October 10, 2008

Back in the early 90’s, in the pre-internet days, one of my frequent rituals was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the latest SUB POP catalog in the mail and intently scanning the issue for the latest 7 inch releases. At the time, all of my favorite bands had put out most of their early pre-major label records via SUB POP. (NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, MUDHONEY, SCREAMING TREES) – And since often times I couldn’t always afford to invest in a full length record, I’d order a 7 inch of a random band I’d never heard of. I figured if I liked 2 songs from a band then I’d want to extend my intimate relationship with them.

Most records would take me a few listens before I truly made up my mind about the band. But I’ll never forget when the 7 inch titled “Thief Steal Me A Peach” from a new band called SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE first arrived in my mail box. The mysterious band’s 7 inch featured a non-musical companion booklet with artwork & poems, a fold-out sheet with only a handful of random lyrics from the record’s 2 tracks “Song #8” & “Song #9” and humorous liner notes about the recording of the record. Although this was a release distributed by SUB POP, it definitely immediately struck me as a very DIY-looking release. I mean, most 7 inch packages didn’t come looking like this!

I dropped the needle on the record and waited to hear what SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE had to offer. It started out promising enough. Jeremy Enigk’s unique high voice slowly sang out the words “rain song… so beautiful, my dear” as the high chiming notes of his electric guitar rang out gently in the background. Just as I thought this was going to be the music of a mellow 4 piece band, the song got to the 1:00 minute mark and my room filled with the loudest, raunchiest, most rocking sounding tune I’d heard since NIRVANA’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

I flipped the record over immediately hoping that “Song #9” had the same intensity and passion that the A side had, and sure enough, opening with a full minute’s worth of noisy feedback, the guitars and drums erupted into a metal style muffled “chomp” before Jeremy’s voice sang (and eventually screamed) as if begging to be heard over those guitars. It was safe to say SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE was unlike any other band I’d ever heard.

There was something special that happened when band members Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar), Dan Hoerner (guitars, backup vocals), William Goldsmith (drums) and Nate Mendel (bass) got together and played music. It was obvious the first time I saw them live at New York’s IRVING PLAZA supporting SHUDDER TO THINK on their Pony Express Record tour. Sunny Day’s first album “DIARY” had just been released via SUB POP records, (along with a split 7 inch with SHUDDER TO THINK to coincide with this tour) and the intensity I’d heard on that first 7 inch was nothing compared to physically being in the audience for a SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE show. Jeremy’s voice cut through louder then anything else and sounded even better live then it did on their recordings. William Goldsmith easily hit harder, faster and more passionately then any other live drummer playing at the time. The group were already playing a slew of tracks on the SHUDDER TO THINK tour that would eventually end up on LP2 (or “The Pink Album”), which ironically enough shared an odd 5/4 timing that their touring mates music was well known for. SUNNY DAY were already showing incredible maturity, growth & strength on their new material coupled with their already impending intensity.

Maybe that intensity was a little too much for even the band members themselves. After a 2nd tour with SHUDDER TO THINK and establishing a steady growing fanbase, the group disbanded in 95.

One of the greatest, newest, most exciting bands had already disbanded before most people even had a chance to see them. But they left behind 2 incredible records. The tracks “Seven” and “In Circles” kick off SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE’s debut “DIARY” and ironically enough, they were the first 2 singles off the record. They could’ve kept going in chronological order with “Song About An Angel” and released every track off “DIARY” as a single.

LP2 featured a newly recorded cleaner version of “Song #8”, (now referred to as only “8”) and was also among the track listing for the BATMAN FOREVER soundtrack. LP2 had songs that ranged from beautiful (“Red Elephant”, “Waffle”) to intricately complicated (try playing the drumbeat for “Iscarabaid”) to trademark SDRE (“J’Nuh” named after the guitar sound that ends the track and “Rodeo Jones”, a song about “a space cowboy named Rodeo Jones”).

Nate Mendel and William Goldsmith went on to form the rhythm section of Dave Grohl’s post-NIRVANA band THE FOO FIGHTERS. While the duo didn’t play on the first self-titled FOO FIGHTERS record, they immediately added dramatic life to the band’s live presence. I recall seeing the first FOO FIGHTERS show in NY at TRAMPS and Dave Grohl strumming & singing the opening chords of “This Is A Call”. Once Goldsmith struck those snare drum hits & launched into the song, the same intensity from SUNNY DAY’s live show were evident here as well. Meanwhile, in 1996, SUB POP released Jeremy Enigk’s first solo record “Return Of The Frog Queen”, which featured the SUNNY DAY frontman on guitar & piano backed by a full orchestra.

After several years apart, in 1998, the band members of SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE had gotten back together to oversee the release of a B-Sides and rarities album for Sub Pop. They flirted with the idea of writing & recording a few new songs to accompany the CD, and instead reunited for a brand new full-length record titled “HOW IT FEELS TO BE SOMETHING ON”. Jeremy Enigk, Dan Hoerner and William Goldsmith were all back, but Nate Mendel continued on with the FOO FIGHTERS and didn’t join the much-anticipated reunion.

The opening track “Pillars” and “Guitar and Video Games” rang true of vintage SUNNY DAY. Tracks like “Every Shining Time You Arrive” and the title track “How It Feels To Be Something On” felt like a natural extension of Enigk’s previous solo music. And with “The Prophet” and “Roses In Water”, the band were experimenting in uncharted musical territory by doing new & interesting things, primarily with Jeremy’s vocal “chants”.

The group hit the studio one more time in 2000 to record “THE RISING TIDE” with Enigk playing both guitar and bass parts for the recordings. Lyrically, “THE RISING TIDE” showcases some of SUNNY DAY’s best work. You can read through the metaphors of “Killed By An Angel” and see it’s about the effects of heroin use. For this writer personally, “Faces In Disguise” is quite possibly one of the most beautiful songs the band has ever written, and can easily touch the average listener on a deep and personal level with one listen. (That track has been covered by the band “Paramore” on their recent tours) Beauty can also be found in the lyrics to “The Ocean”, and perhaps some regret & remorse can be found in “Fool In The Photograph” and “Television”. “THE RISING TIDE” definitely carries some of SUNNY DAY’s best material, but sadly, it would also be their last studio album together. The band disbanded again at the end of 2000.

Jeremy Enigk, William Goldsmith and Nate Mendel reformed as THE FIRE THEFT and released one self-titled record, which featured stand-out tracks such as “Heaven”, “Chain”, “Sinatra” and “Rubberbands” (the most “Sunny Day”-sounding song on that record), but that band went on hiatus with Mendel returning to the FOO FIGHTERS and Enigk once again pursuing a solo career.

While the music that the members of SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE have done outside of that band’s work is prominent & great, it was the pairing of those 4 that literally gave birth to an entire “post-hardcore” generation of kids that would form “emo” bands. If you look at the time period in which SUNNY DAY emerged from, the majority of the bands were in the middle of the “grunge” movement, and SDRE sounded nothing like any of those bands. Their influence would reach long & far, even if the band didn’t stay together long enough to truly see that influence.

If you’re interested in discovering the work of SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE, start at the beginning with “DIARY” and follow through in order . Enjoy it, because you’re in for one hell of an emotional ride! –Robg.