Before Braille
| Before Braille | |
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[[File:
Before Braille shortly after recording The Rumor |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Mesa, Arizona |
| Genres | Math rock, indie rock, experimental rock, emo |
| Years active | 1999–2006, 2010 |
| Labels | Sunset Alliance, You and Whose Army? Records, Aezra Records |
| Website | www.beforebraille.com |
Before Braille is an independent rock band from Mesa, Arizona, known as a pioneer of Arizona's emo-core movement during the early 2000s.[1][2]
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[edit] History
Before Braille was originally formed in 1999 by former high-school buddies David Jensen and Hans Ringger.[3] [4] In March 2002, the group released its debut four-song EP, which began to attract national attention and airplay.[4] In the fall of 2002, Before Braille released its debut album, The Rumor, on Aezra Records, which, at the time, had a national distribution contract with BMG Music.
The band garnered quite a bit of attention in the Phoenix Metro area. For example, in 2003, the band was recognized by the Arizona Republic as Phoenix's best local band.[5] Get Out Magazine listed "Proventil", from the Cattle Punching on a Jack Rabbit EP, as one of the best songs to come from a Phoenix band.[6] Before Braille music also made it onto some of Phoenix's radio playlists with their song 24 minus 18.[7]
The band also received national attention. College Music Journal praised Before Braille's sound, attesting that its "musical chops" would give the band lasting power after the rest of the emo movement had long past.[8] The magazine's Jason Kundrath later stated that the band "brews its own unique blend of rock for the new millennium. Seething with salt, sweat, honey and asphalt (not unlike seasoned AZ contemporaries Jimmy Eat World), this foursome delivers a positively commanding performance that betrays its relatively recent appearance on the radar." [9] All the praise appears to have been well earned. At its debut, Before Braille's The Rumor was the most added record on college radio. [10] In addition, The Rumor made a significant run on CMJ's New Music Charts. In its second week, The Rumor hit number 28 on the CMJ Radio 200, [11] and would continue to make a 9 week run on that chart. [12]
All of this led Before Braille to share the stage with many national acts such as Jimmy Eat World, Piebald, The Anniversary,[7] Cursive, The Used, Violent Femmes, and Fivespeed, and to play in major music festivals such as The Vans Warped Tour.[13]
While conflict with their record label would push Before Braille to leave Aezra Records and pursue releasing any future albums on Sunset Alliance, a label owned and operated by Before Braille front-man Dave Jensen, this did not slow down or limit the band's success. Their follow-up EP, Cattle Punching on a Jack Rabbit, would welcome positive reviews,[14] and their follow-up album, Tired of Not Being Away From Here, released with You and Whose Army Records as a UK Import, would also break into the top 80 on the CMJ 100,[15] even though it lacked the support and the money that helped to propel The Rumor.
[edit] Break-up
Although the group continued to release albums into 2005,[16] things started to go sour soon thereafter.[17] Conflicts among the members led to a breakup, with Dave Jensen retaining the rights to the name but leaving it "in the state of 'indefinite hiatus,'" according to the band's website.[18]
[edit] Post break-up
Since breaking up, Before Braille released two final albums, Kill the Messenger, Keep the Message, recorded prior to the break-up but never finished, and Spring Cleaning, a collection of new songs, rare songs, and re-recordings.[19] Sunset Alliance also released two final stripped down "albums" of Before Braille music, one featuring only the vocals of the final two albums, while the other features the band without vocals.
Members of Before Braille have been involved in various projects since the band's demise. Dave Jensen has formed two post-Before Braille bands: Art for Starters[17] and Loyal Wife.[20] Art for Starters released two albums (Drugs Made My Favorite Bands, Drugs Ruined My Favorite People, and Mark So Made) and Loyal Wife is planning to release an album called Faux Light in March 2012.[20] Rajiv Patel toured the country with Dear and the Headlights as a solo performer to promote his 2010 EP, Get Phased[21] and also played bass for the band during that tour.[22]Braden McCall has worked on various projects, including Alcoholiday and Deadwildlife.[23][24]
In January 2010, former members Dave Jensen, Brandon Smith, Braden McCall, and Rajiv Patel were joined on the stage by Bob Hoag, who recorded and produced every Before Braille album, to play one last time at the Sunset Alliance 10-year Anniversary Show.[25]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Release date | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Rumor | Aezra Records/Liquid 8/BMG/Sunset Alliance | Sunset Alliance eventually acquired full rights to this release |
