Enon (band)

Last updated
Enon
Enon 4.JPG
Enon live at the Hideout Block Party in Chicago, 2006
Background information
Origin New York
Genres Indie rock, art pop, indietronica, dance-punk, noise rock
Years active1999–2011
Labels Touch and Go
Spinoffs Crooks On Tape
Spinoff of Brainiac
Past members John Schmersal
Toko Yasuda
Rick Lee
Steve Calhoon
Matt Schulz
Website www.enon.tv

Enon was an indie rock band founded by John Schmersal, Rick Lee, and Steve Calhoon that was active from 1999 to 2011; for most of its history, however, Enon was a three-piece outfit composed of Schmersal, Toko Yasuda, and Matt Schulz. Though situated for a time in Philadelphia, Enon was known for being part of the New York music scene.

Contents

Biography

Schmersal was originally in the band Brainiac and formed Enon (named after the village in Ohio, which is close to Schmersal's hometown of Dayton) with Lee and Calhoon following the death of Brainiac's singer Timmy Taylor and their subsequent disbandment. After Brainiac, Schmersal made a solo album under the name John Stuart Mill. [1] Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon were both previous members of the band Skeleton Key, a befriended band Brainiac had toured with. Together they formed Enon. Lee created a number of percussion sounds for the band playing a "junk kit" including a Radio Flyer wagon, propane tank, and old hubcaps.

After the release of their first album Believo! which was Produced by D. Sardy and signed to his SeeThru Broadcasting label in 1999, Calhoon left the band and was replaced by Toko Yasuda (bass/vocals/keyboard) and Matt Schulz (drums). Yasuda was previously in the bands Blonde Redhead, The Lapse and The Van Pelt. With the new lineup, Enon released High Society also produced by Sardy in 2002 and toured with The Faint. A majority of Enon's albums have been released on the Chicago-based indie label, Touch and Go Records after the closing of SeeThru Broadcasting. Lee left the band, and Enon went on to release Hocus Pocus in 2003, and a collection of singles and previously difficult to find internet-released songs with a bonus DVD entitled Lost Marbles & Exploded Evidence in February 2005. In 2007, all three members of Enon contributed to Les Savy Fav's album Let's Stay Friends. Yasuda also did vocal contributions to previous recordings of this band, e.g. the first track of The Cat and the Cobra.

Enon released their fourth and final studio album, Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds on Touch and Go Records on October 9, 2007. [2]

In summer 2008, drummer Matt Schulz announced that he would be leaving the group to pursue other interests. Afterwards he joined Holy Fuck as a touring member.

Brainiac's former bassist, Monasterio, directs music videos, including two for Enon, and released an album in 2008 with a new band called Model/Actress; Schmersal makes appearances on this album.

Instrumentation

Enon was known for using Moog synthesizers and Teisco guitars. Schmersal's green guitar he often uses on stage is a Teisco TG-64, and he also owns a Teisco Del Rey. Yasuda plays a Fender Jazz Bass with an adapted tuning machine, which allows quickly tuning to D from E. Schmersal also owns a custom built Twister guitar built by Yuri Landman, an alternate version of the Springtime exclusively crafted for Enon with some additional features such as a scalloped fretboard and an additional pickup in the bridge.

Breakup

In a May 2011 interview, after touring with Caribou for a good portion of 2010 and 2011, Schmersal confirmed the band "is pretty much over" with no plans to follow up on Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds . [3] From 2011-2014 Yasuda toured with St. Vincent playing synth.

TV, commercial and production work

While performing with Enon, Schmersal (sometimes accompanied by Yasuda) found himself in demand as a composer for short films, animated programs, bumpers and interstitials, and commercials for clients including Disney, Cartoon Network, MTV and Nickelodeon. Many of these instrumentals feature the signature electro-analog quirkiness emblematic of Enon. [4]

In 2000, Schmersal performed the theme song for Funny Garbage’s “Katbot” interactive website.

In 2005, Schmersal relocated to Philadelphia and opened his own recording studio. Mean Reds, Thunderbirds Are Now! and other bands recorded albums with Schmersal in this period. Schmersal's music was used for series opens, promo packages and channel branding for Sundance Channel in this period, as well as scoring work for the animated feature Monster House (with composer David Sardy) and the award-winning 2007 indie film Tie A Yellow Ribbon. [5]

An otherwise unreleased song called "We Are The Robots" was used in the October 2008 episode of cult children's TV series Yo Gabba Gabba! titled "Robot." The 1:21 song was accompanied by animation of robots playing with children and assisting with household chores. In 2009, Schmersal and Yasuda recorded the opening theme for PBS Kids show Dash's Dance Party. [6]

John Stuart Mill

Prior to the recording and release of Believo!, Schmersal recorded and released a solo album under the name John Stuart Mill, after the British philosopher and political economist. Schemeral released one 13-track album, "Forget Everything," as John Stuart Mill on See-Thru Broadcasting in 1999. The album was released on CD only and quickly went out of print when the label folded. Columbus-based Scioto Records reissued "Forget Everything" on Bandcamp and on vinyl in 2016. [7] [8]

Crooks On Tape

In 2010 Schmersal reteamed with Enon's Rick Lee and drummer Joey Galvan to create the improvisational trio Crooks On Tape. The band released the album "Fingerprint" on Misra Records in 2013 and an instrumental, vinyl-only album "In The Realm Of The Ancient Minor" on Pure Orgone for Record Store Day 2015. [9]

Plvs Vltra

Since 2012 Yasuda has recorded under the name Plvs Vltra, releasing the solo album Parthenon on Spectrum Spools in 2012. Schmersal produced that album, which also features appearances from Danny Ray Thompson of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Scott Allen of Thunderbirds Are Now, Thomas Keville of Man Man.

In 2013 Plvs Vltra released the non-LP single "Rooftop Arcade" b/w "Mesopotamia" on Columbus-based Scioto Records. That same year, Plvs Vltra released second album Yo-Yo Blue on Bandcamp and on the cassette-only label Field Hymns. [10] [11] [12]

Vertical Scratchers

In 2014 Schmersal collaborated with drummer Christian Eric Beaulieu (Triclops!, Anywhere, Peace Creeps) to form Vertical Scratchers. The band released the album Daughter of Everything on Merge Records in 2014 which featured guest appearances by Jonathan Hischke (Flying Luttenbachers, Hella, Broken Bells) and fellow Daytonite Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices). Pitchfork gave the album a 7.2 rating, calling the music "rock‘n’roll rendered on Etch A Sketch...occasionally, you find yourself marveling at an accidental masterpiece." [13]

Vertical Scratchers also contributed an exclusive track, "Jackie's Favorite," to the Merge 7-inch box set Or Thousands Of Prizes. [14] [15]

Members

Final lineup

Former members

Timeline

Enon (band)

Discography

Albums

Singles

Song Of The Month

From April 2002 to December 2003, Enon released a free unreleased song once a month on their official website. All songs were made available as 128 kbps MP3 downloads and only available during the month they were released.

Videography

See also

Related Research Articles

Brainiac, is an American indie rock band from Dayton, Ohio. It was formed in January 1992 by Tim Taylor, Juan Monasterio (Monostereo), Michelle Bodine and Tyler Trent. They disbanded after the sudden death of lead singer Tim Taylor in a car accident on May 23, 1997.

Necros was an early American hardcore punk band from Maumee, Ohio, although they are usually identified with the Detroit music scene. They were the first band to record for Touch and Go Records.

Touch and Go Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. After its genesis as a handmade fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s underground and alternative rock scenes. Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous noise rock by the likes of Big Black, the Butthole Surfers, and The Jesus Lizard. Touch & Go helped to spearhead the nationwide network of underground bands that formed the pre-Nirvana indie rock scene, and helped preside over the shift from the hardcore punk that then dominated the American underground scene to the more diverse styles of alternative rock emerging at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Leo</span> American singer and guitarist

Theodore Francis Leo is an American singer and musician. He is the frontman and lead guitarist of the rock group Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and in 2013, he and Aimee Mann formed the indie rock duo The Both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starflyer 59</span> American rock band

Starflyer 59 is an American alternative rock band from Riverside, California, that was founded in 1993 by Jason Martin, brother of Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric. While Jason Martin has written nearly all of Starflyer 59's songs, the band has included a number of different musicians over the years, including Jeff Cloud, Frank Lenz, and Richard Swift. The band's sound was initially identified as an outgrowth of the shoegaze movement of the early 1990s, but the band's music has gradually evolved to the point of little resemblance to that of its early days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toko Yasuda</span> Japanese musician

Toko Yasuda is a Japanese singer, songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist, and bassist, best known as a member of New York indie rock band Enon and as a musician in live St. Vincent performances.

<i>Believo!</i> 2000 studio album by Enon

Believo! is the debut album by the indie rock band Enon. It was released in 2000 on See Thru Broadcasting. The second pressing of the vinyl edition included a bonus 7" record. The out-of-print album was reissued by Touch and Go Records in 2007 and 2023.

<i>High Society</i> (Enon album) 2002 studio album by Enon

High Society is the second album from the band Enon. It was released June 4, 2002 on Touch and Go Records.

David Stuart Sardy, more commonly known as D. Sardy, is an American composer, musician, songwriter, and multiple Grammy winning record producer. He came to prominence as the leader of 1990s noise rock band Barkmarket before turning mostly to production work, often with alternative rock, hard rock, electronic related genres, and then to scoring feature films.

<i>Bonsai Superstar</i> 1994 studio album by Brainiac

Bonsai Superstar is the second album from the band Brainiac released on November 21, 1994. It is the first album on which guitarist John Schmersal appears, who remained as the band's lead guitarist until their break-up in 1997.

<i>Hissing Prigs in Static Couture</i> 1996 studio album by Brainiac

Hissing Prigs in Static Couture is the third and final studio album by American indie rock band Brainiac, released on March 26, 1996. It is the band's second release through Touch & Go Records, following the Internationale extended play released the year prior. The album incorporates more electronics than previous Brainiac releases, and hints towards the more synth-based electropunk style that the band would later focus on for their next extended play, and final release before Tim Taylor's death in 1997, Electro-Shock for President.

<i>Electro-Shock for President</i> 1997 EP by Brainiac

Electro-Shock for President is the second extended play from the band Brainiac. The band decided to use only electronic equipment instead of guitars to demonstrate the band's ever-evolving sound. This EP was intended to be a teaser for Brainiac's fourth album, expected to be their major label debut on Interscope Records. However, vocalist and keyboard player Tim Taylor died in a car accident shortly after the EP's release.

<i>Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds</i> 2007 studio album by Enon

Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds is the fourth and final full-length studio album from indie rock band Enon, released in 2007 via Touch and Go Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Vandals discography</span>

The discography of The Vandals, a punk rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1980, consists of ten studio albums, one EP, two live albums, two compilation albums, one remix album, four reissued albums, three videos, four singles, and seven music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Schulz</span> American drummer

Matt Schulz is an American drummer who was in the past a member of Enon, Lab Partners, and Obits and is currently active as a member of Holy Fuck, Savak, Lake Ruth, Aperiodic, Immersion (musicians), and Roid Rage.

Crooks On Tape is an indie rock band founded by John Schmersal, Rick Lee, and drummer Joey Galvan. Schmersal and Lee played together in Enon and began recording improvisational music with Galvan in 2010. Dayton, Ohio indie label Misra Records released the band's debut album "Fingerprint" in 2013. Edited into a tight 35 minutes from "hundreds of hours of material," the band's official bio likens the band's electro-punk sound to "tiny snapshots of an altered crime scene."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plvs Vltra</span> Indie rock band

Plvs Vltra is the indie rock solo project of Toko Yasuda, featuring melodic, fractured tunes created on samplers, vintage synthesizers, drum machines and various effects alongside Yasuda's comforting singsong vocals.

<i>The Predator Nominate</i> 2023 EP by Brainiac

The Predator Nominate is the third extended play by American indie rock band Brainiac, released on January 20, 2023, through Touch & Go Records. It is the band's first release of new music in nearly 26 years, and consists of old demos that were recorded for the band's planned major label debut on Interscope Records, prior to the death of frontman Timmy Taylor in May 1997. Guitarist John Schmersal called The Predator Nominate "Brainiac’s last concerted effort, our last complete thought, before the end.”

The discography of the American indie rock band Brainiac consists of 3 studio albums, two compilation albums, three EP's, six singles and two music videos.

<i>Fantastic Spikes Through Balloon</i> 1997 studio album by Skeleton Key

Fantastic Spikes Through Balloon is the debut studio album by the American rock band Skeleton Key, released in 1997 on Capitol Records. It was co-produced by the band with Dave Sardy, except "All the Things I've Lost" and "Big Teeth" produced by the band and Eli Janney, and "The Needle Never Ends" produced by the band only. The original album contains 11 songs, with 4 more songs released only on the Japanese edition. In 1998, a two-disc edition of the album was released in the United States, with the second disc containing alternative versions and remixes by DJ Spooky, Mark Linkous, JG Thirlwell and Dan the Automator.

References

  1. Proefrock, Stacia (1999-12-15). "Bio John Stuart Mill on". AllMusic . Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  2. "Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds - Enon - Touch and Go - Quarterstick Records". Touchandgorecords.com. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  3. "Fucking Nostalgic: Interview: John Schmersal (Brainiac, Enon, Caribou)". Fuckingnostalgic.blogspot.com. 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  4. "Cartoons". Johnschmersal.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  5. ""Tie A Yellow Ribbon" (2007)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  6. "John Schmersal (artist biography)". Johnschmersal.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  7. ""John Stuart Mill: Forget Everything" (album details page)". Discogs.com. 1999.
  8. "Scioto Records (label)". Sciotorecords.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  9. "DISCOGRAPHY - Crooks on Tape". www.crooksontapemusic.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  10. Scioto Records. "Scioto Records". Sciotorecords.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  11. "Plvs Vltra (band page)". Plvsvltra.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  12. "CATALOG – Field Hymns Records". Fieldhymns.com. June 2018. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  13. Berman, Stuart. ""Vertical Scratchers: Daughter Of Everything" (album review)". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  14. "Vertical Scratchers (artist page)". Merge Records. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  15. "News - Vertical Scratchers". Verticalscratchers.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.