…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Combining punk energy with prog rock ambition, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead evolved from chaotic live shows to refined, epic albums like Madonna and Source Tags & Codes in the late '90s and early 2000s. Influenced by bands like Pink Floyd and Yes, their grand gestures and expansive sound continued to define their work through albums like Worlds Apart and The Century of Self. The band's maverick spirit led them to establish their own label, Richter Scale Records, and release conceptually rich albums such as Tao of the Dead and X: The Godless Void and Other Stories, culminating in the quadraphonically recorded XI: Bleed Here Now in 2022.

Formed in 1994 by Jason Reece and Conrad Keely, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead grew from a two-piece indie outfit to an arty quartet in Austin, Texas. Their self-titled debut and subsequent albums under labels like Trance Syndicate and Merge Records showcased their anarchic energy and musical prowess. Despite lineup changes and label shifts, the band continued to push boundaries with releases like So Divided and The Century of Self. Embracing a DIY ethos, they ventured into more conceptual territory with albums like Tao of the Dead and Lost Songs, leading to critical acclaim and continued creativity into the 2020s with X: The Godless Void and Other Stories and XI: Bleed Here Now.