www.scallen.com

Braid are a four-piece indie/emo band from Champaign, Illinois, that formed in 1993, disbanded in 1999, reunited briefly in 2004, and have been fully active again since 2011. They are often considered one of essential 90's emo/indie band, whose name is often spoken on par with the other greats, such as Cap'n Jazz, Jawbreaker, and Texas Is The Reason. Just like those bands, what made Braid so good is that they aren't exactly like any of their contemporaries, but still fit within the same realm so seamlessly. However, one thing that especially sets Braid apart now is that they both fit in with the "classic" tag for incredibly influential albums such as Frame And Canvas, but they exist today in the same realm as the bands that have been influenced by them. They are signed to Topshelf Records, they put out a split with Balance & Composure, and have toured with the likes of Into It. Over. It. and A Great Big Pile Of Leaves. Braid's legacy has already been solidified as something of legend, and they continue to prove why they've earned that title. Braid's members have also been active in bands such as Hey Mercedes, The City On Film, and The Firebird Band, which are all also worth giving a listen to.

A few notes on their discography: Their three full-lengths from the 90's are all below here, which were released while they existed. Posthumously, they released their compilations Movie Music, Vol. 1 and Movie Music, Vol. 2, which collect most of the songs on their splits and singles, as well as the live album Lucky To Be Alive. They wouldn't release anything else until their 2011 reunion, which spawned the EP Closer To Closed, and 2014's long-awaited follow-up to Frame and Canvas, which is No Coast. The band also released a handful of splits, but so far I've only managed to find the ones with The Get Up Kids and Balance & Composure. Most of their split material is included on the aforementioned compilations, but if anyone happens to have them, I'd appreciate you sending them to me. Enjoy.

Frankie Welfare Boy Age Five (1995)

1. Angel Falls

2. Capricorn

3. Minuet

4. New Dollar Building

5. Lining Lake Michigan

6. Wax Wings

7. Garner Hall Music Room

8. Hugs From Boys

9. Three Point Turn

10. Eeyore And Easel

11. Red Dye Company

12. Summer Salt

13. X Marks The Hope Box

14. Brass Knuckle Sandwich

15. Dolores

16. Under The Influence Of Tricycle Mechanics

17. Featherweight

18. Ornamental

19. Kissy Windmill Point

20. Jane Describes John

21. Quarters

22. Interstate 57

23. Yawn London

24. Vest of Interest

25. Pipsqueak

26. Zero Frisco

The Age Of Octeen (1996)

1. My Baby Smokes

2. Nineteen Seventy Five

3. Divers

4. Jimmy Go Swimmer

5. Movie Clock Star

6. Eulalia Eulalia

7. Grace Car Part One

8. Harrison Ford

9. American Typewriter

10. The Chandelier Swing

11. Autobiography

The Get Up Kids/Braid (1997)

1. The Get Up Kids - I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel

2. Braid - Forever Got Shorter

Burning Airlines/Braid (1998)

1. Burning Airlines - Back of Love (Echo & The Bunnymen)

2. Braid - Always Something To Remind Me (Naked Eyes cover)

Frame & Canvas (1998)

1. The New Nathan Detroits

2. Killing A Camera

3. Never Will Come For Us

4. First Day Back

5. Collect From Clark Kent

6. Milwaukee Sky Rocket

7. A Dozen Roses

8. Urbana's Too Dark

9. Consolation Prize Fighter

10. Ariel

11. Breathe In

12. I Keep A Diary

Lucky To Be Alive (2000)

1. Autobiography

2. The New Nathan Detroits

3. Killing A Camera

4. Please Drive Faster

5. Forever Got Shorter

6. What A Wonderful Puddle

7. Never Will Come For Us

8. You're Lucky To Be Alive

9. Grace Car

10. A Dozen Roses

11. Breathe In

12. Milwaukee Sky Rocket

13. Divers

14. First Day Back

15. I'm Afraid Of Everything

16. The Chandelier Swing

17. Capricorn

Movie Music Vol. 1 (2000)

1. Sounds Like Violence

2. Motion Light

3. Perfect Pitch

4. I'm Afraid Of Everything

5. Radish White Icicle

6. Now I'm Exhausted

7. Fire Makes The House Grow

8. Niagara

9. That Car Came Out Of Nowhere

10. (Strawberry Ann) Switzerland

11. What A Wonderful Puddle

12. First Day Back

13. Hugs From Boys

14. Forever Got Shorter

15. Please Drive Faster

16. Circus Of The Stars

17. You're Lucky To Be Alive

Movie Music Vol. 2 (2000)

1. Elephant

2. Jimmy Go Swimmer

3. Eulalia, Eulalia

4. Katycat

5. Grand Theft Autumn

6. To Kiss A Trumpet Player

7. I'm Glowing And You're The Reason

8. Do You Love Coffee?

9. The Consolation Prizefighter

10. Bridge To Canada

11. Painting Nebraska

12. Collect From Clark Kent

13. Roses In The Car

14. My Life (Billy Joel cover)

15. Baby, Now That I've Found You (The Foundations cover)

16. This Charming Man (The Smiths cover)

17. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths cover)

18. Always Something There To Remind Me (Lou Johnson cover)

19. Trompe le Monde (The Pixies cover)

Closer To Closed (2011)

1. The Right Time

2. Do Over

3. You Are The Reason

4. Universe Or Worse

Braid/Balance And Composure (2013)

1. Braid - Lux

2. Braid - Many Enemies

3. Balance And Composure - You Can't Fix Me

4. Balance And Composure - Say

No Coast (2014)

1. Bang

2. East End Hollows

3. No Coast

4. Damages!

5. Many Enemies

6. Pre Evergreen

7. Put Some Wings On That Kid

8. Lux

9. Doing Yourself In

10. Climber New Entry

11. Light Crisis

12. This Is Not A Revolution

Kids Get Grids (2015)

1. Kids Get Grids

2. Because I Am

Facebook

Bandcamp