Hissing Prigs in Static Couture
Background and recording. In an interview with "Seconds" magazine, Brainiac frontman Tim Taylor stated that the band was very interested in writing a "futuristic pop" album of sorts: "the idea was to make pop music that sounded futuristic so it wouldn’t sound dated." The band also incorporated a "70's fashion band" aesthetic around the time the album was in production, wearing gaudy outfits for their live performances. The album was predominately recorded at Water Music in Hoboken, New Jersey, with production and engineering duties done by Eli Janney, who had also helped the  band with their previous album "Bonsai Superstar". "Nothing Ever Changes" was produced and recorded by Steve Albini in his basement. The entire album was mixed at Oz Recording in Baltimore, Maryland. A music video for the track "Vincent Come on Down" was produced to promote the album. Reception. "Hissing Prigs in Static Couture" received much acclaim from critics and fans and is considered as one of the band's best recordings, alongside "Bonsai Superstar". In a contemporary review of the album for "CMJ New Music Monthly", Jenny Eliscu described Brainiac as ""Saturday Night Fever" gone punk". Retrospectively, "Magnet" described the  album as a "lost classic", while "Wondering Sound"s Yancey Strickler referred to it as "the band's undisputed masterpiece". "Pitchfork" ranked "Hissing Prigs in Static Couture" at number 73 on its list of the top 100 albums of the 1990s. It was also included in the site's list of the 25 best albums released through Touch & Go Records. "NME" included the album in its list of five albums with production by Steve Albini that they considered to be "essential", referring to Brainiac as "one of the most brain-bustingly unique [bands] the rock underground has ever seen". Hissing Prigs