Bandcamp Blitz - April 12th, 2019

The Bandcamp Blitz is about to wreak havoc in your headphones.. I mentioned the vast amount of music coming out so far, and it has not slowed down. So far, the year is eating me alive with new albums.
I'm happy to report that everything is going smoothly with the current irons in the fire. Nerve Salad is moving forward ever so slowly... ever so slightly. We've been hard at work, peeking into other universes and feeling up the planetoids.They feel really neat, by the way. All smooth and hopeful.
It's freaking cold outside again. I hate it. I was hoping to be baking in the sun by now.
Anyway, keep up the good work. You got this. Don't forget to eat your veggies. Call your grandma.



Earthward - By The Pound
https://earthward.bandcamp.com/album/by-the-pound
(Fine hard rock with a few curled upper lips, broken skate decks, headsets, cold brews, and Bic lighters. Some classy jams from Massachusetts, reminding you that your current lack of flatulence might be the cause of not drinking shitty beer.)

We've Got Muscles - Phonotron
https://weve-got-muscles.bandcamp.com/album/phonotron
(Wow. This is the kind of post rock that makes all other post rock bands sound like lily-livered nambie-pambies. The noise rock is strong with this one. I typically am afraid of most post rock bands, as many of you can be. Fear not, friends. This rules. They've got muscles, indeed.)

Yellow Hammer - Resist The Cure
https://yellowhammer1.bandcamp.com/album/resist-the-cure
(Another fine collection of tunes from Norway's Yellow Hammer. Touches of atypical, wispy "mountain folk", gently packed into little silver cans, and sealed with the wind, to be opened, at leisure, any time the world begins to implode, which is all the time... )

Eliot Wilder - My Heart Is A Cathedral
https://eliotwilder.bandcamp.com/album/my-heart-is-a-cathedral
(I don't know what I've stumbled on, but this might be the most prolific songwriter I've ever seen. Not much info around, but if this is the product of a person named Eliot Wilder, then I'm pretty sure that this Eliot Wilder cat might be the busiest songwriter out there. REALLY good alt-country, hip hop, alt-rock, indie, noise, folk, funk.. and a bunch of other genres. Beyond astounded... This guys has more music out there than just about anybody I've come across by simple stumbling.)

SugarTape - Over Me (single)
https://sugartape.bandcamp.com/track/over-me
(Fine track! Every new tune just gets better and better. SugarTape are onto something,for sure. Anxious to see what happens next. Might be something special for them in the very near future. Excellent classic rock from these young dudes. Keep your eyes and ears peeled. I've got plans for these dudes.)

Clouds Taste Satanic - Evil Eye
https://cloudstastesatanic.bandcamp.com/album/evil-eye
(The latest chapter in this band's luxurious and spine-tingling catalog of soundtracks to darkness and evil. The purchase of this band's albums is the BIGGEST no-brainer ever. Instrumental doom, played within a certain distance from fields, that will serve as the wake-up call for plagues of biting insects and rats..)

Beastwars - IV
https://beastwars.bandcamp.com/album/iv
(Ummm... fuck yeah? New Beastwars? This is beyond awesome. Sounds like they came back stronger than ever, thanks to the little sneak peak we get into the madness. You just can't keep such a savage beast down.)

Lucy In Blue - In Flight
https://lucyinblue.bandcamp.com/album/in-flight
(Keyboard-Heavy, King Floydian Nektar Heep retro prog from the Land Of Fire & Ice. Pleasing to the ears. This latest addition to their series of opuses contains enough atmospheric '70s feelies to get you through your year. The Moon Dog and the March Hare knew they were here way before they were here. This is a stunner.) 

M. Lockwood Porter - Communion In The Ashes
https://mlockwoodporter.bandcamp.com/album/communion-in-the-ashes
(A tasty little Americana/alt-country album. Highly recommended if you like things like Tom Petty, Wilco, Jayhawks, etc. Really classy. Has had many spins over here at NSC, and has yet to wear out its ebullient welcome.)

Bandcamp Blitz - April 2nd, 2019

I know this will be a big month. I can just feel it. So far, 2019 has been a whirlwind of good music. Every time I look, there's something awesome coming out. I doubt it's going to slow down at all.
Nerve Salad has been planning many new things for a while. This month is the start of a new chapter, a few new features, and getting underway on a new release. In all of this, I can foresee a lot of new reviews and...
Wait...
What was that?
Did I just say "release"?
I think I did. I'm not letting any cats out of the bag yet, but there may or may not be something brewing all quiet and sneaky-like. The one thing I can tell you is this: Something awesome is trying to happen. Keep your eyes peeled.

Now, the newest feature: We'll have a guest reviewer or two from time to time. This will be super fun, and I've got a crazily eclectic cast of characters to make this even zanier. Generally, I'm putting these reviewers through some nonsense. I'm sending them albums to review that are way outside of their comfort zones. I'm finding that this tactic has been rather beneficial for both the bands and the reviewers, considering they wind up liking what I send them anyway.
Up first we have the illustrious Christopher Boudreau. One of my best buds and a true brother through this cataclysm called life. Dude and I go way back. His taste in music, the "fringe life", and the arts has always been a defining characteristic. He has a way with words, a way with birds, a way with absurds. He likes cats and plants, wearing black, long walks in the woods, good-natured rock & roll girls w/tattoos, and fine dining. Fuckin' dude's a class act. Chris will poke his head in from time to time, along with a few other kind folks who want to join in on the fun.


Red Beard Wall - The Fight Needs Us
https://redbeardwall.bandcamp.com/album/the-fight-needs-us-all
(Coming in this side of typically structured metal, Red Beard Wall's "The Fight Needs Us All" penetrates with crushing blows and rhythmic slices. Aaron Wall's voice is clear liquid with a splash of mercury. He delivers choppy screams alongside a chant of mid-tones with near argumentation. The whole piece definitely lends credence to an original sound, carrying influences of clear origins. Quick to start and a fast finisher, the steady speed of this cut should add another sludge soundblaster to any metal fan's playlist. - Christopher Boudreau)

Crow Ballard - Electric Paradox
https://crowballard.bandcamp.com/album/electric-paradox 
(You wanna know how to make me freak out? Play shit like this for me. Just this concept alone floors me. Past releases are right up my alley: All danky and stanky Alt-Country Psych Nastiness with dollops of WTFs all over the damn place. I probably would lose my mind over this anyway, but then comes this Electric Paradox thing. Decimating riffs, fuzzy psych, noise rock, indie ka-powies with head nodding skull fuckery, pleasing to my old-ass ears. I mean... this is good, friends. Each song is a little adventure into the cosmos, playing tricks with the lights, making super weird shadow puppets while you're trying to sleep, and eating all your cookies. And perhaps only one of these songs is over the 2-minute mark. Like I said: Little adventures. Damn it, this fucking rules. I need to see this slapped onto a nice little wax platter for me to play. I need it!)

Nathan Seeckts - The Heart Of the City
https://nathanseeckts.bandcamp.com/album/the-heart-of-the-city
(Surprise, surprise! Another slick alt-country artist from Down Unda. This place churns out the greatness by the dozens. Nathan is a visionary of sorts. He's got the singer-songwriter part down pat, and when the band jumps in, it's kinda magical. A little touch of Springsteen, a little gruffness and power in the vocal delivery kind of reminding me of one of our own songsters Til Willis. I think Til and this guy would get along famously. Blues, folk, country, Americana. Nice album. Lotsa feels.)

Astral Hand - Universe Machine (single)
https://astralhand.bandcamp.com/
(Milwaukee psych rockers Calliope transmutate into spaced-out psych rockers Astral Hand. A smooth transition. First track is a stunner, complete with a dark hook, and a driving rhythm. Great stuff. Pining away for the whole deal.)

Dommengang - No Keys
https://dommengang.bandcamp.com/album/no-keys
(This is a great moment. I've been looking forward to some new Dommengang since their last album made into my Best Of The Year list. Pretty psyched for this one. Fine psych/classic/groove rock from these gents. Couple of tracks to tide you over until the whole drops.)

Eytan Mirsky - If Not Now... Later
https://eytanmirsky.bandcamp.com/album/if-not-now-later
(Beautiful voice, beautiful songs. Eytan's alt-country sensibilities are infectious. These are classy pop tunes, resting neatly underneath a slight twang. Each hook and melody is carefully crafted into a memorable moment. Highly diggable.)

Fun - Death Star
https://fun-noise-rock.bandcamp.com/album/death-star
(Finland's noise rock battalion have returned after a couple of minutes. Death Star sees the band in fine form, with a clamor and a clatter, you'll wonder what's the matter. In standard heavy 3-piece form, they whip your ears with fuzzy bass and projectile guitar slaps. A beatdown.)

