Brainiac

Though they were only together for five years, pioneering synth punks Brainiac were one of the 1990s' most original indie rock bands. Led by live-wire frontman Tim Taylor, they continued Ohio's creative musical heritage, connecting the dots between Pere Ubu and Devo's innovations, the Breeders and Guided by Voices' D.I.Y. spirit, and the futuristic funk of Zapp's Roger Troutman. They never stopped pushing themselves, whether they sang through vintage Moogs and electric fans on 1994's Bonsai Superstar or gave their outbursts a surprisingly danceable pulse on 1996's Hissing Prigs in Static Couture. Brainiac seemed ready to reinvent rock, but Taylor's untimely death in 1997 cut their promising future short. Years later, the Faint, the Mars Volta, Death Cab for Cutie, and Nine Inch Nails cited their influence, while archival releases including 2023's Predator Nominate cemented Brainiac's impact -- and how they still sounded ahead of their time.