Enon

The Ohio connection is undeniable: Enon is a city near Dayton; Dayton is the city where indie star Brainiac took root. Brainiac met an untimely demise, but its guitarist John Schmersal moved on to New York City.

Goodbye, Ohio; hello, Enon -- a band of slippery lineup and shifting-synth soundscapes. On its latest release, Hocus Pocus, the band has made itself at home. Toko Yasuda (ex-Blonde Redhead and the Lapse) adds Japanese pop flavor, and Matt Schultz (ex-Lab Partners) lights the downtempo trip-pop wicks. Enon's great at genre-jumping, from slow-burners to power pop, and it does so with a panache all its own. There are moments slightly too Beatlesque, songs that wander too far from home, and the beat-happy dance numbers of High Society are sorely missed. Sure, sometimes the guys emerge a little soggy, but they just don't believe in wading in any specific waters, Ohio's or elsewhere.