by Jamie Coletta

WHO ARE THESE GUYS?

Formed in the fall of 1996 by brothers Mike (guitar) and Ben Reed (bass) along with friends Travis Dopp (guitar) and Dan Jaquint (drums), Small Brown Bike was a seminal post-hardcore band from Marshall, Michigan. After self-releasing two 7’’ singles in the late 90s, Small Brown Bike quickly became well known for their ambiguous blend of emo and hardcore, catching the attention of No Idea Records who went on to work with the band for the majority of their lifespan. Laced with constant lineup changes, differing interests and a demanding touring cycle that never quite kept them afloat, they called it quits in 2004. Scattered reunion shows brought them back together in 2009 and eventually led to new material years later, but the band was never as active as they were once before. Today, Small Brown Bike is revered as one of the punk scene’s most beloved moments in time and have since gone on to spawn dozens of soundalikes to this very day.

WHERE TO START?

If you need a taste for what to expect from Small Brown Bike as a band before digging into the whole discography, I’ll point you to two records– 2001’s Dead Reckoning and 2003’s The River Bed. Some say the former is their best work, the true breakout record of their career. It’s dense and melodic like any good post-hardcore should be, but with hooks that could easily rival the biggest pop-punk bands at the time. The latter is a significantly brighter take on the double vocal, scruff punk sound that they had previously mastered but filled with its own batch of triumphant moments nonetheless.

If you want a sense for their ingenuity as a band, look no further than their 2002 release with The Casket Lottery. A true collaborative process between the two bands who had met years prior in the Midwest, the six songs were written/performed by various members of each band. It’s not a split - it’s a talented group of friends who spent some time on the road together, figured out they dug each other’s vibes and then spent nearly two years sending ideas back and forth for this release until they finally got it on tape. The result is pretty damn good.

FULL TIMELINE:

Recollected (2013) - A collector’s piece if I ever saw one. This limited to 2000 double gatefold LP came with two CDs and a handful of SBB memorabilia including posters, stickers and more. While you may see their name pop up on a festival here and there, at this point Recollected serves as Small Brown Bike’s swan song, their unofficial stamp of closure.



Fell & Found LP (2011) - Today, we hear about a band calling it quits but have this gut feeling that they’ll be reuniting someday for a show or tour. Back in 2004, however, we took most bands words for it. So when Small Brown Bike busted out of nowhere with a new single in 2009 and a follow-up 2010, it’s safe to say it took their fans by surprise. The new material was a sign that the band was writing together again, and hope was held out for a full reunion. Enter Fell & Found, the first new full-length from the band in nearly a decade. It’s essential in that it’s the first time all of the original members have played on a record since their outstanding debut Our Own Wars in 1999 and for the simple fact that it’s just spectacular. Imagine Small Brown Bike at their best (I’ll say it’s on Dead Reckoning but we can save the arguments for Twitter) and add the seamless production touch of J. Robbins.



LP (2011) - Today, we hear about a band calling it quits but have this gut feeling that they’ll be reuniting someday for a show or tour. Back in 2004, however, we took most bands words for it. So when Small Brown Bike busted out of nowhere with a new single in 2009 and a follow-up 2010, it’s safe to say it took their fans by surprise. The new material was a sign that the band was writing together again, and hope was held out for a full reunion. Enter Fell & Found, the first new full-length from the band in nearly a decade. It’s essential in that it’s the first time all of the original members have played on a record since their outstanding debut Our Own Wars in 1999 and for the simple fact that it’s just spectacular. Imagine Small Brown Bike at their best (I’ll say it’s on Dead Reckoning but we can save the arguments for Twitter) and add the seamless production touch of J. Robbins. Composite, Volume Two 7’’ (2010)



Composite, Volume One 7’’ (2009)



The River Bed LP (2003) - see above



Nail Yourself To The Ground EP (2003)



Small Brown Bike & The Casket Lottery (2002) - see above



Dead Reckoning (2001) - see above



(2001) - see above Small Brown Bike / Cursive split (2001) - It’s a split with Cursive. That should sell you on it right there.



Our Own Wars LP (1999) - A must-listen solely for the fact that you should always go back to the start with any band. While Collection is a great way to get familiar with the demos and earlier songwriting processes for these dudes, Our Own Wars is the first time Small Brown Bike put together a cohesive full-length. It’s a lot grimier than most of their catalogue but don’t let the rough around the edges fool you - the makings of an iconic punk band lie within these ten tracks.



LP (1999) - A must-listen solely for the fact that you should always go back to the start with any band. While Collection is a great way to get familiar with the demos and earlier songwriting processes for these dudes, Our Own Wars is the first time Small Brown Bike put together a cohesive full-length. It’s a lot grimier than most of their catalogue but don’t let the rough around the edges fool you - the makings of an iconic punk band lie within these ten tracks. Collection compilation (1999)



(And Don’t Forget Me) 7’’ (1998)



No Place Like You 7’’ (1997)



Demo (1997)

A LITTLE ON THE SIDE

The various members of Small Brown Bike each had a bunch of different projects along the way, but my favorite by far has been Able Baker Fox. Featuring brothers Mike and Ben Reed along with former SBB drummer Jeff Gensterblum and Nathan Ellis (The Casket Lottery, Coalesce), Able Baker Fox released one - dare I say - flawless LP called Voices in 2008. With all four members living in different cities at the time, it’s like The Postal Service of post-hardcore, coming together piece by piece via email exchanges and finally, a marathon jam session in Chicago with Ed Rose (Small Brown Bike, The Appleseed Cast, The Get Up Kids) at Black Lodge Recording. A constant go-to in my personal collection, Voices is an album you should most definitely know by heart.

Jamie Coletta is the Director of Publicity and Promotion for SideOneDummy Records. She cares more about the bands she works with than most of you do about your own families. You can find both her and SideOneDummy on Twitter.

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