Hey Mercedes

Following the breakup of Braid in 1999, three-quarters of the band reformed as Hey Mercedes and had big things on the horizon: When it signed with Vagrant Records in 2001, the label was well into its ascent as the taste-maker for the indie-punk/emo scene. Hey Mercedes never fit that template, and thus never caught on like labelmates The Get Up Kids or Dashboard Confessional. It's a shame, because its albums—2001's Everynight Fire Works in particular—are fantastic collections of smart, nuanced post-punk with lots of poppy hooks. After slogging through the indie-band grind for years, Hey Mercedes called it quits in 2005, but reunited in 2007 for a show organized by Threadless (where singer-guitarist Bob Nanna works). Although Nanna still classifies the band as "inactive," Hey Mercedes has decided to play the occasional show—"But don't expect any tours... ever," Nanna says.

Updated 12/11/2009