Florida Man - Tropical Depression
https://flman.bandcamp.com/album/tropical-depression
(All those ka-booms and ka-poweys you're likely to hear? That's the sound of my neighborhood when this album physically drops onto my player. Fine noise that happily takes a branch to your lip. Reminiscent of crusty Midwestern noise with touches of chrome-plated DC fury. It'll rip you a new facehole.)

Mort Garson - Mother Earth's Plantasia
https://mortgarson.bandcamp.com/album/mother-earths-plantasia
(In 1976, unaware Moog pioneer Mort Garson (who released several more albums) plays with melodies in his bedroom and comes up with a classic album of early synthesizer soundscapes... for houseplants. Genius, really. Each song is dedicated to a particular plant that was popular at the time. What I've come to find is that this album is full of really good songs, and if my plants like them or not, it's no big deal. Sacred Bones Records re-released this sought-after and valuable LP, and the timing couldn't be better. As a plant enthusiast, this is what I needed.)

- AB

Forbidden Place Records Update

Forbidden Place Records has reached Ludicrous Speed. All of that maniacal laughter you hear in the distance? That's FPR, reeling in the good feels from all of the fine doings that are doing. On top of the miraculous number of releases out now, there's a whole slew of stuff in the works. Ideally, if one were wise, one would keep checking back from time to time to see what's up.
Much of Forbidden Place Records' released music is NYP on Bandcamp, and vinyl options are available for the grown-ups. Each link below is a passageway to another listening experience, each set to detonate inside your brain within seconds of hitting the "Play" button.

The Black Furs - Doomed Blues
https://forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-black-furs-doomed-blues-blue-vinyl-record-pre-order 

 

Monje - S/T
https://forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com/album/monje-s-t-compact-disc-pre-order 

Stone Disciple - Lost Comm

https://forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com/album/stone-disciple-lost-comm-pre-order-compact-disc

Sleeping Tigers - 7"

https://forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com/album/sleeping-tigers-7-record-luxurious-mellow-yellow-vinyl-pre-order 

Franck Racket - Screaming Skull

https://forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com/album/franck-racket-screaming-skull 

Flying Disk - Urgency

https://forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com/album/flying-disk-urgency-compact-disc-lp

LàGoon - The Unwelcome

https://forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com/album/l-goon-the-unwelcome-pre-order

Bandcamp Blitz - March 15th, 2019

Crazy month thus far. So many new releases, I'm playing catch-up with everything. Forbidden Place Records has been super busy with new releases, and I've had a little something in the works to make a few of you freak out. As I work up an update on the goings-on at Nerve Salad & Forbidden Place, here's a little list to keep you occupied until then. Meanwhile, stay tuned! A few surprises in the works!

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 


Glued - Cool Evil
https://glued.bandcamp.com/album/cool-evil-2
(Hefty, meaty post-punk/indie/noise from St. Louis. Lots of dirty basements and greasy garages are sewn into the sound. Fractured, anti-melodies protrude like a shattered limb. Ouch.. and Yum..)

Blues Arcadia - Carnival Of Fools
https://bluesarcadia.bandcamp.com/album/carnival-of-fools
(Soulful, skillful, swayful, spoonfuls of smoothness. Real Delbert McClinton vibe going on with the vocalist, and a super groove happening throughout the entire album. It's likely you could pick yourself out a soul/r&b/rock influence, and you'll find it here. It's kinda one of those albums that if you play it loud, you're doing the right thing, but if you play it softly, as background music for dinner or casual gatherings, you're also doing it right. Big thanks to Bucky Brown for hepping me to this one. One thing's for sure: These Aussies can give you a case of the incurable feels. Smooth AF. )

The Mighty Trumpet Company - The Strength And The Courage
https://mightytrumpetcompany.bandcamp.com/album/the-strength-and-the-courage
(Hey now... watch out... this is infectious stuff. Alt-Americana/power pop/alt rock. A few spiritual/Biblical overtones in the lyrical delivery, plenty of alt-warm fuzzies to keep you feeling fresh and clean. Do not even think for a moment that this is "another Christian band"... you would be criminally mistaken. This album is a jubilant jaunt through styles and genres, and does not take very many moments to breathe. Tuck your napkin into the front of your shirt, grab your fork and knife. A bountiful harvest, this.)

