Just saw this in the NYT:

26 Years After Its Singer’s Sudden Death, Brainiac (Briefly) Returns
The indie-rock band from Ohio was poised for a breakout when it lost its frontman, Tim Taylor, in a 1997 car accident. Now the group is releasing an EP of demos and taking the stage once again.


Brainiac is playing a handful of U.S. dates and a brief tour of the United Kingdom with Mogwai

A remarkable band who seemed to be evolving really fast when Timmy Taylor's tragic death abruptly ended the band. It's always odd when a band reunites without a very prominent member, but I'm optimistic the surviving members will take this in an innovative direction worthy of the original band.

motorbike guy wrote: Wed Jan 18, 2023 7:51 am The indie-rock band from Ohio was poised for a breakout

Love 'em, but I'm not convinced they were ever poised for anything like that.

Who is singing then, or is it a vocaloid?

zorg wrote: Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:14 am

motorbike guy wrote: Wed Jan 18, 2023 7:51 am The indie-rock band from Ohio was poised for a breakout

Love 'em, but I'm not convinced they were ever poised for anything like that.

Who is singing then, or is it a vocaloid?

I read it's John Schmersal (sp?) singing and also they have a 4th member playing what I assume were Taylor's parts?

I remember seeing them after Electro-Shock came out. They opened for Jesus Lizard at the Middle East down. I think I'd seen them before at smaller venues? but I'd definitely heard their music and it was cool but definitely more noisy and less cohesive. But the last time I saw them they opened with Fresh New Eyes, and had a good light show and I distinctly remember thinking they had leveled up with their sound, they looked great, and would be received by a wider audience. Or at least that the wider audience was theirs to lose.

In the context of what was popular in '96/'97, I absolutely could have seen Brainiac having a song blow up that might have been more of a novelty crossover for normies a la "Loser", "She Don't Use Jelly", "Popular", "Brimful of Asha", etc.

zorg wrote: Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:14 am

motorbike guy wrote: Wed Jan 18, 2023 7:51 am The indie-rock band from Ohio was poised for a breakout

Love 'em, but I'm not convinced they were ever poised for anything like that.

Who is singing then, or is it a vocaloid?

Are you capable of making comments that don't make you look like a jackass?

joe_lmr wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 2:36 am

zorg wrote: Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:14 am

motorbike guy wrote: Wed Jan 18, 2023 7:51 am The indie-rock band from Ohio was poised for a breakout

Love 'em, but I'm not convinced they were ever poised for anything like that.

Who is singing then, or is it a vocaloid?

Are you capable of making comments that don't make you look like a jackass?

Sheesh, and I wasn’t even trying. So, unlikely. Was it the lack of commercial potential, or the vocaloid that you took umbrage with?

zorg wrote: Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:14 am

motorbike guy wrote: Wed Jan 18, 2023 7:51 am The indie-rock band from Ohio was poised for a breakout

Love 'em, but I'm not convinced they were ever poised for anything like that.

I remember reading rumours about their possible jump up to Nothing records (probably on the v.1 PRF forum), so maybe maybe maybe they woulda got bigger, but their aesthetic (kinda naive-suave, thriftshop"Let's dress up for the party" vibe à la The B52's) would have been a hard sell to that crowd. There's def some sonic overlap between them and Mechanical Animals era Marilyn Manson, but that was viewed as a commercial disappointment at the time by the Biz, so who knows how a smarter / more college friendly band would have been pushed.

It's rarely a sign of imminent quality material when a band reunites w/out a key member, IMO, but I also think doing something is better than doing nothing.

The NYT article mentioned a substantial deal was on the table for them: seven figure offers from Interscope and Elektra.

Anyone found the full list of tour dates? What I saw was mostly UK plus like, Indiana and Ohio, which seems unlikely to be the whole tour.

biscuitdough wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:02 am The NYT article mentioned a substantial deal was on the table for them: seven figure offers from Interscope and Elektra.

Wow, okay, consider me impressed. I thought the indie-rock goldrush had dried up by '97, but apparently not.