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: