Sophie's Floorboard: Christie Front Drive

Christie Front Drive were a four-piece emo/indie rock band from Denver, Colorado that were around from 1993 to 1997. They've played two reunion shows since, one in 2007 and one in 2014. This band are one of the greats to come out of indie/emo in the 1990's, and though they may not get as much exposure as bands like Sunny Day Real Estate or Mineral, they are nonetheless an important and influential act. It's also 2017 now, and this blog has been going since 2012, so it's almost criminal that I've not gotten around to sharing them on here for so many years.

What Christie Front Drive really perfected were their melancholic guitar melodies that would often build up to a climax of shimmering chords in extended instrumental breaks. The band really worked together to create these massive songs with an attack and release tension, often topped off by some heartfelt, soaring vocals. The main attraction always remains the instruments, though. There are some truly fantastic rhythms and melodies within their discography, many of which would define what a midwestern "emo" band sounds like. From the gentle arpeggios at the beginning of "Valentine", to the dissonant outro of "Field", to the dynamic "Slide", to the massive choruses of "Seven Day Candle", this band can do no wrong.

There are a few things to mention in regards to their actual discography. First off, they have two absolutely essential albums. Both of them are technically self-titled, but are more commonly referred to as Anthology (which is a compilation) and Stereo (which is their sole full-length). The former contains all their material up until 1995, which would be their first two EP's (both also self-titled), as well as their first two splits, one with Sineater and one with Jimmy Eat World (which is available as well if you want the JEW side). The one thing Anthology does not contain is their split with Boys Life, which was released later in the same year. Their one album was released in 1997, which as mentioned before, is known both as Christie Front Drive and Stereo. The band also released a slew of compilation tracks throughout their career. I included them all in one download, though they are tagged with individual artwork and titles and such. The most notable appearance is their track on the legendary (Don't Forget To) Breathe comp, but the others are solid as well. Enjoy.