Crypt Trip - Haze County
https://crypttrip.bandcamp.com/album/haze-county-3
(If I need to explain why this is on this list, or any list, it's beyond you. Crypt Trip gets better with each album. Their previous album killed me.. I was done for. I play it all the freaking time. It's one of the best albums ever. Haze County surpasses Rootstock and previous albums by LIGHT YEARS. Into the Best Of List, and staying there. Bands are going to have a hard time following this up for the remainder of the year... sorry, other bands. Crypt Trip's latest album Haze County is a blazing masterpiece. Bow before them.)

I Was A King - Slow Century
https://iwak.bandcamp.com/album/slow-century
(Fine jangle pop from Norway! Produced by Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub, this is a shimmering effort. On the surface, the tunes appear quite simplistic, but scratch away the top layers, and there's the winning number underneath it all. Quite good.)

Magic Circle - Departed Souls
https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/departed-souls
(Doom. Doom. Doom! Classic sounds, unearthed from a cosmic tomb. Drop out, light up,  bliss forth. Rock & roll that will hunt you in the night and eat you alive. Don't miss this.)

Found Wild - Found Wild
https://foundwild.bandcamp.com/album/found-wild

(Sublime, breezy alt-country. Beautiful tunes, classy songwriting, seasoned musicianship.. all surrounded by a package I can't resist. That brilliant cover... Sold. That killer vinyl pressing... Sold. The sophisticated music... Sold!)

Bandcamp Blitz - March 1st, 2019

Jeez, February. There's an energetic crackle in the air, and it seems to be lighting up the year like ignis fatuus, a beacon to bring the rest of the year's music into the fold.
In other words: Jeez, February.

The List:



Iain Micah Weigert - Dust To Mud
https://iainmicahweigert.bandcamp.com/album/dust-to-mud
(Wonderful, heartfelt Cosmic Americana. Really a stand-out in terms of lyrics and execution. Definitely takes you through a dusty drive through the desert while you sort out your thoughts. Unearthly, phantom-doused, isolated, quietly flowing streams of consciousness skillfully put into little packages of mildly hallucinogenic, psych-y cosmic Americana/country and distributed evenly among the Arcadian macrocosm....)
  

Pinegrove - Skylight
https://pinegrove.bandcamp.com/album/skylight
(Okay, thousands of people like this band, apparently. I'm only just now hearing it. This kind of alternative country, alt-folk is pretty good. Something about the way everything fits together makes this a great album. I've heard the bands other albums, but for some reason, I like this one the best. Maybe it's because I heard it first, but these songs are really beautiful, poetic ditties that never stray too far outside of their comfort zone. Really a pleasure to listen to.)

Sleep Study - Miss America 
https://sleepstudymusic.bandcamp.com/album/miss-america
(Minneapolis power pop quartet making a few waves with their latest effort, Miss America. These songs are so catchy, you're gonna need an injection.)

Orbiter - Resist, Submit, Repeat
https://orbiterrocks.bandcamp.com/album/resist-submit-repeat
(Heavy AF proggy hard rock from Norway. Quite a few things happening at once. The overpowering groove, aggressive vocals, and snarly approach. Throw in some stonery moments, and it becomes a far out trip into the cosmos.)

Thursday's Pussy Dogs - Howlin' Like A Shewolf
https://thursdayspussydogs.bandcamp.com/album/howlin-like-a-shewolf
(Spain surges forward with another amazing hard rock band. Spain seems to be catching up to the rest of the psych/stoner/heavy rock pack with true panache. Intense, jammy, groovy, soul-drenched hard rock with some unruly Southern touches. Ka-BAM!!)

Black Vulpine - Veil Nebula
https://momentofcollapserecords.bandcamp.com/album/veil-nebula
(Dark prog. One track on Bandcamp showing signs of promise. Female-fronted heavy, busy, sludgy, stonery prog with monster riffs and some psych-y feels. REM-inducing music for headbangers.)

Thee Telepaths - The Velvet Night
https://theetelepaths.bandcamp.com/album/the-velvet-night
(Krautrock, proto-punk, psych from the UK. Tripped-out, fuzzy landscapes. Has a touch of '80s darkwave, which is to my liking. When listening as a whole album, one will likely be transported to some other garage in some other land in some other time.)

