Jeremy Enigk

The chance of a conversation about emo not including an in-depth analysis of Sunny Day Real Estate's impact on the genre is slim indeed, because Jeremy Enigk and his SDRE co-conspirators completely revamped the way indie kids listened to music. That band's distinctive sound helped create a moment in musical history that inspired bands like Mineral and Rainer Maria, but Enigk's own musical timeline has evolved time and time again since then. From SDRE through the short-lived Fire Theft and several solo releases, Enigk has fully explored emo and indie-rock, gotten in touch with his spiritual side and recently gravitated toward more pop-inspired melodies. Ten years after his well-received Sub Pop solo debut, Return of the Frog Queen, Enigk's albums, like 2006's World Waits (released on his own Reincarnate label) and last year's The Missing Link (Red Ink), continue to display the understated sophistication of his weathered, passionate voice.