Brainiac were an American synth-punk/ indie rock band of the 1990s.
They formed in Dayton, Ohio in January of 1992 with vocalist, guitarist and keyboard (particularly Moog synthesizers) player Tim Taylor, bassist Monostereo (Juan Monasterio), guitarist Michelle Bodine and drummer Tyler Trent. On the March 12th, the band played its first show at Wright State's University Cafeteria, under the name We'll Eat Anything.
After a couple of singles, they released their debut album, Smack Bunny Baby, on Grass/ BMG Records in 1993. Bonsai Superstar, now with John Schmersal on guitar in place of Bodine, followed the next year. In 1995 they played on the Lollapalooza side stage and recorded 4 songs in the UK for the BBC Peel Sessions. They joined Touch and Go Records and released Internationale, produced by Kim Deal (of the Pixies). The following year, their third album, Hissing Prigs in Static Couture, was released on the Touch & Go label. All three of their albums were produced by Eli Janney (of Girls Against Boys).
Brainiac generated a buzz as the live act to see that resulted in opening tours for Beck, the Breeders and the Jesus Lizard and receiving offers from major labels. In 1997 they released an electronic-based EP called Electro-Shock for President which turned out to be their last record: Tim Taylor was killed in a car accident on May 23rd, 1997, during the pre-production for their fourth album, which was due out on Interscope Records. The group soon disbanded.
Schmersal went on to form the similar-sounding Enon. Monasterio directs music videos, including two for Enon, and recently released an album with a new band called Model/Actress; Schmersal makes appearances on this album. Trent briefly joined the Breeders and most recently played with The Dirty Walk. Bodine became the guitarist and singer of O-matic and Shesus. . . . . . Please send a message with friend requests or you get denied , sorry it is how we like to do it , due to volume of requests . Thanks
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Thanks for add. Fondest memories remain...and perhaps always will remain...of watching opposing bands and their fans at canal street squirm is amazement (or was it disgust?) as they watched and listened to far superior music making and quickly realized they were no match.
Sixteen Horsepower: Splinters (live) Sonic Youth: Creme Brulee Sosumi: Humor Me Lee Harvey Oswald Band: Morphodite Brianiac: Petrified Fading Collection: Reverse Psychology Hidden Number: The Sum of None 127: Ostokhoon King Missile: That Old Dog Rhoda & the Special AKA: The Boiler Vapors: Turning Japanese Keeper: Tonight We Ride Darkest of the Hillside Thickets: No Way Kelley Deal & Kris Kristofferson: Angel Flying to Close to the Ground Red Monkey: Courage is Now Fastbacks: Impatience Gang of Four: Not Great Men Schachtanlage Gegnort: Schrammschinenspiel Polar Bear Club: Our Ballads Silverstein: Smile in your Sleep Woven Hand: His Loyal Love
thanks very much for adding me to your friends list guys! i have loved brainiac since the first album's release, Bonsai Superstar! you guys were amazing!
I got choked up today talking to a young lass about the band Brainiac and Tim Taylor. I never knew any of the band members well, but saw them many times and often spoke with Tim at Vic's or out at shows. I expressed to the young lass today that they were the only band that I ever actually always tried to get up front and dance to every time they played. The excitement around Brainiac shows was like nothing else I've ever experienced. It was like going to see a true spectacle of modern music. They were setting new standards that broke down everything anyone had ever aimed for previously. When they played, it was a big fucking deal. I'll never forget the Network show that got shut down by the police because there were so many people. Chris Wright had his nuts out slinging them around that night. I also told the young lass about the last show I saw you play in early May of 1997. I told her that your shows had gone from a dozen people to hundreds in a couple years. No really, I remember seeing you guys in Morgantown with Unwound and there were like 10 or 15 people there. It was the fall of 1995 I believe. Incredible!? The last show I saw was in Morgantown, and the Esoterics opened. There were hundreds of people watching you that night and I went to the back and sat down on a chair. It was the first time I had sat down at a Brainiac show over the four years I had attended your shows. Tim died days/weeks later. I would have never sat down if I had known it was going to be the last time I would see you play. I guess I just hadn't thought about you for a while and wanted you to know that we still all talk about you, love you, and miss you.
