Representative Songs: "In This City," "Come Into," "Get the Letter Out"
Biography
Enon is the trio of John Schmersal (who was involved with Brainiac and John Stuart Mill) and Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon (both of Skeleton Key). Like groups such as Olivia Tremor Control, they're interested in exploring that wide territory between pop/rock songs and noise, employing a wealth of samples, industrial sound processing, and percussion that veers toward crockery-smashing murkiness. Not as inclined toward melodies of the 1960s and '70s as groups like Olivia Tremor Control are, there are nonetheless often pensive, oddball pop tunes lurking in their swathe of sound. Enon, originally the project of Schmersal alone, put out a couple of indie singles before Schmersal moved to New York to link up with Calhoon and Lee. Calhoon left the band and was replaced by Toko Yasuda; the addition of Matt Schulz made the group a quartet. Their debut album, Believo!, was released in 2000, and proved that the lineup was a successful one. High Society followed in 2002, with the same players but a more poppy, uptempo sound. The following year, the group issued the In This City EP and went on tour with the Faint. 2003 also saw the release of Hocus Pocus, which found the band moving in an electronic pop direction. The B-sides collection Lost Marbles and Exploded Evidence arrived in early 2005. In 2007, Enon returned with their first new album in four years, Grass Geysers, Carbon Clouds, which blended the band's electronic, pop, and rock elements even more seamlessly. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Enon is an indie rock band founded by John Schmersal, Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon. Currently, Enon is situated in Philadelphia, though the band is known for being part of the New York music scene.
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 Brianiac 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! 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 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. 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 and Exploded Evidence in February 2005. In 2007 all three members of Enon contribute to Les Savy Fav's album Let's Stay Friends. Yasuda also did vocal contributions to previous recordings of this band, like for instance the first track of The Cat and the Cobra. Enon released their fourth studio album, Grass Geysers...Carbon Clouds on Touch & Go Records on October 9, 2007.[1]
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. Enon will tour for the remainder of 2008 and into 2009 with a replacement drummer before Schulz's replacement will be announced in early 2009.
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.
Discography
Enon live at the Hideout Block Party in Chicago, 2006
