TOPSHELF RECORDS ON TUESDAY, JULY 8
“On ‘No Coast’, there’s enough of what made us love Braid in the first place – start-stop changes on a dime, scrappy punk songs with a ton of heart – but it also acknowledges that age
changes tastes and voices.” – NPR“‘Bang’ is a fine piece of heart-on-sleeve post-hardcore clangor, and it honestly sounds like something the band would’ve bashed out before they first broke up in 1999.” – Stereogum
Topshelf Records and seminal ’90s indie-rock band Braid are excited to present another song off the band’s first album in over 16 years. Premiering over at Entertainment Weekly, “No Coast,” the title track off the forthcoming album, is a phrase that came to be known as the band’s personal mission statement when creating this new LP that NPR‘s All Songs Considered recently deemed “a blueprint for the elder statespersons of emo returning to the fold.” Check out the stream of “No Coast” over at Entertainment Weekly HERE.
Being released on Tuesday, July 8, No Coast was produced by Will Yip and contains 12 of the most technically and lyrically creative songs ever penned by the Champaign-Urbana, IL- based quartet. Featuring a rousing collection of textures, as well as the combined signature vocals provided by guitarists Bob Nanna and Chris Broach, No Coast presents itself as the fitting follow-up to the career defining, 1998 indie-rock classic Frame & Canvas. The album can now be pre-ordered through iTunes as well as through Topshelf Records where exclusive bundles are currently being offered.
Since its inception in 1993, Braid released a number of compilation songs, 7″ material and full-length albums that are still regarded as indie-rock benchmarks. 1998 was the defining year for Braid. The band played almost 200 shows that year, toured Europe twice (first with The Get Up Kids then with Burning Airlines), and Polyvinyl Record Co. released Frame & Canvas, the quintessential Braid album, recorded and produced at DC’s Inner Ear studios with J. Robbins. The record was released in April 1998 and met with more success than neither Braid, nor Polyvinyl, had ever imagined.
By early 1999, Braid was ready for a break and, ultimately, ended up deciding to call it quits. The last five days of the band were captured by the Bifocal-directed Killing A Camera documentary. Nearly a year later, Damon, Todd and Bob emerged as Hey Mercedes with some additional friends while Chris went on to start The Firebird Band and Lucid Records.
In mid-2010 the members of Braid – Chris Broach (guitar/vocals), Bob Nanna (guitar/vocals),Todd Bell (bass), and Damon Atkinson (drums) – discussed the possibility of working on a new release as well as performing a number of reunion shows that eventually led to their Closer To Closed EP and their Frame & Canvas tour in 2012 where they performed the album front-to-back in addition to a number of fan favorites. This burst of activity was a welcome return for the band that’s also made fans excited for what was possibly next beyond the release and brief stint.
Now in 2014, Braid has returned with a fresh set of material on No Coast that is more of a rebirth of the band rather than a simple reunion. “I think we feel like we want this to be an introduction to Braid more than a follow-up to previous material,” Chris Broach said. “We wanted to capture the spirit and dynamic tension that comes from having two guys up front that have a lot to say and a rhythm section that helps shape the songs. We spent a lot of time looking to where we could give each instrument its own space on the record – everything has its place, and its very deliberate.”
“The drive has always been there to create new, exciting material that would speak to all of our fans, old and new,” Bob Nanna adds. “We’re excited with how the record turned out and look forward to Braid’s busy future.”
Braid will be making the following appearances throughout the summer. Tour dates below.
JUNE
14 – Chicago, IL – Double Door 20th Anniversary w/ The Smoking Popes
JULY
08 – Lansing, MI – Common Ground Music Festival
09 – Pittsburgh, PA – Altar Bar (w/ Into It. Over It.)
10 – Cincinnati, OH – South Gate House Revival (w/ Pity Sex, Signals Midwest)
11 – St. Louis, MO – Fubar (w/ Pity Sex, Signals Midwest)
12 – Champaign, IL – Mariposa Music Festival
23 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes
24 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
25 – Washington DC – Rock and Roll Hotel
26 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
27 – Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle
