Missing Tim Taylor

Today is the tenth anniversary of the death of Tim Taylor. Tim was the frontman, singer, guitarist and Realistic-brand synth beater for Brainiac, a band from Dayton who set the underground/Indie music world on fire in the early ’90s. The band was written about in every major music magazine, performed on Lollapalooza, toured Europe with Beck and seemed on the verge of something even bigger. Then Tim died.

Musically, Brainiac fit nicely into the lineage of Ohio's No Wave/New Wave/Punk history, exploding synths like Devo, unhinged and punked-out like The Dead Boys and slanting in an Art Punk direction (spiritually) similar to Pere Ubu. And the band's evolution was startlingly apparent with every new album, as they dove deeper into the weird electronics that bands like Radiohead and others would soon ride to the charts on (or at least dominate Indie Rock with), while always keeping one foot in the bizzaro experimentalism that kept their sound unique.

On stage, Taylor was a beast — he prowled the stage with a glare in his eye that said, "This is me — you want to do something about it?," trying to make eye contact with freaked-out or enthralled audience members. Brainiac's home away from home when they were in Cincinnati (some members lived here off and on as well) was Sudsy Malone's, then the ground zero of the "alternative revolution" in town. I saw the band play in New York City a couple of times, but those Sudsy's shows were some of the best I've ever seen by any band.

I had the privilege of interviewing Tim on a couple of occasions. Offstage, he was a pussycat, a confident but sweetheart of a person who had this gigantic, disarming smile that rarely made an appearance on stage. I sat with Tim and bassist Juan Monasterio in Corryville dive Daniel's one evening and had a great interview, where Tim showed his sense of humor, his grasp of musical history and his firm, unchallengeable vision for his band.  

When Tim died a decade ago, the band was on the verge of announcing their major-label signing with Interscope Records. They were reportedly in pre-production stages for their major-label debut when Tim was killed (whispers suggested an awful scenario — Taylor's gas pedal got stuck in "floored" mode, he ran into a tree or telephone pole and the car exploded). Monasterio now directs videos in L.A. and plays in the band Model/Actress, original guitarist Michelle Bodine went on to form O-Matic and Shesus, later guitarist John Schmersal formed Enon in New York (where he sought solace after Tim's death) and drummer Tyler Trent played with The Breeders briefly.

To question where Brainiac would have ended up is, of course, pointless. They could have been the next U2 or Nirvana, or they could've been the next Seaweed or The Fluid. Tim left the world, but the world still shows sings of his (and his bandmates') creative footprints.

At the time of his death, Tim and Brainiac were beloved by many big-time acts, like Beck, Melissa Auf der Maur (then of Hole, later of Smashing Pumpkins) and Jeff Buckley, whose own tragic death less than a week later somewhat overshadowed Tim's. (Read this chilling recount of one of Buckley's last shows, when he lost it, apparently because he had just found out that Tim had died.) Bands like Tripping Daisy (which featured later Polyphonic Spree leader Tim DeLaughter) and The Breeders recorded tributes or played tribute shows.

The band lives on in cyberspace, showing that a younger generation is still eager to embrace a band as challenging and enthralling Brainiac — a brief skim of MySpace shows fan pages and a whole group dedicated to the band. But one of my great joys in life is when I hear a CD by a younger band that shows the skid marks of Brainiac's influence. Over time, bands like the U.K.'s Bunny and Toledo's Stylex and Cincinnati's Chalk proved that Tim Taylor's star shined on well beyond his short 28 years on this planet.

In tribute, here's "Get Away," one of my favorite Brainiac songs from their 1993 debut full-length, Smack Bunny Baby (featuring a line that makes me laugh out loud every time I hear it: "Give me back my turquoise Albert Schweitzer doll"). Listen and feel lucky to be alive. And please leave comments if you knew or were touched by Tim. I need to remember.

(photo: Touch and Go Records)

— Mike Breen

Comments

[Sledge]

Mike -

I was doing overnights at 97X at the time, and I distinctly remember choosing and playing playing 'Radio Apeshot' that evening before I learned of Tim's death. Once I found out, I was floored.

One of the best shows I've ever seen was Brainiac at Sudsys. As usual the show was an overpacked mess... but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

[Action News]

Rhapsody.com has 22 Braniac songs that you can listen to for free (and no, I don't work for Rhapsody.com):

http://www.rhapsody.com/brainiac

[Breen]

Matt: I wish I could remember exactly where I was, but I can't. I do remember that next day calling a local news channel to tell them they should say something about it because it was a big deal. To my shock, they did (though they never asked who I was and they pretty much just ran with what I told them without checking the story out first). And amen on those Sudsy's (R.I.P., again) shows.

Action: Great, great find. Thanks so much for posting that. I lost a lot of my old Brainiac albums years ago in a move/divorce, so it's very cool to revisit. I think a lot of those albums are out of print (though eMusic probably has most).

[sadgirlseven]

my first local show was at sudsy's. i believe the lineup was ass ponys, my friend kevin, and brainiac. i remember two feelings quite distinctly: i was not cool enough to be there and i just couldn't *get* brainiac. i also remember it being packed to the gills and hot and sweaty.

now i'm able to appreciate brainiac. now i *get* it. thankfully a coworker at the time steered me towards some great music i'd never heard, like ass ponys and the smiths. i have to credit him for that. it still makes me sad that someone so young and on the verge died in such a horrible way. at least we still have the music.

an aside: i'm glad to see a mention of bunny. that bunny/readymaid/mallory show at top cat's way back in 2002 was probably one of the best shows i've ever seen in my life. the energy was incredible. i don't think the recorded material ever quite did them justice; you had to see them live.

they have some stuff on myspace, btw. (http://www.myspace.com/bunnyisdead) some of the members went on to form neon plastix, who are doing quite well at the moment and opening shows for huge UK groups like the klaxons.

okay, forgive my aside.
RIP, tim. you were clearly ahead of your time.

[Jason]

Hey, Mike,

I have the Brainiac albums on CD if you want to borrow them.

I was actually at a party at the Greenhornes' old house on Ludlow the night Tim died. The news was surreal to say the least.

And I too saw their final show at Sudsy's, Sledge. I recall the place being especially packed. I also recall drinking way too much before, during and after the show.

JG

[bobestes]

This is my favorite post, ever.

Living in Daniels Hall and trekking over to Sudsy's to see Brainiac when I was 18 years old is a precious, formative moment of my life. People talk about their first "rock and roll" experience, and that was it for me.

There was a little period where it was so cool to be from Dayton!

[pizt]

best band in the world

[B]

I saw Brainiac at a (normally quiet) coffeehouse in East Lansing in 1996ish. They knocked Cafe Latte into gear and the place took off. Incredible! What a loss to the music world!

[Tim]

Tim was a fantastic guy. He regularly baby sat a friend of mine (her dad was a radio DJ in Dayton) and she said he'd always bring and play Prince records all evening. On stage he was an enigmatic and unstoppable presence who nearly took the head off a friend of mine in 1996 at the Union in Athens. He felt so bad about cracking my buddy's skull that he came of stage mid-song to make sure he was OK. And he always remembered me, whether I was seeing him in Dayton, Athens, Columbus or Cleveland. He is truly one of the unsung musical geniuses of our time...I know that the dudes from the Wrens and Jason Pettigrew at A.P. agree.

[Jen]

I met Tim 15 years ago. I had discovered "Smack Bunny Baby", and was an instant fan. I only knew him for 3 years, but he was not only a great artist, but an unforgetable person. He would send me postcards that were so random an hilarious. He was and is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. It is truly a great loss, even 12 years later.

[Dave]

Brianiac, just change my entired life, i get into this music about a year ago, and i gotta say that i've never listen something like this. It twist my brain, and put me in another level. I met a couple of person who went to see the band play live at Austin, Tx, and they still amazed.
I'm so glad i get into brainiac, specially çause i live in Mexico and just a few cares about rock music as i do, so its really hard to be in touch or met bands like this one.

Rip Tim Taylor, the best front man ever

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[drhmbrgr]

I was lucky to live in Dayton when Brainiac was blowing up. Every time I saw them live, it only got better. They were insane live and I remember talking to Timmy at the local bar/club in Dayton 1470's about trying different song processes with their last ep and how he was inspired by doing it differently. We were only acquaintances at hsi shows and in dayton and talked music and thrift store fashion finds (he always had sick 70's shirts). I always felt like he was truly interested, he was a wonderful person and way ahead of his time sonically. It's weird b/c the night he died was teh last night of that bar so in essence we all saw him that night. rip timmy.

[Alina]

Someone just uploaded FULL FOOTAGE of a Brainiac show on youtube last month!!! http://youtu.be/Vq3UtVosWVo

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