Seminal '90s indie-rock quartet Braid has announced their signing withTopshelf Records for the release of their upcoming full-length album. Set for a 2014 release, the new album from Braid will be the band's first in 16 years and will follow its recent 2012 front-to-back Frame & Canvas tour that found the band performing its most popular and successful album from 1998 in its entirety for fans on both coasts of the U.S. "We're fans of all of the bands on Topshelf's roster and love the spirit with which Seth and Kevin run the label," vocalist/guitarist Bob Nanna said. "It feels great to be a part of such an energetic and youthful movement - one that is happening right now." Information on the band's forthcoming album will be detailed soon.
In addition to the signing, the band has recently announced another set of shows for the year. Beginning with a hometown show at Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago, IL for Record Breakers' 25th Anniversary on Saturday, October 5, Braid will also be making a headlining appearance at the Topshelf Records CMJ Showcase at St. Vitus in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, October 19 and down at The Fest in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 2. Tickets for these upcoming shows are now on sale.
Since its inception in 1993, Champaign-Urbana, IL's 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 documented by the Bifocal-directed Killing A Camera video. Nearly a year later, Damon, Todd and Bob emerged with a new band, Hey Mercedes, 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) - became excited about the idea of releasing something for Record Store Day 2011 and decided to set aside time in December to get together and see what would happen. The success of those practice sessions led to Closer to Closed, an energetic four-song EP released by Polyvinyl that featured three new songs from the band as well as a cover of Jeff Hanson's "You Are The Reason." More recently, Braid teamed up with rising alternative rock actBalance and Composure for a four-song split EP that was released by No Sleep Records in February 2013.
Braid will be making the following appearances in October and November. Tour dates below.
October 05 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's Rock Club (Record Breakers 25th Anniversary Bash with All Eyes West and Break Anchor Suns). Tickets: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/306131?utm_medium=bks
October 19 - Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus (Topshelf Records CMJ Showcase with The Jazz June, Enemies, Caravels and Have Mercy). Tickets: http://www.ticketfly.com/event/374401
November 02 - Gainesville, FL - The Fest at the Florida Theatre of Gainesville (with Dillinger Four, Paint It Black, Night Marchers and BoySetsFire)