Woodcreeper Pre-Orders!

Time is now for pre-orders. Poke your head in and scoop up a copy of my band's heavy little jaunt through the woods. We went into this as an experiment in "let's try this." And we're quite surprised at the response from everybody. You guys seem to be cool with our meanderings. For that, we are incredibly grateful! We've got some new stuff in the works, a possible new EP early next year. We're constantly working on something. Thanks to everybody that has been there with us during this crazy journey. Whatever's next, who knows? I think it's best we just keep everybody guessing.
Forbidden Place Records brings the goods.

https://forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com/album/woodcreeper-i-pre-order

Bandcamp Blitz - October 1st, 2019

Random Blitz-ery to clam the clamor. October is looking like another contender in the year of months that has done nothing but bring good music. I've barely scratched the surface with these. Enjoy this while I hammer away at the rest of it all.... 
The Blitz.. yes the Blitz... oh, the Blitz is back....


The Blitz Awaits!!

We Lost The Sea - Triumph & Disaster
https://welostthesea.bandcamp.com/album/triumph-disaster
(What better way to round off the month than have this in amongst the releases thus far. I'm doubting I will find many other albums I was looking more forward to than this one. Departure Songs floored me in more ways than I can describe. That album is in among my favorite albums ever, and will go to the grave with me as such. It accompanied me while I was mowing prairies, cutting down huge trees, clearing paths, planning events, and general upkeep working in a National park. It was there when I married my wife, it was around when I was at my best, and my worst. It has survived the storms, worn bare and rejuvenated by the slightest shifting of the winds. I expect nothing less from this new album.)

Michaela Anna - Desert Dove
https://michaelaanne.bandcamp.com/album/desert-dove-3
(Hauntingly beautiful. Fine country from a well-established & seasoned artist, complete with a world class backing band, making original country that sticks around. This whole album has a really "Autumn/Winter" feel, similar to the "Nicks approach", with moments of sonic warmth and depth, unusual for the genre. You'll be lost in the reverb, but find your way home via the hooks. Really classy.)

Sandveiss - Saboteur
https://sexysloth.bandcamp.com/album/saboteur
(Thunderous, fuzzed, and vibrant heavy rock. Quebec's Sandveiss are taking cues from old school metal, '90s grunge, and modern stoner rock to create a sound that's quintessentially their own. Of special note are the powerful vocals, courtesy of Luc Bourgeois, with backing vox by Shawn Rice, both of which also play the crushing guitar riffs. The band is rounded off by Maxime Moisan on bass and Dominic Gaumond on the drums. A real powerhouse of an album, it shifts between moods seamlessly, each song representing itself with a deadly serious delivery. Awesome melodic stoner rock.)

Half Stack - Aw Hell
https://halfstack.bandcamp.com/album/aw-hell 
(Half Stack are back, Jack! Get yourself some alt-country for your bubble blasters. Cottony clouds roll over the Summer sun, making shadows that look like foals at play. Grab a brew and soak it in.)

Swedish Death Candy - Are You Nervous?
https://swedishdeathcandyuk.bandcamp.com/album/are-you-nervous
(Groovy alt-psych from the UK. A little desert dust in their Hypercolor drinks, no? Fuzzed, buzzed, hooky, spacey tunes. The level of busyness might astound you into a trance-like stupor as it did me. Prepare the ship for Ludicrous Speed.)

Headland - What Rough Beast
https://agitatedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/what-rough-beast
(Nice. Headland returns with yet another relaxing romp through the waves. The collective known as Headland have been jarring my brain for a few years now, and this newest album is a must-have for me.)

Warchief - Morning Home 
https://warchief.bandcamp.com/album/morning-home
(Warchief returns! Two tracks, almost a half hour worth of music. Some personnel changes, a few tweaks to the sound, and they're back in business! Their previous self-titled album, and their Heavy Damage demo really cracked me a good one over the noggin. I was ready for a new album from these dudes. Heavy psychedelic stoner rock, full of riffs and grooves. Complete with another totally badass album cover, this one is another one I'm expecting an LP from before long. A really nice 2-song LP. Bring it on!)