| ? | The Retaliation for What They Have Done to Us | Sunset Alliance | Instrumental secret project with no vocals to avoid detection from then-current record label |
| 2004 | Cattle Punching on a Jack Rabbit EP | Sunset Alliance | Pressing for this EP was limited. |
| 2004 | Balance and Timing EP | Sunset Alliance/ Bad News Bears Records | Released as a "Holiday EP" |
| 2005 | Tired of Not Being Away From Here | You and Whose Army? Records/ Common Wall Media/Sunset Alliance | UK Import |
| 2009 | Kill the Messenger, Keep the Message | Sunset Alliance | This album was recorded prior to the band's break-up, but not completed and released until almost three years after the break-up. |
| 2009 | Spring Cleaning...Cut, Clean, Scab, Scar, Rewind, Remind, Repeat | Sunset Alliance | This album was essentially a compilation of B-sides and rareties, but it also contained some new Before Braille songs. |
| 2011 | Instrumentals | Sunset Alliance | Digital only release featuring music from both 2009 albums without any vocals |
| 2011 | Vocals Only | Sunset Alliance | Digital only release featureing only the vocals from the music of both 2009 albums |
[edit] Compilations
- Triplesplit Series, Vol. 1: Fivespeed/Before Braille/Andherson (Sunset Alliance 2001)[26]
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- Songs: Low end of Luxury; Select Start; Red Tape
- Not One Light Red: A Modified Document (Sunset Alliance 2001)
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- Song: No Karate Chops
- The Emo Diaries Chapter 7: Me Against The World (Deep Elm Records 2001)
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- Song: Venom By Memory
- Not One Light Red: A Desert Extended (Sunset Alliance 2002)
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- Song: Not Tonight, Not Ever (covering a song originally written and performed by Pinewood Derby)
- Americopa Mantle, Vol. 1 (Sunset Alliance 2003)
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- Songs: The Case is Out; Cause for Alarm
- Keepsake Compilation Vol. 1 (Keep Recordings 2004)
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- Song: Waiting on Dad & Muscle Relaxers
- Sunset Alliance Discography 1999-2001 (Sunset Alliance 2011)
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- Various former releases
- Sunset Alliance Discography 2002-2004 (Sunset Alliance 2011)
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- Various former releases
- Sunset Alliance Discography 2005-2011 (Sunset Alliance 2011)
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- Various former releases
[edit] Band Members
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[edit] References
- ^ "Before Braille's Debut Album The Rumor Set for Release on September 10th", Allbusiness.com, July 30, 2002 retrieved 02-01-12
- ^ Miller, Louis. "Artist Spotlight: Before Braille Interview", CMJ New Music Report, Sept. 16, 2002 retrieved 01-12-12
- ^ Mog.com Before Braille Artist Bio retrieved 02-17-12
- ^ a b Frye, Heather Frye. Before Braille Comes to Hogans Tonight, Lewiston Morning Trib., Oct. 18, 2002
- ^ Tingle, Tom. Best Local Band: Before Braille The Arizona Rep., Sept. 14, 2003 retrieved 01-09-12
- ^ Orf, Christopher Hansen. Local Spotlight: Top 50 Songs by Vally Bands Get Out Magazine, July 7, 2005 retrieved 01-09-12
- ^ a b Feeling Their Way Out, State Press, Sept. 6, 2002 retrieved 01-09-12
- ^ CMJ New Music Report, April 8, 2002 retrieved 01-10-12
- ^ CMJ New Music Report, Issue 776, Aug. 19, 2002 retrieved 01-10-12
- ^ CMJ New Music Report, Sept. 30, 2002, at p. 62 retrieved 02-02-2012
- ^ CMJ New Music Report, Oct. 21, 2002, at p. 10, retrieved 02-02-12
- ^ CMJ New Music Weekly, Dec. 2, 2002, at p. 12, retrieved 02-02-12
- ^ Music.ign.com Vans 2004 Warped Tour in an Uproar, Apr. 6, 2004 retrieved 01-09-12
- ^ See, e.g., Indieville.com Review of Cattle Punching retrieved 01-12-12
- ^ CMJ New Music Monthly, Issue 135, 2004 retrieved 01-12-12
- ^ Ide, Chelsea. Before Braille The Phoenix New Times, Sep. 28, 2005 retrieved 01-09-12
- ^ a b See Dominic, Serene. "Art for Starters Is a Startup Operation That's Barely Gotten Started The Phoenix New Times, April 9, 2009" retrieved 02-16-12
- ^ AlternativeAddiction.com, Band profile: Before Braille retrieved 02-24-12
- ^ Wilson, Kelly. Broken-Up Before Braille to Release Final Disc May 26 The Phoenix New Times, May 26, 2005 retrieved 01-09-12
- ^ a b Dominic, Serene. "Art for Kickstarters: Loyal Wife The Phoenix New Times, Jan. 13, 2012" retrieved 02-14-12
- ^ "Up & Coming", The Portland Mercury 11/15/10 retrieved 01-19-12
- ^ The Phoenix New Times, Up On the Sun Blog, Reflections on Clarity: Rajiv Patel, Mar. 4, 2009 retrieved 02-25-12
- ^ Hella Tight Records Official Site retrieved 01-19-12
- ^ Smith, Nicole.The Phoenix New Times, Q&A with Deadwildlife's Braden McCall, Feb. 21, 2012 retrieved 02-25-12
- ^ Before Braille Official MySpace Blog, Dec.14, 2009 retrieved 02-20-12
- ^ Mehr, Bob. The Short and the Long The Phoenix New Times, July 26, 2001 retrieved 02-17-12
