Sharks Keep Moving

There are some music scenes that are so tightly knit and incestuous, that it is difficult to tell where one band starts and another begins. For example, in the early 80's, D.C.'s hardcore scene was based around Ian Mackaye and various Dischord affiliates, from Minor Threat all the way to Fugazi. In the early 90's, nearly every Chicago indie band was somehow involved with Cap'n Jazz and the Kinsella brothers. Today, it is difficult to find a Canadian band that is not associated with Broken Social Scene. Such collectives give birth to groups with varying levels of success and longevity, but are also inevitably responsible for a staggering number of casualties.

One of the most underrated indie scenes of the last decade is that of Seattle, Washington. Having kept relatively quiet after the demise of the grunge movement, the city began churning out a network of bands in the late 90's that are surprisingly relevant today. Sharks Keep Moving was one of the seminal bands of this scene. In 1997, after the dissolution of their relatively unknown post-hardcore group, State Route 522, Jake Snider, Nathan Turpen and Jeff DeGolier decided to change their sound a bit. Although always highly technical, they evolved into a more jazz-tinged, melodic indie format. They were joined by drummer Dan Dean in 1998, and released a split 7" with The Kentucky Pistol - Rocky Votolato's first band.

Between their built-in fanbase from State Route 522 and the momentum of the split EP, Sharks Keep Moving eventually gained the attention of both Second Nature Records and Status Records. They recorded the Desert Strings & Drifters EP with producer Matt Bayles, and released it on Second Nature. On this record, the band completely expanded their horizons, with odd time signatures and extended instrumental stretches. After the EP's release, Jeff DeGolier left the band, and was replaced by Morgan Henderson of the Blood Brothers.

In 1999, after some brief touring of the west coast, they went back into the studio with Matt Bayles, and recorded a self-titled full length, which they would release on Status. This album found the band nearing the 10-minute mark on several tracks, half of which were instrumental. When Snider did sing, the lyrics were delivered with a laid-back croon, generally dealing with Pacific Northwest pastimes, such as drinking, driving, smoking, and sailing. The band kept relatively quiet during the next year, and Dan Dean eventually left the band. He was soon replaced by J. Clark of Kill Sadie. After months of rumors that they were in the process of recording, the band finally released a 3-song EP titled Pause and Clause. Although this EP developed their sound even further, incorporating more jazz elements into the mix, it was the last collection of songs that they would record.

Sharks Keep Moving did not break up because of lack of exposure, personal differences, or any other of the many reasons that typically lead to a band's demise. Rather, these musicians were so prolific, that they could not maintain this band among the many others that they were involved in. Snider has found the greatest level of success as the lead singer/guitarist for the math-rock supergroup, Minus the Bear. J. Clark went on to form the female-fronted post hardcore group, Pretty Girls Make Graves, who broke up after 3 albums. He is currently playing in the Matador Records art-punk band, Jaguar Love. Morgan Henderson continued to play with the Blood Brothers until they broke up last year. Status Records announced that they were preparing a Sharks Keep Moving B-sides/remix CD back in 2001, but little has been said on the matter since.

Check out "Tied To The Tracks" from Pause and Clause here:

Jawbox / Burning Airlines

When a band relies on equal artistic contribution from each of its members, its death often results in a multitude of new groups, offering up tangential attempts at their previous work. In most cases, the resulting music falls considerably short of that of the original band. However, when one person is the brainchild for a dead band, there is a much stronger possibility of its reincarnation reaching the heights of the original. J. Robbins was such a mastermind for not one, but two landmark indie bands.

Robbins got his start playing bass with the final lineup of Government Issue, who were one of the most influential bands in the 80's D.C. punk scene. When the band dissolved in 1989, Robbins formed Jawbox with bassist Kim Coletta and drummer Adam Wade. They released their first album, Grippe, on Dischord Records, the most legendary indie label this side of Sub Pop. Bill Barbot joined the group as second guitarist and second singer just before the release of their sophomore record, Novelty. Zach Barocas also joined the band around this time, filling in for Wade. Both of these albums led to their creation of DeSoto Records, which went on to become a fairly successful indie label in its own right.

