VIDEOS

There are a whole host of Braid videos online. There are some vids below which you can check out, or do your own search.

Here’s a suggested search: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Braid+emo+band

RELEASES: PURCHASE / STREAM

Braid at Topshelf Records

Purchase/Stream Braid’s “No Coast” / “Kids Get Grids” / and other merch at Topshelf Records

Braid at Polyvinyl Records

Purchase/Stream Braid’s “Frame and Canvas” / “Age of Octeen” / “Frankie Welfare Boy Age 5” / “Movie Music 1 & 2” and more music and merchandise at Polyvinyl Records

List of Albums:

• Frankie Welfare Boy Age 5 (1995 - Divot / Polyvinyl Records)

• The Age of Octeen (1996 - Mud / Polyvinyl Records)

• Frame & Canvas (1998 - Polyvinyl Records)

• Movie Music 1 (2000 - Polyvinyl Records)

• Movie Music 2 (2000 - Polyvinyl Records)

• You’re Lucky to Be Alive (Live album) (2000 - Gluefactory Records)

• No Coast (2014 - Topshelf Records)

List of Singles/EPs:

• Rainsnowmatch (1994 - Enclave)

• I'm Afraid Of Everything (1996 - Grand Theft Autumn / Polyvinyl )

• "Niagra" (1997 - Grand Theft Autumn)

• "First Day Back" (1997 - Polyvinyl)

• "Please Drive Faster" (1999 - Polyvinyl)

• Closer to Closed (2011 - Polyvinyl)

• "Kids Get Grids" (2015 - Topshelf)

List of Split 7” and EPs:

• The Get Up Kids / Braid (1996 - Tree)

• Braid / Beezus (1996 - Mud)

• Braid / Pohgoh (1997 - New Granada)

• Braid / Corm (1998 - Polyvinyl)

• Braid / Burning Airlines (1999 - DeSoto)

• Braid / Eversor / Lovemen / Three Minute Movie (2013 - Snuffy Smile)

• Braid / Balance and Composure (2013 - Polyvinyl)

BIO

“In the 1990's musical landscape, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois' Braid carved a place for themselves that continues to resonate.

Armed with a much deserved reputation as a touring band, their dual guitar and vocal assault coupled with a math-rockesque rhythm section earned them a legion of fans and a popularity that -- after re-forming in 2011 -- is ongoing.” - taken from Polyvinyl Records

Info:

Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / hashtags: #braidofficial

Features / Reviews / Interviews / Podcasts

info to come.

VIDEOS

RELEASES: PURCHASE / STREAM

“It’s Hard To Be Loved By You” 2020 - (City at Night Rx)

Purchase/Stream SNST “It’s Hard To Be Loved By You” at Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Vinyl from City at Night Rx

“Turn Out the Lights” 2017 - (City at Night Rx / Rhyme & Reason Records)

Purchase/Stream SNST “Turn Out the Lights” at Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Vinyl from RARR

BIO

Whatever you think of Chris Broach’s past projects, SNST is different. Not in a strange way, but in the same way that all of his projects are. It’s unique and genre-defining in its own right — as Braid was — and as The Firebird Band was (with its electronic elements). Even his least well known and most short-lived band L' Spaerow had some of the more indie and darkwave kids’ eyes and ears.

SNST, taken on its own, is a mix of all of the things that make Chris Broach and his wife Sonja Rae tick. The new album, “It’s Hard to Be Loved By You”, is an amalgam of Synth and New Wave, indie and post-punk guitar, heart on your sleeve rock, and Dark Wave & Indie Dance beats and synth sounds. This record should land on record store and magazine “staff picks” lists and as a recommendation to the odd store / ‘zine hang-around looking for some fresh perspective. With the addition of Sonja Rae on lead vocals, SNST has a strong female lead and a more dynamic and unique sound. It’s less crowded and more direct. It even borders on a modern-pop approach to the songs. Chris’s vocals - where he takes lead - are more understated than their first album, but at the same time, more earnest — and the interplay between Sonja Rae and Chris Broach works well. Chris says that he was feeling “uninspired and stuck in a rut lyrically” when he asked Sonja to try and write some vocals for the band. “She breathed new life into these songs I had been working on, and with the first song she wrote lyrics and vocals to, I was like - can you do another? So she would spend an hour writing - and come down and lay it down, and I was floored because it was excellent. So we just kept going until the record was finished. It inspired me very much to finish this record.”

