Search - Braid :: Frankie Welfare Boy Age 5

Ah, The Midwest 90's Scene

Old English | Orlando | 03/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Remember way back when indie rock was indie rock? Back when it was all about creativity, and music, and just flat-out rocking out? Remember the way it was before everyone began, for some odd reason, calling it "emo"? Well, this album, along with others of it's ilk like Cap'n Jazz, June of 44, and Boys Life, is a grand example of what the late 90's midwest scene was like. Originally released in 1996 after several 7" releases, Braid's "Frankie Welfare Boy Age 5" (a title thought of for no other reason than a good description by the band of the album's picture) is one of the definitive albums of what it meant to turn off your CD player (probably playing something by Dischord records), pick up your guitar and play everything from the beautiful to the pissed. Or just to play! There are few albums that can match the honesty and the shear balls out energy of this album. All tracks, from A-Z (literally) go from quiet to manic in no time at all, describing the joys and the furies of being alive. Plus, between each song, as though you were surfing the stations on your radio, you can get a snippet of various bands that were contributing their genius to the midwest scene, inluding the aforementioned Cap'n Jazz, the Sky Corvair, Guage, Back of Dave, Gila Bend, and Car vs. Driver, as Braid pays tribute to their peers. Whether you just caught them for the first time on their reunion tour or you're just catching up, this is one of the be all end all albums of the 90's underground rock scene. You'll be amazed how you've been able to live this long without it."

A Song For Every Letter of The Alphabet

austinnininininin | Portland, Oregon | 02/26/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Braid's first LP release is a must for any diehard fan. Tracks move through the CD like someone trying to tune a radio. And I'm guessing that the little samples are some unreleased Braid stuff, too. I was really surprised to see 'Hugs From Boys' on here. This version is much better than the others. The CD is cheap, there are tons of tracks.The only real down side to this album is that it's a bit under produced. You can't blame it though. For being the first Braid album and being so damn Emo, anyway. It's worth a shot."