Indie darlings The Race came together in late 1999 when drummer Kevin Duneman left Chisel Drill Hammer. Duneman, Craig Klein (vocals/guitar) and Steve Art (guitar/vocals) worked on The Race's melodic pop style in their native Chicago throughout the rest of the year; A self-titled EP appeared before the year's end and Chicago Ruins Everything marked the band's full-length debut in mid-2000. During this time, Duneman also worked with the likes of Slacker, Ativin, and Telefon Tel Aviv. The Race issued their sophomore effort, The Perfect Gift in fall 2002. Bassist Jeremy Parker joined The Race before the end of the year. The Rose EP appeared in spring 2004. ~ MacKenzie Wilson