In Hear This, A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well—some inspired by a weekly theme and some not, but always songs worth hearing.
In the early ’90s, a band came out Seattle that had a seismic effect on the underground rock scene that birthed it, releasing an album whose influence would be felt for years to come. And that band was named… Sunny Day Real Estate. It’s perhaps no coincidence that Seattle post-hardcore band Juno started in 1995, a year after Sunny Day released its seminal Diary, because both groups shared a love of moody rock songs that liked to simmer and burst. (The bands also shared a member, Nate Mendel, who filled in on bass for Juno when its original bassist quit.)
After a series of singles, Juno finally released its debut, This Is The Way It Goes And Goes And Goes, in 1999 on DeSoto Records—the label started by Kim Coletta, bassist for another Juno touchstone, Jawbox. Hands down the best song on the album is “All Your Friends Are Comedians,” a withering kiss-off propelled by the band’s three guitarists (the almost mechanical four-note progression in the verse feels a touch ominous) and thunderous percussion. It’s more bombast than Juno typically employed, but the group knew when to use it and when to hold back. This wasn’t a time to hold back.
Juno would release another album in 2001 before quietly disbanding in 2003, but the group was at the peak of its powers on “All Your Friends Are Comedians.” I still marvel at it 14 years later.