SNST — in Chris Broach’s words — “is different in that sideways, ‘where is this coming from?’ — or ‘what’s fresh about it?’ approach I take to the music.” He continues, “I don’t want to rehash the past, I want to try new things; new sounds; new textures and new ideas to breathe new life into the music.” When asked to describe the music, he doesn’t, but he describes a philosophy and a bit about his influences. He says, “I have trouble describing SNST’s sound. When I write — which is most of the time — I don’t listen to music much except what I’m working on at the time. It consumes me… I listen to lots of old stuff when I need a pick-me-up - old hardcore and punk like Minor Threat, The Minutemen, The Descendants, The Big Boys, or name a Dischord [Records] band from the 90s, and I listened to them most-likely; I also throw on The Pixies, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, The Cure, or something like The Safety Dance by Men at Work. I really don’t listen to a lot of new stuff. When I do, it’s usually by accident — or after me avoiding it altogether, my wife will finally get me to sit down so she can show me something new. I can’t listen passively to something I don’t know, musically - so we can’t just put it on in the car while running errands - or in the background while doing something else. I have to have no distractions because I listen intently - and when there are distractions, it all becomes noise to me. I’m also massively critical - to a fault - which I’m working on, but I’d say it’s about 50/50 whether I’ll like what she wants to show me. So, for a lot of reasons, I avoid it. Even so, we work together well and the vocals she lays down become integral to how I — or we — end up shaping the final song structure.”

When asked about her approach to the music, Sonja Rae said, “[Chris is] always working on new stuff. He’s got music on his laptop, his phone, his iPad, and in his studio in our home. Eventually he gets the music to a usable state, and that’s where I come in with vocals and we work to shape the songs to fit. Our influences are a little different. We’re 6 years apart in age, but I tend to like stuff that came after a lot of his influences - for the most part. As a teenager I was really excited about Saves the Day, At The Drive In, Modest Mouse, Piebald, and The Get Up Kids - I was a radio major in college, basically so that I could have a punk rock radio show - and then I migrated to Jawbreaker, Q And Not U, and other post-punk bands. Funny enough, most of the bands I was influenced by early on were Chris’s contemporaries, and I also listened Braid on college radio. Around that time, I started writing music along those lines with some projects, but they didn’t really take off. After that, my influences changed. I started liking bands like The New Pornographers, different types of pop like The Cardigans and The Metric, and then dove into singer-songwriter type bands like Ryan Adams and The Replacements. More recently, I really appreciate bands like Foster the People, Phantogram, and Tokyo Police Club. So, I have a pretty heavy singer-songwriter influence, in general. It’s mostly male dominated, but the women on my list have probably been more influential to me because they’re in the minority - like Neko Case, for example. I think the stuff I’d done before never really took off because I never found a writing partner like Chris. He writes interesting and inspiring music, as opposed to simple guitar chord progressions that I was used to. I think we both knew in the back of our minds that working together musically was something we could do - but the opportunity hadn’t really materialized until recently.”

History:

SNST started with Chris Broach of BRAID & The Firebird Band and Steve Znavor of The Firebird Band. Their first album was produced, recorded, and mixed by Will Yip (Tigers Jaw, Nothing, Circa Survive, Pity Sex), SNST’s first LP Turn Out The Lights represented a new beginning for Chris Broach. He put The Firebird Band to rest, and wanted to start fresh with SNST.

Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / hashtags: #snstmusic

Features / Reviews / Interviews / Podcasts

2020

• Closed Cap Album Review and Feature: New SNST Album is Electronica Gold June 1, 2020

• NewNoise Magazine Album Premiere: Album Premiere: SNST – It’s Hard to Be Loved by You May 27, 2020

• Oklahoma Lefty Song Premiere and Feature: Song Premiere: "Funky Fresh" by SNST May 26, 2020

• Ghettoblaster Song Premiere and Feature: Song Premiere: SNST, “I 4 I” May 21, 2020

• Brooklyn Vegan 24 Songs Feature: New Songs: SNST, Soccer Mommy, Protest the Hero, & more… May 14, 2020

• Scene Point Blank Song Preview and Feature: SPB Premiere - "Catastrophe" by SNST May 14, 2020

• Big Takeover Magazine Preview and Feature: Big Takeover Exclusive: Song Premiere "Be Afraid" by SNST May 7, 2020

• Closed Cap Preview and Feature - https://closedcap.com/2020/04/21/snst-is-born-from-ever-evolving/ April 21, 2020

