Joan Of Arc

Based on their roots and their hometown, it's not surprising that Chicago's Joan of Arc blends post-rock's atmospherics and punk's volume and dynamics. Singer/guitarist Tim Kinsella, drummer Mike Kinsella, and bassist Sam Zurick came from the emocore band Cap'n Jazz; when that band broke up, the trio wanted to change their musical direction. They did just that when they started playing with keyboardist/guitarist Jeremy Boyle and guitarist Eric Bocek in summer 1996, removing the boundaries and structures of punk and including more experimental elements like tape loops and electronics. Calling themselves Joan of Arc, the group went on tour with their friends the Promise Ring (who also featured ex-Cap'n Jazz members) in August 1996. Joan of Arc's live set met with a strong, positive audience, just in time for their first 7" single, Method & Sentiment. After spending the fall of that year writing and recording, the band re-emerged in 1997 with A Portable Model of Joan of Arc, their full-length debut. The album continued Joan of Arc's evolution into an equally hard-hitting and progressive outfit that appealed to emo and post-rock fans alike. The following year they returned with How Memory Works, a more clearly stated version of their ambitious style. Joan of Arc rang in 1999 with the release of Live in Chicago 1999. Gap was released a year later. In February 2003, the band returned with So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness, although plans for a much bigger release were skirted to the side. Three months later, that extra material found its way onto In Rape Fantasy and Terror Sex We Trust, capturing Tim and Mike Kinsella's darkest work yet. After moving to Polyvinyl, the band recorded the experimental Joan of Arc, Dick Cheney, Mark Twain and released the album in 2004. Eventually, All at Once, which the band described as a "casual folk-drone record," arrived in 2006 on Record Label. In October 2007, the band scored the creepy and instrumental Orchard Vale Soundtrack. Boo Human arrived in 2008.
— Heather Phares , All Music Guide