Lost & Found: Holy Crap! Have You Ever Heard Brainiac?

Brainiac, or 3RA1N1AC, as they were sometimes known, almost made it big. That they didn't is one of the biggest bummers ever. The band was around for a scant five years when lead singer Tim Taylor died in a car wreck. They might've taken over the world, or at least would've made more amazing music.

Brainiac formed in 1992, during one of those rare periods in music history that saw the mainstream open up and let something brand new into the status quo. The band released just three studio LPs. Their last release was an EP called 'Electro-Shock for President.' These albums would turn Brainiac into one of the most influential bands of the late '90s and early '00s.

Their influence is still being heard today. Trent Reznor mentions them as having a very large impact on Nine Inch Nails' sound. Reznor specifically sited using 'Electro-Shock for President' as a reference sound for NIN's 2005 album 'With Teeth.'

"It has an interesting low tech sound to it that was inspiring," Reznor told the BBC. "Even thinking about that visually would lead us into certain paths of production ideas."

While you're buying Brainiac's albums online, hit play on the video below, which is a recording of 'Hot Seat Can't Sit Down' from the band's Peel session.