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Joan of Arc (band)

From Alfawiki
Joan of Arc
Company typeIndie rock band
IndustryMusic
Founded1995
Headquarters
Chicago
,
United States
ProductsMusic albums, live performances

Joan of Arc was an American indie rock ensemble hailing from Chicago, Illinois, established in 1995 following the dissolution of Cap'n Jazz.[1]

The band's only consistent member was vocalist Tim Kinsella, who has also pursued solo projects.[2]

Joan of Arc became recognized for their use of electronic elements, sampling, and intricate multi-layered recording techniques; certain songs on The Gap incorporate more than one hundred individual tracks.

Their lyrics and album artwork frequently embrace deliberate ambiguity coupled with humor. For example, Live in Chicago, 1999 is not a live recording but rather a nod to the band’s Chicago residence during that year.

Members have been involved in numerous side projects such as Friend/Enemy alongside Califone's Tim Rutili, American Football featuring Tim’s brother Mike Kinsella, as well as Owls, Ghosts and Vodka, Everyoned, The Love of Everything, Aitis Band, Doom Flower, Hydrofoil, and Make Believe.

Formation and Jade Tree Years (1995–2003)

Originally named Red Blue Yellow, the group reassembled under the moniker Joan of Arc with fresh compositions, making their first appearance three months later at Chicago’s Autonomous Zone. Following two 7" singles, their debut full-length A Portable Model Of was released through Jade Tree Records.

A Portable Model Of set the foundation for their distinctive fusion of sparse acoustic arrangements combined with subtle electronic textures, featuring guest contributions from Davey von Bohlen and Ryan Rapsys. In 1998, How Memory Works introduced signature traits including synthetic noise interludes and unconventional instrumentation inspired by Jeremy Boyle’s background in multimedia art.

After lineup shifts—most notably the exit of Mike Kinsella and Erik Bocek and the recruitment of Todd Mattei—the band encountered heightened attention sparked by a Cap'n Jazz anthology's success. Rejecting association with the 'emo' genre, their next album slowed down tempos and embraced expansive sonic spaces enhanced by studio production techniques. The issuance of Live in Chicago coincided with increasing media portrayals of the group as challenging, especially concerning Kinsella.

Following 2000’s The Gap, which marked their initial fully digital effort utilizing Pro Tools for intricate editing reminiscent of Radiohead’s Kid A, critical acclaim diminished. Kinsella’s idiosyncratic interview style may have influenced unfavorable critiques. Internal discord alongside Jade Tree's declining support and an ill-received EP culminated in the band’s hiatus in May 2001.

Subsequently, Tim Kinsella formed Owls and participated in a Cap'n Jazz reunion; however, after several departures and eventual disbandment, he embarked on solo endeavors that evolved into a Joan of Arc project involving Sam Zurick and Mike Kinsella. This collaboration produced So Much Staying Alive And Lovelessness, a guitar-centric album featuring introspective lyrics that served as their final release under Jade Tree.

Later in 2003, Joan of Arc unveiled In Rape Fantasy and Terror Sex We Trust via Perishable Records. Produced by Califone members and including collaborations with Tim Rutili and Ben Massarella, this record was created during sessions concurrent with its predecessor but exhibited a darker tone and collage-like structure. It received praise from AllMusic as an advancement in their artistic development.

Reformation/Polyvinyl Era (2004–2017)

In order to promote the 2003 releases, Tim Kinsella assembled a fresh lineup that included Bobby Burg, Nate Kinsella, and Sam Zurick, all of whom were also involved in his side project Make Believe. Following a live recording in Germany and a split EP collaboration with Bundini Brown, the group broadened its roster for the 2004 album Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain released through Polyvinyl Records. This record received positive acclaim and represented a notable progression in Joan of Arc’s musical direction.

For the project Presents Guitar Duets, Tim Kinsella brought together ten former members alongside artists such as Tim Rutili, pairing them randomly to create a variety of guitar duets that ranged from delicate acoustic fingerpicking to layered looped textures. Each track was identified solely by the images of the participating musicians.

In 2006, Joan of Arc issued The Intelligent Design Of…, a compilation of rare tracks including singles and split releases spanning their career up to that point. Soon after, they delivered the predominantly acoustic album Eventually, All at Once, featuring longtime collaborators, along with the EP Many Times I've Mistaken, which presented reworked versions of two songs performed by full ensembles. The following year saw the release of the experimental soundtrack Orchard Vale, directed by Kinsella himself.

