http://www.enon.tv/

Back-ass Dayton, Ohio, home of bigger than life versions of the pop-top can, the ice cube tray and the cash register, also bred prominent indie-rock bands the Breeders and Guided By Voices. Another distinguished Daytonian descendant, Brainiac, came about after mastermind frontman Tim Taylor turned his basement experiments into the epitome of quirky, manic, early '80s inspired music. The original Brainiac lineup included Taylor on vocals and keyboards, bassist Juan Monasterio, guitarist Michelle Bodine and drummer Tyler Trent. After touring the Midwest and releasing their debut Smack Bunny Baby, things changed a bit. The most notable of such was the addition of future Enon creator John Schmersal who replaced Bodine on guitar.

Between 1996 and 1997, things were looking up. Their popularity grew and Brainiac received more attention than ever. Rumors were going around that DreamWorks wanted to sign them after they completed their fourth album. Every band's dream, right? Finally, they could exhale … or could they? The group began recording the new album in May of '97. Things were coming together until breath-taking bliss turned into breath-taking sorrow. Driving home from the studio one night, Taylor was tragically killed in a one-car accident. Doused with remorse, Schmersal turned to music for solace. In an abandoned Masonic temple in Kentucky, he recorded his first solo album Forget Everything under the moniker John Stuart Mill. Whether he was craving change or looking for a distraction, Schmersal decided he hated Kentucky and moved to New York City.

Schmersal further pursued his exploration into music. He created a solo project called Enon and released a few singles on various labels. He wanted to take it to the next level … he wanted to tour. Enon "the live band" came after Schmersal met Rick Lee and Steve Calhoon, former members of indie-rock band Skeleton Key. They wrote several songs, went on tour and recorded their debut album ¡Believo! Calhoon and Lee left shortly thereafter and were replaced by current members Matt Schultz on drums and Toko Yasuda on vocals, bass and synthesizer. Schultz and Yasuda proved to be integral parts of Enon creating a presence that conjured newfound inspiration and growth within the band.

So what exactly is "Enon?" Schmersal can't decide. Is it the small town in Ohio? The microwave manufacturer? The vacation resort in Alabama? Who knows. Nonetheless, the legions of meanings parallel their unpredictable, outlandish, offbeat, genre-bending music. Their anarchist approach gave them free reign to continuously develop as a band, constantly morphing into something new and delving deeper and deeper into the limitlessness of music. Their sound teeters somewhere between rock and electronic music. Mixing totally opposite genres allowed Enon to become an electronic act that unexpectedly rocked. In the studio, yeah, they're electronic but have absolutely no interest in performing like that.

Inarguably erratic, random and completely exhilarating, Enon has so much to offer with promises of something called Smell-O-Vision, assurance of musical liberation and a pledge of satisfied deliverance that's said to be better than a shot in the ass. What more could you ask for? A bigger than life version of the ice cube tray? Yeah, I know … I want one, too.

-Amy Schaefer