A Portable Model Of introduced Joan of Arc's signature sound: a fondness for stark acoustic songs combined with subtle electronics.

The debut album also included some harder material and collaborations with former Cap'n Jazz guitarist and The Promise Ring singer Davey von Bohlen and Euphone's Ryan Rapsys, who would later drum for Owls following the departure of Mike Kinsella.

The album included what would become a hallmark of Joan of Arc's subsequent output: interludes of synthetic noises cut with vocal samples and off-beat instrumentation.

[5] As always, Kinsella's lyrics were cryptic and oblique, though the song "This Life Cumulative" made reference to the media alienation of singer/songwriter Fiona Apple.

Significant to this shift was the influence of member Jeremy Boyle, whose work with laptop and various software and hardware was a part of his broader multimedia artistic training at the University of Illinois-Chicago's School of Art and Design.

Despite being heralded as a pioneer of a diverse genre known as 'emo' (a term rejected by Kinsella), Joan of Arc's next album was a reaction to this unwelcome classification.

During the promotion of the album, Kinsella chose to "flip" the relationship between band and journalists by insisting on asking the questions during interviews, which likely contributed to the negative critical response.

[8] Growing tensions within the group, Jade Tree's loss of confidence in the band, and a poorly-received follow-up EP[9] led to Joan of Arc's temporary breakup in May 2001.

The next two releases were in the form of "Joan of Arc Presents ..." which indicates an even more loose collective of people that create the album, while Tim Kinsella serves as chief instrumentalist and songwriter.

Contained in this collection are the 10 full-length studio albums from Joan of Arc, beginning with 1997's A Portable Model Of (Jade Tree) and ending with 2009's Flowers (Polyvinyl).

Though Joan of Arc continued to release full-length LPs with Polyvinyl, Tim Kinsella began releasing his more bizarre, amorphous, experimental work through Joyful Noise Recordings, beginning in 2011 with Oh Brother described as a "combination of four distinct albums embarked upon but never completed by Joan of Arc,"[16][17] with collaborative personnel ranging from Zach Hill (Death Grips, Hella, Face Tat), Rob Lowe (Pinback, Goblin Cock) and others in a sprawling, ambient instrumental, double-LP.

Other solo & experimental work has work appearing on Joyful Noise Recordings, quickly followed including Lightbox,[18] Joan of Arc Presents Joan of Arc,[19] the self-titled album (known colloquially as the 'Elephant Man Album'),[20] Pinecone, Tim Kinsella Sings the Songs of Marvin Tate by Leroy Bach Featuring Angel Olsen and other projects.

His residency boxed-set included the Issues EP, Firecracker in a Box of Mirrors, Joan of Arc's Greatest Hits 7", JOA 99 LP, Hunky Dory TK, and the book All Over and Over.

Thought provoking controversy or critical dismissal in some quarters,[23] it is widely considered to be among JOA's most ambitious and most nearly fully realized "grand experiment.