Bandcamp Blitz - February 7th, 2019

The List:




The Bogart Jones Band - 14th & Willow
https://thebogartjonesband.bandcamp.com/album/14th-willow
(Mighty fine tunes. Classic/funk/blues/soul, good-timey, hard livin', grit-infused, down home, heart-o-gold Southern rock & roll. A little something for everyone. Been a fan of these dudes for a while, and looking forward to what's next. I might have to mention the family ties, as my uncle plays the keys in this band, but the only bias here is the fact that this rocks, plain and simple.)

Sam Hoffman - Fair Weather
https://sam-hoffman.bandcamp.com/album/fairweather 
(Awesome psychy power pop! Just the sound I love and want when it comes to "power pop". No punky stuff here, no whiny lamenting... Just straight songwriting, groovy vocals, layered harmonies.)

 Half Stack - Quitting Time
https://halfstack.bandcamp.com/album/quitting-time
(Wonderful little discovery. Country Psych/Cosmic Americana. So good, I shared this with everybody I thought would appreciate it. Another album from last year that I feel like I missed out on when it came out.)

PowerPlant - EP
https://hailtheplant.bandcamp.com/album/ep
(Grungy stoner doom from Szczecin, Poland with some psych influences. A fine EP, with lots of depth, lots of groovy riffs, head nodding heaviness.)

Roger Røksund - Roger Røksund
https://roksund.bandcamp.com/album/roger-r-ksund
(Smooth proggy pop rock. Not in the sense you're thinking of. This isn't Toto. This is a little John Grant, a little Floyd. Coming in from Norway, we, of course, have some really interesting stuff going on here. The vocals are truly top notch (one of the strongest parts of the album), the songwriting is pleasantly plump, with wonderfully orchestrated instrumentation. Can get over the top for the sake of it, but never sounds like stunted grandiosity. Fine music.)

Knivderby - Den första skörden
https://knivderby.bandcamp.com/album/den-f-rsta-sk-rden 
(Really good, powerful indie rock! A little power pop thrown in for good measure... Sung in Swedish. For those that don't speak the language, it's easy to enjoy this without knowing what they're saying. We're talking some serious songwriting here. According to the description, this is the band's 9th and last album. 9th album? Wow. Quite a dynamic band with a nice little history. Worth a listen.)

- Andy Benson

Bandcamp Blitz - February 3rd, 2019

The List:


Galaxy Chamber - Millennium Madness 
https://galaxychamber.bandcamp.com/album/millennium-maddness-ep 
(Avant Garde, bizarre, psych rock blowout. Wacky in all kinds of good ways. Bordering on horror film score-ish-ness. A total head trip.)

Svarta Stugan -  Islands / Öar
https://svartastugan.bandcamp.com/album/islands-ar 

(Mighty, thematic instrumental indie prog post rock. The melodies are what struck me right off the bat. Heavier than most, without being too metallic. Conjuring pioneering bands like Earth, Pelican, June Of '44, and such, we're treated to the right concoction of melodic nuances.)

JARS - ДЖРС II

https://jars.bandcamp.com/album/ii
(Superb, angry, noise rock/post hardcore from Russian Federation. There are no light moments, no pretty things, and no sleeping on the job here. Just unrelenting brashness. Coming soon on Forbidden Place Records)

Holy Whale - Adrift Through The Storm
https://holywhale.bandcamp.com/album/adrift-through-the-storm 
(Grungy, stonery Ukrainian hard rock. A little touch of AIC & friends, a little smidgen of other various alt-metal bands here and there, pinches of various genres. Strong effort.)

Dark Numbers - If It Was It Would Be So 
https://darknumbers-nadinerecords.bandcamp.com/album/if-it-was-it-would-be-so  
(Megablast of powerful, epic proggy alt-metal. Ridiculous melodic hammerings, great female vox, superb harmonies, atomic-blast, this-is-your-doom riffage. This is like Yes-meets-Baroness in a dark alley, and subsequently melds into Helms Alee and White Swan. Looking forward to the rest of this album, for sure. Bring it on, folks. Bring it on.)

Ryan Holweger - Gunmetal Sky
https://ryanholweger.bandcamp.com/album/gunmetal-sky
(Another little alt-country album that was real sneaky about it. Just came out of nowhere for me. Kinda swooped in like an intervention. Ryan Holweger, long-time member of the alt-country band The Western Fifth, stands out like a beacon on his first full-length solo work. With the help of a few buddies, he's created quite a stunning collection of tunes. A real keeper, this one.)

- Andy B.