No Coast

Audio Mixers: Will Yip; Vince Ratti.Recording information: Million Yen, Chicago, IL; Studio 4, Conshohocken, PA.Along with the Promise Ring, Cap'n Jazz, Christie Front Drive, and others, Braid were prominent in the crop of mid- to late-'90s Midwestern emo bands, blending angular guitar work and spirited rhythms with elements of strong, melodic pop. Like a lot of their peers, Braid burned brightly for a short time, touring constantly and breaking up in 1999 with just three albums under their belt. While No Coast is technically Braid's first full-length release in 16 years, following 1998's definitive Frame & Canvas album, in many ways the band never left. After the breakup there were rarities collections, a live album, and a 2004 reunion -- but more than any of that, the members wasted no time beginning new projects after parting ways. Apart from various solo projects, three quarters of the band re-emerged almost immediately as Hey Mercedes, a less toothy reading of singer Bob Nanna