• Self-Released w/ David Garrick Podcast - Episode 11: Chris Broach/SNST - Listen @ Spotify | Listen @ Google Podcasts | Listen @ Apple/iTunes | April 16, 2020

2019

• Ghetto Blaster - http://ghettoblastermagazine.com/video-premiere-snst-its-hard-to-be-loved-by-you/ 2019

• Brooklyn Vegan - Song Feature/ Review - 24 New Songs Out Today September 27, 2019

• OffShelf - http://offshelf.net/2019/11/04/singles-club-october/ 2019

• The Deli Magazine - http://m-chicago.thedelimagazine.com/category/bands-covered/snst 2019

• Scene Point Blank - https://www.scenepointblank.com/news/mp3s/2019/10/13/new-single-snst/ October 13, 2019, Loren

• Indie30 - New Pop Rock and Indie Music Playlist featuring: • SNST… Team Dresch… Ariel Pink… by Indie30 on Spotify - September 30, 2019

• This Was The Scene Podcast - Episode 40 with Chris Broach January 11, 2019

2018

• CHIRP Radio Interview - https://chirpradio.org/podcasts/snst

• Alternative Press - https://www.altpress.com/features/braid_guitar_and_vocals_chris_broach_joins_sunset_in_tease_of_debuting_albu/

• Analogue Trash - https://www.analoguetrash.com/blog/snst-maybe-weve-got-this

2017

• CHIRP (Chicago Independent Radio Project) - Artist Interviews: SNST - Amelia Hruby December 2017

• BrooklynVegan - Racquet Club and Chris Broach’s SNST list their top LPs of 2017 - December 22, 2017

• E! News Weekend Edition - "Phoenix 1986" video feature - original air date September 30, 2017

• Greenville Journal - Sound Bites: The Heather Gillis Band, SNST, and Bob Seger - Vincent Harris September 28, 2017

• Brooklyn Vegan - What’s going on Wednesday? - BrooklynVegan Staff September 27, 2017

• Uproxx - Premiere: SNST Performs And Fools Around At SXSW In The Video For ‘Phoenix 1986’ - Zac Gelfand September 22, 2017

• Metal Rock Punk News - SNST (feat. Chris Broach of Braid) To Release Debut Album Physically On November 10 - James Simmons September 22, 2017

• Brooklyn Vegan - SNST (Chris Broach of Braid) have a new video, touring - Andrew Sacher June 28, 2017

• The Deli Magazine - http://m-nyc.thedelimagazine.com/category/bands/sunset 2017

• Impose - https://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/new-music/sunset-remember-how-it-ends

• Punktastic - http://www.punktastic.com/news/sunset-stream-upcoming-debut-album-turn-out-the-lights/

• QRO Mag - SNST – Turn Out the Lights Review June 23, 2017, Mike Infanger

• Electronic North - NEW MUSIC: SNST – MAYBE WE’VE GOT [IT] - Mark Buckley May 8, 2017

• Mind Equals Blown - SNST - Turn Out the Lights Review April 12, 2017, David Barnes

• The Deli (Chicago) - [SNST] "Maybe We've Got It" - Staff March 6, 2017

• Smile Politely - SNST, featuring Chris Broach of Braid, debut new track and video - March 4, 2017, Julia McAnly

• Alternative Press - ’90s Emo Giant Braid’s Chris Broach Debuts Track for New Project, SNST—Listen March 3, 2017, Skye McEowen

• Billboard - Sunset Premieres Will Yip-Produced Indie Rock-Meets-Electro Album 'Turn Out the Lights March 3, 2017, Chris Payne

• Impose Magazine - Debut [SNST], “REMEMBER HOW IT ENDS” - Meredith Schneider February 8, 2017

• Shutter 16 - http://www.shutter16.com/snst-blend-genres-on-turn-out-the-lights/

2016

• Wolf in a Suit - Music Video Recommendation: “National Monument” by [SNST] - December 12, 2016

• Northern Transmissions - https://northerntransmissions.com/sunset-shares-new-single-national-monument/ 2016

• Brooklyn Vegan - Braid’s Chris Broach forms Sunset, shares “National Monument” video off debut LP October 28, 2016, Andrew Sacher

VIDEOS

RELEASES: PURCHASE / STREAM

“Night Remixes” 2011 - (City at Night Rx)

Purchase/Stream The Firebird Band “Night Remixes” Single at Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music (digital only release)

“Green” 2011 - (City at Night Rx)

Purchase/Stream The Firebird Band “Green” Single at Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music (digital only release)

“Say Hello” 2010 - (Mind Over Matter Records / City at Night Rx)