The 2008 Polyvinyl release Boo! Human highlighted a more unified sonic landscape with contributions from fourteen musicians. Its successor, Flowers, marked a return to more avant-garde experimentation. Subsequent albums under the "Joan of Arc Presents ..." banner showcased looser collectives centered around Kinsella as lead instrumentalist and songwriter. The album Don't Mind Control featured input from nearly every affiliated artist and was accompanied by a live event showcasing many related bands.

Oh Brother consisted of four extended tracks approaching twenty minutes each, forming an eclectic sound collage performed by a diverse ensemble. In contrast, Life Like represented a return to fundamentals with a four-piece lineup and an uptick in touring activity compared to previous formations.

Joyful Noise Period and Dissolution (2010–2020)

In September 2010, Joyful Noise Recordings issued a comprehensive 10-album cassette box set encompassing Joan of Arc’s studio works from 1997’s A Portable Model Of (originally on Jade Tree) through 2009’s Flowers (released via Polyvinyl).

While continuing to produce full-length albums under Polyvinyl, Tim Kinsella began releasing more experimental material through Joyful Noise starting in 2011 with Oh Brother. This double LP was described as “a fusion of four distinct albums Joan of Arc had begun but never completed,” featuring collaborators like Zach Hill (Death Grips, Hella) and Rob Lowe in an ambient soundscape.

Further solo and experimental projects on Joyful Noise included releases such as Lightbox, Joan of Arc Presents Joan of Arc (known as the 'Elephant Man' album), and Pinecone, Tim Kinsella Sings the Songs of Marvin Tate by Leroy Bach Featuring Angel Olsen, among others.

In 2015, Kinsella received an artist residency at Joyful Noise. His residency collection comprised several works: the Issues EP, Firecracker in a Box of Mirrors, Joan of Arc’s Greatest Hits 7", the LP JOA 99, Hunky Dory TK, as well as the book titled All Over and Over.

The piece Hunky Dory TK was an electronic collage sampling David Bowie’s orchestral pop album Hunky Dory, created specifically for Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art exhibition "David Bowie Is" in 2015.

Joan of Arc’s 2017 studio album, He's Got the Whole This Land Is Your Land in His Hands, released on Joyful Noise, received mixed critical reactions but is widely considered one of their most ambitious and fully developed efforts.

Their twentieth studio release, 1984 (2018), featured Melina Ausikaitis taking over lead vocals from Kinsella. The album’s structure drew inspiration from late-era Black Flag, alternating Melina’s singing with instrumental jams.

To support the release of 1984, Joyful Noise produced a unique edition of George Orwell’s novel where band members’ names replaced original characters and the setting was relocated to Chicago; this was briefly available on 1984.com.

On September 23, 2020, Joan of Arc announced their final studio record titled Tim Melina Theo Bobby, which was officially released on December 4, 2020.

Musical style

The band’s sound has been characterized by genres such as emo, indie rock, post-rock, post-hardcore, and avant-rock.

Band members

Final roster

  • Tim Kinsella – lead vocals, guitar (1995–2020)
  • Bobby Burg – bass guitar (2004–2020)
  • Theo Katsaounis – drums, percussion (2008–2020)
  • Melina Ausikaitis – backing and lead vocals, guitar (2012–2020)

Former members and collaborators

  • Sam Zurick – bass, guitar (1995–1998; 2002–2003 (studio only); 2012)
  • Erik Bocek – guitar, bass (1995–1998)
  • Mike Kinsella – drums, electric guitar (1996–2005)
  • Paul Koob – (1997–1999; 2012)
  • Todd Mattei – (1998–2005; 2012)
  • Victor Villareal – guitar (2010–2012)
  • Jeremy Boyle – guitar, keyboards (1995–2001; 2016–2019)
  • Josh Abrams
  • Leroy Bach
  • Amy Cargill
  • Matt Clark
  • Evan Hydzik
  • Emmet Kelley
  • Nate Kinsella
  • Elizabeth Remis
  • Cale Parks
  • Liz Payne
  • Mark Trecka
  • Azita Youssefi
  • Ben Vida

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

  • Live in Muenster, 2003 (2004)
  • The Free Will Set You Truth (Live Recordings 1996–2018) (2020)

EPs

  • How Can Any Thing So Little Be Any More? (2001)

7"/Splits

  • Method And Sentiment 7" (1996)
  • Busy Bus / Sunny Sun 7" (1997)
  • Rabbit Rabbit Split 7" (2003)
  • Bundini Brown Split 12" (2004)
  • Many Times I've Mistaken 7" (2007)
  • My Summer-Long High Wipeout 7" (2008)
  • Meaningful Work 7" (2010)
  • Theme Song From Rainbo 7" (2017)
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