From the outset, Jawbox's music was intense yet melodic, much like their post-hardcore peers, Shudder to Think. Both bands developed legions of die hard fans that felt as though the bands were their own little secrets. However, both bands left Dischord Records for major labels in 1994, causing a massive outcry from their fans. Jawbox signed to Atlantic Records, and rather than conforming their sound to that of modern rock, they managed to create their unique masterpiece, For Your Own Special Sweetheart. This album yielded two singles, "Savory" and "Cooling Card," both of which received limited play from radio and MTV. After releasing a final self-titled album in 1997, Jawbox were dropped from Atlantic.

While Jawbox was still in its final stages, Robbins and Barbot had been playing on the side with former Government Issue drummer Peter Moffett. They briefly considered including him in Jawbox after Barocas left the band, but this lineup never quite worked out. Jawbox officially broke up, and Robbins, Barbot and Moffett created Burning Airlines, taking their name from a Brian Eno song.

Over the last few years of Jawbox's existence, Robbins started working as a producer for many bands, including Braid, The Promise Ring, and Jawbreaker, to name a few. With Burning Airlines, he worked on both sides of the studio, as the artist and producer. This allowed him to fully develop his songs, playing with different textures and effects as needed.

Burning Airlines recorded two albums on DeSoto Records: 1999's Mission:Control!, and 2001's Identikit. Though they never quite broke into the mainstream, both albums were extremely well received in the indie rock community, and remain highly influential. After the events of September 11, 2001, many venues refused to display the band's name on their marquees, and they considered changing their name. Despite their decision to keep the name, the band broke up within several months.

These days, Bill Barbot and Kim Coletta still run DeSoto Records, now home to such bands as Maritime and The Life and Times. The label has recently purchased the entire Jawbox catalog from Dischord and Atlantic, and released them on iTunes. J. Robbins has become an in-demand producer for indie and punk bands, having most recently worked with Clutch, Against Me!, and Yeasayer. He is also currently playing with two bands: Report Suspicious Activity, a political hardcore band in which he plays bass, and Channels, in which he trades off vocal duties with his wife, Janet Morgan. Even though his bands may dissolve and reform with different combinations of collaborators, J. Robbins will always push the bar higher for indie rock in one way or another.

Check out the video for "Savory" from For Your Own Special Sweetheart here:

Race Car Riot

It is difficult for fans to deal with the loss of a dead band, but they usually have a catalog of multiple albums and/or EPs to remember them by. It is much harder to accept a band's death when they leave only a handful of scattered tracks behind them. Race Car Riot is perhaps the most tragic dead band of all, considering the fact that they professionally recorded only 5 songs during their entire career. This is made even worse by the fact that these songs appear on 3 different albums. Despite their confounding lack of studio material, the few tracks that Race Car Riot did manage to leave behind are absolutely stellar, and suprisingly influential.

The band's first appearance was in 1997, on the poorly named Deep Elm Records compilation, What's Mine Is Yours: The Emo Diaries - Chapter One. Their song "The Last in 4000" is an epic instrumental that instituted the sad yet triumphant sound that is currently selling out venues across the country in the form of fellow Texans, Explosions in the Sky. Deep Elm chose to pick the band up for the first in their split EP series, alongside Planes Mistaken For Stars and the Appleseed Cast. This EP accounted for the majority of their work, with 3 songs, only 1 of which utilized Jason Jordan's vocals. Their final release, the aptly named "Discontinued," did not surface until 2002, on Deep Elm Unreleased Vol. 2.

As a tragic epilogue to Race Car Riot's existence, Jason Jordan created a MySpace page for the band in 2005, announcing that they were regrouping to create a brand new full length. He even posted several new songs that he tracked himself under the alternate band name, The Secret Songs. However, through Jordan's few blog posts, it became clear that the band was not receiving the attention that they had hoped for. The final post, labeled "Musical Doom," reads like a suicide note, announcing that the last remaining member of the band was giving up, leaving him alone, and that if this happened, the band would surely die. There has been no word of any future productivity since.

Check out the band's MySpace page for 2 tracks, as well as their parting words to their fans:
http://www.myspace.com/racecarriot

Braid

When a band finally decides to break up, it is usually unexpected, and often credited towards "personal differences." After the band's demise, their fans are left with the feeling that they should have appreciated them more during their existence. Illinois post-hardcore legends Braid did not abandon their fans in this way, but rather gave them every opportunity to experience their live show before they called it quits. Braid formed in 1993, when Friction drummer/singer Bob Nanna started a side project in which he would play guitar. He met drummer Roy Ewing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who recruited several friends from other bands that were looking for new people to play with.