Purchase/Stream The Firebird Band “Say Hello” Single at 7" vinyl from Mind Over Matter Records (very limited) | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music

“The City at Night” 2004 - (originally released via Bifocal Media / Lucid Records)

Purchase/Stream The Firebird Band “The City at Night” Album at Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Digital or CD from Amazon (only released on CD, out of print)

“The Drive” 2001 - (orignally released via Cargo/Headhunter - re-released via City at Night Rx)

Purchase/Stream The Firebird Band “The Drive” EP at Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Digital or CD from Amazon (only released on CD, out of print)

“The Setting Sun & Its Satellites” 2000 - (Mintaka Conspiracy & Cargo/Headhunter - re-released via City at Night Rx)

Purchase/Stream The Firebird Band “The Setting Sun & Its Satellites” Album at Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Digital / CD / Vinyl at Amazon (CD and Vinyl Out of print)

“Archives” 2003 - (Lucid Records)

includes previously released The Firebird Suite “New York” 7” single (via Mintaka Conspiracy, 1997), previously released The Firebird Project “Feel Alright” CD EP (Mintaka Conspiracy, 1998), and previously unreleased music from The Firebird Suite (1997) and The Firebird Band (1999).

Purchase the CD at Bandcamp / Stream The Firebird Band “Archives” Album at Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon Music

BIO / INFO

"True to its title and cover art (on which I can see the building in which I work), City at Night is a slick, urban album that feeds off the energy of streetlights, neon signs, and cool, brisk air. It's hard to listen to half of these songs without picturing Mitsubishis speeding through downtown tunnels in silver-green monochrome, their cabins packed with well-proportioned young urban professionals going God knows where...maybe nowhere. Mechanical beats with live accompaniment do most of the heavy lifting as the band piles on synths, guitars, basses, keyboards, and vocals, occasionally hinting at punk but never quite detouring all the way. The seagull synths that announce opener "Obsessive Compulsive" set the album's midnight clubland mood. That song is one of the best here, a propulsive piece of post-disco that finds Broach in fine vocal form, somewhere between The Faint's Todd Baechle and The Fire Show's M. Resplendent." Pitchfork Media, Nov. 8, 2004 (pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/3064-city-at-night/)

History:

The Firebird Band started with Chris Broach of Braid & his brother Riley Broach as “The Firebird Suite” around 1996. Chris Wilson joined as drummer shortly thereafter and they release their first 7” via The Mintaka Conspiracy in 1997. Pablo Gammeri joined on bass, and Riley Broach left the band after a couple of short tours, though he continued working with the band off and on through the year 2000. In 1998, the band continued on as The Firebird Project, toured with 100 Watt Clock and Sean Na Na, and released a CD EP “Feel Alright” on The Mintaka Conspiracy. Both Pablo Gammeri and Chris Wilson left by the end of 1998, and when Braid broke up in 1999, the band became known as The Firebird Band, as Chris Broach began recruiting new members for a more electronic spin on their indie sound. The new band featured Todd Finkel on drums, Erik Bocek on bass, and Andrew Hawthorne on guitar. “The Setting Sun & Its Satellites” was released in 1999 under the name The Firebird Band - and Cargo/Headhunter purchased the release - and re-released it in 2000, as the band prepared to begin touring. “The Drive” came out the next year, as a CD EP with Aaron Barr on bass, and Roy Ewing on drums - and went on US tour in 2001 with a touring cast of new characters - including Sebastien Paquet, Andrew Hawthorne, John Isberg, and a short stint with Seth Fein before Dave Lebleu from The Mercury Program - who The Firebird Band was on tour with - agreed to fill in on drums. The band van broke down for the second time on the tour in Medford, OR. - and their relationship with Cargo/Headhunter soured. They begged and borrowed money to get home, took a break, and the new incarnation of The Firebird Band emerged; even more electronic and dance savvy than before - featuring Chris Broach and John Isberg as the only remaining members - and the co-writers of “The City at Night” - which was released in 2004 on Bifocal Media, and Broach’s label Lucid Records. The band again embarked on another US tour, and continued from there to release singles, tour with new members (including Steve Znavor, Chris Camden, Robert Bock, and Mike Marsden) and released remixes through the 2010s, until Broach and Znavor decided to start fresh in 2015 with SNST. Other significant contributions to The Firebird Band include Ben Wilson on bass ca. 2000, and Steve Lamos on drums ca. 2000.

Features / Reviews / Interviews / Podcasts

2020

• coming soon…