A heaping spoonful of emo (vol. 6)

Posted on 25 October 2005 | 7 Comments

Filed Under: Emo, Old Posts

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I just had a baby (see previous post) and I haven’t felt this “emo” in years (LOL). That’s why the sounds of these two bands are just really getting me today.

Get Up Kids were from Kansas City and throughout their career played music that began as simple poppy post-hardcore but (as they matured) became infused with a touch of Americana. I first heard them on the Woodson 7” that (along with a few of their other records) was put out Doghouse Records. Those two songs (IMHO) and “Dottie..” from their Post Marked Stamps split 7” with Braid are their three best songs. Call me jaded, but their early stuff is by far their best.

I was fortunate enough to see them live quite a few times. Two particular times that stand out are at the Fireside Bowl with Braid, 90 Day Men, and Jimmy Eat World on a cold December evening in 1997 and again a few years later at Metro with At The Drive-In and Ultimate Fakebook. They played amazing and impassioned sets both times.

The Get Up Kids first full-length CD, Four Minute Mile (too me at least) is plagued by a sloppy recording and low production values. Their second album Something To Write Home About was released by Vagrant Records and propelled them to emo superstardom. A much more solid effort that their previous one. On A Wire was a disappointment to me and to a lot of other fans. Their direction changed too drastically and it just didn’t feel like the Get Up Kids anymore. After re-releases of some earlier EP’s and a b-sides album, they released The Guilt Show shortly before their break-up. Surprisingly, I think it is probably their strongest full-length album to date. A blending of their rough emo-punk sound with the rural-esqe of their hometown.

I heard about their break-up earlier this year, but knew it was inevitable. All the members have (however) continued on in other bands. The New Amsterdams, Reggie And The Full Effect, and Blackpool Lights being those bands.

I consider myself lucky to have been going to school in Champaign-Urbana, IL while Braid was doing there thing. And while I’m not sure how they are regarded outside of the Midwest, here they are kings.

I first heard Braid at a Champaign Park District concert on 9/6/96. It was an outdoor show and they played with another favorite of mine, Hum. I can recall thinking that it was punk music that didn’t sound punk. I went out and bought their album The Age Of Octeen the following day. I saw them live at least a dozen (maybe more) times at house parties in Urbana to one of their final shows at the Metro in Chicago. They were consistently amazing.

From the screamy post-hardcore of their debut album Frankiewelfareboyagefive on Divot Records to the near-perfect emo-pop of their final 7”, the music of Braid never let me down. They played 537 shows (excluding the 2004 reunion tour) during their 5 year existence and put out more records than I can even count. Three great full-lengths, a live album that documents one of their final shows, and a 2-disc collection that contains all their compilation tracks and 7” records. Their final album Frame and Canvas as well as the 2-disc Movie Music collection and tons of 7” records were released on Polyvinyl Records.

When I heard they were splitting up in 1999, I was devastated. Here was a band that had “spoken” to me. Their music had a little of the DC sound but was always held together by pop melodies. The dual vocals of Bob Nanna and Chris Broach added a whole different layer of depth that most bands simply can’t match. What would we do without Braid around?

Well… three-fourths of Braid (Bob, Todd, and Damon) formed (the now-defunct) Hey Mercedes, while Chris continued to work on Firebird Band material. Chris also runs Lucid Records and Todd (along with original drummer Roy) run a record label called Grand Theft Autumn. While these bands were good, none of them captured the magic that Braid had. The dynamics between Bob and Chris created such tension in the music that it just explodes out of your speakers. Bob is currently working with/as The City On Film.

Bifocal Media also re-released the Braid DVD Killing A Camera last year to coincide with the band’s 2004 reunion tour. As great as those shows had to have been, I didn’t attend any of them. I didn’t want to have to give up one of my all-time favorite bands twice.

MP3 | Get Up Kids – Second Place Woodson EP
MP3 | Braid – Forever Got Shorter Post Marked Stamps 7”

Hailey Elyse is here A white sox winner