Braid's lineup underwent many changes at the beginning. Bassist Jay Ryan left the band early on, and was replaced by Todd Bell, who played with Ewing in Lowercase N. They also briefly had a female singer, Kate Reuss, who quit after only their second show in 1993. In 1994, Friction broke up, and Nanna became much more serious about the Braid project. Chris Broach joined in 1994, and eventually took over as second guitarist as well. With their lineup finally set in place, Braid released their debut album, Frankie Welfare Boy Age Five. This record contained 26 tracks - one for each letter of the alphabet. Their sound was inititally very similar to Chicago's Cap'n Jazz, being very complex yet rough hardcore.

By 1996, Braid sounded like a completely different band. Their sophomore LP, The Age of Octeen, found them reaching for a much more pop-oriented sound, though still maintaining their dynamic instrumentation. Songs like "The Chandelier Swing" and "Eulalia, Eulalia" successfully found the right balance between Broach's caustic yelling and Nanna's sweet, sing-song crooning. In 1997, Ewing left the band, and they brought Figurehead drummer Damon Atkinson in to replace him. This incarnation of the band is primarily what they are remembered for. In 1998, they went into the studio with J. Robbins to record Frame & Canvas, which was not only a landmark album for the band, but for the entire genre.

From the opening drumbeat of "The New Nathan Detroits" to the closing goodbyes of "I Keep A Diary," Frame & Canvas is nearly perfect. Elements of pop, emo, hardcore, punk, and indie blended seamlessly into Braid's signature style, which finally realized its potential with this album. Despite the success of this record, Braid determined that they had accomplished far more than they ever had intended to, and decided to break up in 1999. However, rather than simply dropping the band then and there, they announced that they would be playing a final show in each of their hometowns. This gave both the band and their fans the sense of closure that they deserved. The tour was later documented for the film, Killing a Camera.

After breaking up, Nanna, Bell and Atkinson went on to form Hey Mercedes, who released 2 LPs and 3 EPs in the early 2000's. Odd-man out Chris Broach formed The Firebird Band, with whom he still plays today. Nanna and Bell currently play in The City on Film, which they have had as a side project since their days with Braid. In 2001, Polyvinyl Records released a 2-disc set of Braid B-sides called Movie Music Vol. 1 &2, which contained early demos and cover versions of Smiths and Pixies songs, among others. These releases, along with Frame & Canvas, built a posthumous following for the band. In 2004, they decided to cater to these new fans by doing a US/Canada/Japan summer reunion tour. All of these things make Braid's death one of the easiest to deal with, considering that their fans were able to celebrate them in their final hours, rather than mourn them, knowing that they never got to say goodbye.

Check out a live video of "First Day Back" from Frame & Canvas here:

Failure

It would seem that in this forum, a band that refers to themselves as Failure would most likely be a case of tragic irony. The term would certainly be appropriate for the band's attempts at mainstream success, yet it is impossible to classify them this way, due to their technical innovation and overall impact on alternative music. Failure formed in 1990, when vocalist/guitarist Ken Andrews and guitarist/bassist Greg Edwards met through classified ads in Los Angeles. After several years of playing local shows and recording 4-track demos, they went into the studio with producer Steve Albini to record their debut album, Comfort, in 1992. This album was a bit rough around the edges, but firmly introduced their stoner rock sound, characterized by pummeling drums and sludgy basslines.

With the release of Comfort, Failure signed to Slash Records (a subsidiary of Warner Bros.) and went on their first tour with Tool. For their second album, the band decided that they wanted to handle the production themselves. Along with the addition of permanent drummer Kellii Scott, they recorded Magnified, which found the band experimenting with numerous guitar effects and sound layering. In fact, this record sounded so vast, that Ken Andrews became known as the alt-rock Phil Spector, for his virtual "wall of sound." The album gained them plenty of respect from critics and musicians, but only managed to receive very limited radio play.

For their third full-length, Failure decided to rent a house (Lita Ford's house to be precise), so that they could take all of the time that they needed to create what would be their masterpiece, Fantastic Planet. Their diligent attention to detail is evident on the album, as each element seems perfectly set in place to form an epic space rock record. However, during the recording sessions, Slash Records was dropped by Warner Bros., and the record was not released until nearly a year after its completion. The first single, "Stuck On You," reached #31 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in 1996, but this was the pinnacle of their commercial success.

The band finally broke up in 1997, due to personal differences, but the members have managed to keep themselves busy. Kellii Scott went on to play with Blinker the Star, Campfire Girls and Veruca Salt. Greg Edwards formed Autolux, who since went on to collaborate with UNKLE and tour with Nine Inch Nails. Ken Andrews has been the most prolific in the wake of Failure, both as a musician and a producer. He has released two albums with new bands: ON, an electronic-based departure, and Year of the Rabbit, which brought him back to guitar rock. In 2007, he released his first album under his own name, Secrets of the Lost Satellite, getting help from his friends in Beck's backup band. He is now known better for his work as a producer, working with bands like Blink-182, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and even Tenacious D.

Check out the video for "Stuck On You" from Fantastic Planet here:

The Promise Ring

There is a great dilemma that nearly every band must face when their youth begins to fade. They can adjust the sound and subject matter of their music, at the risk of alienating their fans, or they can simply give up. Sometimes, they do both at once, as in the case of the Promise Ring. In 1995, Cap'n Jazz guitarist/vocalist Davey von Bohlen started the band as a side project with a few friends from his hometown of Milwaukee, WI. When Cap'n Jazz called it quits that same year, the Promise Ring became his primary focus. They released their first album, 30 Degrees Everywhere, in 1996 on Jade Tree Records. This record was severely underproduced, and although the music was certainly catchy, von Bohlen's vocals were nearly inaudible.

After a year of touring, the band entered the studio with producer/Jawbox singer J. Robbins, who was the premier post-hardcore producer at the time. The result was Nothing Feels Good, a flawless integration of indie rock and pop music. With von Bohlen's vocals mixed properly, audiences could finally hear his clever wordplay delivered through an endearing lisp. Despite the critical praise that the album received, the Promise Ring were the first band that was truly tormented by the term "emo." They were constantly referred to as the posterboys for the genre, even though they denied their affiliation at every press opportunity. After several EP's that expanded their sound a bit, they went back into the studio with Robbins to record Very Emergency in 1999.

Very Emergency found the Promise Ring leaving their indie/emo sound in the dust, focusing completely on the pop aspect of their music. In most cases, this would devastate the fanbase for an indie band, but the record was so upbeat and exuberant that it not only maintained current fans, but increased their commercial popularity exponentially. The band toured for 3 years on this record, and eventually released their final album, Wood/Water in 2002. It was clear at this point, with the band well into their 30's, that they were simply too old to write the joyous teenage anthems they once did. The record ended up sounding like a completely different band. The music had slowed down significantly, with the band attempting to introduce more dynamic elements, most of which were completely out of place, i.e. full church choir. It seemed that after this album, neither the band nor their fans were content with this new, "mature" identity.

The Promise Ring broke up in 2002 after the Wood/Water tour. Bassist Scott Schoenbeck began playing with Dashboard Confessional, the outfit where emo musicians go to die. Von Bohlen and drummer Dan Didier formed a new band with ex-Dismemberment Plan bassist Eric Axelson. They started out calling themselves English, but later changed their name to Maritime. Thankfully, their music sounds nothing like the latter days of the Promise Ring, but more like what one would have expected them to release off of the heels of Very Emergency. The Promise Ring played one reunion show in 2005 for the Flower 15 Festival at the Metro in Chicago. Just last month, rumors began circulating that they have been invited to play a forthcoming All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Milwaukee, curated by Compound Red guitarist Jim Minor.

Check out the video for "Emergency, Emergency" from Very Emergency here:

Glassjaw

It is debatable whether or not they are technically "dead," but nonetheless, Long Island's Glassjaw are good example of how detrimental lack of structure can be to a band. The group, which constisted of only 4 members at a time, has had no less than 19 different people go in and out of its revolving doors over the course of their existence. Glassjaw began in 1993, when vocalist Daryl Palumbo and Justin Beck met at summer camp. Both had been playing in straight-edge hardcore bands, and decided to join forces to scale the NYHC scene. These two were the only constant members of the band until they released their first EP, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, on 2 Cents a Pop Records in 1997.

Although they were already huge in New York, Glassjaw still had practically no national exposure when they signed with Roadrunner Records in 1999. They were, for some reason, matched up with renowned butt-rock producer Ross Robinson (Korn, Limp Bizkit). Despite this bizarre choice, the resulting product was the stunning full-length, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence. This is often cited as being a landmark post-hardcore album.

On EYEWTKAS, the band expanded the genre's typical loud/soft dynamic, with unusual time signatures and pummeling guitar riffs. However, the real focal point of the band was Palumbo, whose maniacal vocals sounded like an even more schizophrenic Mike Patton. His lyrics were unabashedly misogynistic, giving his ferocious screaming added bite with such lines as, "I only beat you when I'm drunk / You're only pretty when you're crying." However, this onstage persona directly reflected the fragile state of Palumbo's real life, due to his suffering from Crohn's disease. This pain was a major theme for the album, so much so that his daily pill box was the image on the cover.

Despite the critical success of their first album, Roadrunner Records failed to market it enough for them to gain any mainstream exposure. In 2001, they secretly recorded their follow up with Ross Robinson. Having lost two members on their previous tour, the band used studio musicians to create Worship & Tribute, which they eventually sold to Warner Bros. Records. This album displayed the band's versatility with songs like "Ape Dos Mil" and "The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports," which were considerably less venomous than their previous work, yet no less engaging. They toured extensively with this album, joining Ozzfest, Warped, and the Snocore Tour, before announcing their hiatus in 2004.

Glassjaw have not released an album since Worship & Tribute, but have been discussing the possibility of a 3rd LP off-and-on for the past few years, with no mention of who exactly would be involved. After the hiatus, Palumbo quickly began work on a side project with legendary hip-hop producer Dan the Automator (Gorillaz, Deltron 3030), to make the strictly pop group Head Automatica. After Automator moved onto other things, Palumbo recruited a full band to maintain the project, which has since seen greater commercial success than Glassjaw ever did. He also recently released an LP with United Nations, a metalcore group featuring Thursday vocalist, Geoff Rickley, as well as members of Converge and Made Out of Babies. Glassjaw have played several assorted shows with little advance notice since 2007, but have never fully regrouped. Until this next album materializes, it is relatively safe to say that Glassjaw is still a dead band.

Check out the music video for "Cosmopolitan Bloodloss" from Worship & Tribute, in which the entire band is murdered by Vincent Gallo, here:

The Anniversary

Finding a niche can be one of the most difficult tasks that a band can face. Many bands struggle for a lifetime to find a sound that has wide enough appeal to reach a real audience. The Anniversary had to deal with this problem not once, but twice over the course of their very brief career. Hailing from Lawrence, KS, they started out with a huge obstacle, attempting to fit into an underdeveloped music scene. Having attracted the attention of Lawrence's biggest band, The Get Up Kids, in 1999, they signed to Vagrant Records. In 2000, they recorded their debut album, Designing a Nervous Breakdown.

With their boy-girl vocals and heavy moog synthesizer use, the band was unfairly dismissed by critics as a poor man's Rentals. However, despite these two similarities, The Anniversary went far beyond the range of The Rentals on this album. In place of fuzzed out bass, they used chiming guitars. The back-and-forth vocals of Josh Berwanger and Adrianne Verhoeven conveyed urgency rather than The Rentals' trademark apathy. Although Designing a Nervous Breakdown was a nearly perfect synth-rock record, they were bound to touring with their pop-punk/emo labelmates, such as Saves the Day and Dashboard Confessional. This instantly maligned the band in the indie-rock world.

It seemed that no matter how hard they tried, The Anniversary could not manage to be taken seriously. Releasing a split EP with Superdrag in 2001, the band did away with the synths entirely, trading them in for tambourines and harmonicas. In fact, by the time they released their sophomore album, Your Majesty, they sounded nothing like the band they were just 2 years earlier. This record found the band looking backward to the psychadelic, flower-power rock of the late 60's and early 70's. Although they had completely reinvented their sound, they successfully avoided coming off as cheesy or insincere. The change in direction did polarize some old fans, but they finally managed to avoid the wrath of the critics.

Ironically, despite The Anniversary's new, decidedly happier tone, the band itself was splintering under the constant grind of touring and recording. In early 2004, just as they started to gain some notoriety, they released a statement on their website announcing the band's breakup without any specific explanation. Since then, Berwanger has been playing with The Only Children, abandoning indie rock altogether for hippie jamouts. Verhoeven has found a place in Omaha' Saddle Creek family, recording under the name DRI. In 2008, Vagrant Records released a 2-disc B-side album, called Devil On Our Side. These songs are rather uneven on their own, but it allows the listener to follow their transition from one sound to another beat by beat. While certainly interesting, it is sad to hear such brilliant musicians struggling so hard to find an audience.

Check out the video for "All Things Ordinary" from Designing a Nervous Breakdown here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaVoCPOnM9g

Sunny Day Real Estate

When a great band dies once, it is tragic. When a great band continues to die over and over again, it is just plain frustrating. Seattle's Sunny Day Real Estate have returned from the grave several times, only to crawl right back in several months later. Starting as a 3-piece in 1992, the band originally consisted of guitarist/vocalist Dan Hoerner, bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith. This group went through several different names, including Empty Set, Chewbacca Kaboom, and One Day I Stopped Breathing, none of which gained them any attention.

While Mendel went on tour with another band, Hoerner took over bass duties, and Jeremy Enigk was recruited to fill in on guitar. In the following months, the band rearranged their positions, making Enigk the lead singer with Hoerner singing backup. With this lineup in place, they changed their name to Sunny Day Real Estate and released two 7"s, Flatland Spider and Thief, Steal Me a Peach. These EP's attracted the attention of local label Sub Pop records, who eventually signed the band and released their breakthrough album Diary in 1994.

Diary is the prototype for every emo album that came out during the 90's and is responsible for most melancholic indie rock that exists today. SDRE took the loud/soft dynamic that the Pixies invented and made the loud louder and the soft softer. The band recieved some play on the lesser-known MTV shows, including The Jon Stewart Show and 120 Minutes. However, aside from this, they made very little attempt at reaching larger audiences. For example, on their US tour with Shudder to Think and Soul Coughing, they inexplicably refused to play shows in California.

After the Diary tour, SDRE parted ways for unknown reasons. The most popular rumor is that Enigk's sudden conversion to Christianity tore the band apart. Mendel and Goldsmith went on to become the rhythm section for the Foo Fighters. It seemed that SDRE were dead, but before they broke up, they had recorded several songs in the studio. Sub Pop took these songs as well as some B-sides from the Diary sessions, and released them as LP2, also known as "The Pink Album." When Sub Pop approached them with the idea of releasing another rarities record, they decided to simply regroup and record another album. Mendel was still playing with the Foo Fighters, but Goldsmith was replaced by Taylor Hawkins in 1997.

The resulting album, How It Feels To Be Something On, was a considerable departure from their previous work. Enigk's once searing vocals had oddly transitioned into an entrancing falsetto, among other layered melodies. The rest of the band explored many different genres, only half of which actually worked. They went on to release another album, the virtually unlistenable The Rising Tide in 2000. While on tour for this album, their new label, Time Bomb Records, went under and they decided to break up as well. In 2002, Enigk, Mendel, and Goldsmith reunited for one album under the name The Fire Theft. Although not quite SDRE, it was certainly a step up from their last album. Dan Hoerner regrettably joined Dashboard Confessional. Enigk still plays as a solo artist, and has recently suggested the possibility of a SDRE reunion. It is hard to say whether or not this is a good thing.

Despite the shakiness of their later work, there is no good reason why you should not pick up Diary and LP2. Sunny Day Real Estate is a perfect example of the band that has already passed their prime by the time they gain any kind of recognition. Check out "In Circles" from Diary here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDSsh7Ocv8o

American Football

Sometimes, the best bands are those that spring up momentarily between more permanent outfits. Urbana, IL three-piece American Football rose from the ashes of Midwestern emo legends, Cap'n Jazz, among a series of side projects involving Mike Kinsella. Kinsella primarily played the drums in Cap'n Jazz, while his brother Tim screamed and hollered in his oft-out of key screech. After the demise of his brother's band, Kinsella decided to gather some of his fellow Chicago scenesters to form his own band, The One Up Downstairs, where he would play guitar and sing. They recorded 3 songs in 1997. However, the band broke up shortly thereafter, and the EP did not see the light of day until its digital release in 2006.

Mike Kinsella retained drummer Steve Lamos (formerly of the Firebird Band, a Braid side project) from the One Up Downstairs for a fuller version of the band, which they called American Football. Although they only existed for 2 years, yielding a self titled EP and full-length, American Football managed to single-handedly put Polyvinyl Records on the map, now home to such indie wonders as Architecture in Helsinki and Of Montreal. The EP was certainly a departure from the chaotic sound of Cap'n Jazz, focusing on chiming guitars, dynamic time signatures, and Mike's plaintive vocals, which stood in stark contrast to Tim's caustic melodies.

Although the EP introduced their fresh sound to the Chicago scene, it is the full-length that is their true masterpiece. The opening track, "Never Meant," is as close to perfect as a song can get. The first few seconds catch the band tuning up and calling out directions to each other, but right after the 4-count, it takes off running. Both guitars intertwine beautifully as Kinsella reasons with himself over a breakup in an obvious state of denial: "I just think it's best/ cause you can't miss what you forget." The rest of the album plays with this same formula, occasionally employing strings, trumpet, and even a wurlitzer, to illustrate the end of a relationship in symphonic fashion.

Despite the buzz that American Football had created for themselves, they were decidedly a studio band, and parted ways shortly after the release of the full-length. Since then, Kinsella has had a number of side projects. He has filled in on drums for his brother's band, Joan of Arc, on a number of their albums. Cap'n Jazz even reunited for one album under the name Owls. For the past 6 years, he has been playing under the moniker Owen, in which he plays all of the instruments and records the songs himself. Though these songs are good and often emotionally devastating, Kinsella has still yet to reach the classic heights of American Football. However, I suppose you can't miss what you forget.

Check out "Never Meant" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdfhJXV5kgU

Hum

The cruelest type of failure is that which occurs after a brief taste of success. Such was the case for Hum, whose single "Stars" received a fair amount of play on college radio stations in 1995. After recording their debut album, Electra 2000, with premier indie producer Steve Albini (Nirvana's In Utero), Hum signed a deal with RCA Records. Their next release, You'd Prefer an Astronaut, is a heavy, ethereal pop record, firmly establishing the space rock genre. The driving rhythm section pulses as effects-laden guitars alternatingly soar and shred. Singer/guitarist Matt Talbot's lyrics about spaceships and supernovas are delivered with assured reserve, causing the music to feel truly extraterrestrial.

Despite the minor success that Hum enjoyed based upon the sales of this record, once "Stars" slipped into obscurity, any media attention they still had began to fade. Hum recorded a follow-up record in 1998, Downward is Heavenward. Sadly, the album only sold 30,000 copies, and the band were dropped from RCA. The real irony here is that this was by far Hum's finest work. The opening track, "Isle of the Cheetah" opens with a lush acoustic guitar that explodes into one of the hugest riffs in history. The intended single "Green to Me" sounds like what Smashing Pumpkins should have sounded like in 1998. The entire album employs a wall of sound that immerses the listener in the detached, celestial world that Hum creates.

Hum broke up in 2000, and played two reunion shows in 2003 and 2005. The song "Stars" was featured this past year in a Cadillac commercial. Matt Talbott is currently playing with his band Centaur, in which he is able to indulge his tendency to draw songs out to over 8 minutes. Bassist Jeff Dimpsey resurrected a side project from before Hum called National Skyline. Neither band has come close to the commercial success of Hum, but these bands have such infrequent output that it seems that they have resumed their day jobs.

I recommend in particular: "I'd Like Your Hair Long" from You'd Prefer an Astronaut and "Dreamboat" from Downward is Heavenward.

Check out the video for "Stars" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfbn3ieVUYU

Dead, But Not Forgotten

Hello everyone. Welcome to Dead Bands, a blog with the intention to resurrect great music that was never able to reach the audiences that it rightfully deserved. I will regularly present bands that have been criminally underlooked over the past few decades. Some of these groups only attained fanbases in the hundreds during their existence, and yet had tremendous influence on the state of indie rock today. Due to lack of publicity, many of these musicians simply could not endure the lifestyle of the obscure artist. My hope is that formal introductions to these bands will keep them from going unnoticed. Although these bands are no longer together, if our generation can appreciate the posthumous music of Joy Division, the Pixies, and the Smiths, surely it can appreciate other bands that did not quite find the success that they needed to survive.