 - Andy B.

Meet Ellie. She has some big shoes to fill. Cross your fingers....

Bandcamp Blitz - September 22nd, 2019

I know I've taken a while to put out a new Blitz. I'm not trying to be a lazy ass, or stiff you out of a good time. I've been doing stuff. Just needed a little space away from the ol' rabbit hole. I promise to keep up in the future. I knew I was going to take a little mini vacation, I just had no idea how long I would while away the hours... Nerve Salad Records' only release so far, the Strippers In Love album, has been doing pretty well. Especially the cassettes. You collectors know a good thing when you see it. Beyond all of this, I apologize for the uninspired words as of late. A few other kinks to work out in real life, a couple more brainstorming sessions, a little bit o' gumption, and Bob's your uncle.

This Blitz is brought to you by:

Serial Hawk - Static Apnea
https://serialhawk.com/album/static-apnea
(An unstoppable force of melodic doom. Also a very impressive album overall for the band, showing much growth and maturity.)

Planet Of The 8s - Tourist Season
https://planetofthe8s.bandcamp.com/album/tourist-season 
(Good gosh... the "Holy Ballsnuts!" meter hasn't gone off like this in a while. Awesome, truly. Melodic stoner rock with all the right moves and grooves. This album will, without a doubt, be sticking with me for quite some time. Just what I needed. These riffy jams are weep-worthy, in my book. Man tears, friends.. every next track is a total banger.)

Young Guv - Guv I
https://youngguv.bandcamp.com/album/guv-i
(Groovy, sparkly power pop, pulling a few punky punches here and there. Guv II out soon-ly)

HARM LESS - Safe's Pace
https://harm-less.bandcamp.com/album/safes-pace
(Mathy post rock from Chicagoland. Album number 2 showing a huge step forward with added ideas, instrumentation, and twisty-turny rhythm. A one-man project in the same vein as the legendary Cloudkicker. Awesome!)

Anuseye - 3:33 333
https://anuseye30.bandcamp.com/album/3-33-333
(Screeching alt-stoner rock, some classy noise rock touches.Highly recommended from me, if that means anything. Probably going in the BOTY list... you just wait...)

The Pernice Brothers - Spread The Feeling 
https://pernicebrothers.bandcamp.com/album/spread-the-feeling 
(This album is an unbelievably adept celebration of power pop, 60s & 70s psych, jangly 80s pop, and Paisley Underground smatterings. Also my 1000th album in my collection on Bandcamp... this is a monumental occasion, and a little brag-worthy for all the above reasons. Splendid!)

Legba - Hell

https://legba.bandcamp.com/album/hell

(Blistering occult stoner rock. A tiny dash of Type O mixed with odds-and-ends doom/sludge. Really diverse, and a big surprise.)

Skyjoggers - Seasons Of Uiu
https://skyjoggers.bandcamp.com/album/seasons-of-uiu
(Whoa there! I got blindsided by this, for real. REALLY good heavy psych from Finland! One minute, I was just sitting there, and the next minute I'm getting slapped in the face by this ENTIRE album. Driving riffs, energetic scourge-of-the-earth tempos, tidy interludes, classy melodies, spacey space-outs... Holy Ballsnuts!!! Essential listening for groovy psych heads with a fondness for the heavier side of things. A+ for killer guitar tone.)

James Matthew VII - Stoned When I Pray 
https://jamesmatthewvii.bandcamp.com/album/stoned-when-i-pray 
(Heard this album a while back. Looked around for the vinyl. Never saw it. Thought it was a Soundcloud fluke. Lo and behold, this Psych/Americana gem appears! No need to sniff it out anymore.)

  - Andy B

Bandcamp Blitz - August 17th, 2019

The Blitz...
Less Stoner-ing and Doom-ing, more chilling this time around. 2019 has turned into a year that has been impossible to keep up with. Every single day, some awesome albums get released. I've got to calm down a little and learn to juggle some things around in life. Since 2019 refuses to let up, I'm keeping it down to the very nitty gritty of albums that are on the Nerve Salad radar. Of course there are tons more I could be ranting about, but let's keep this simple before I completely go mental...


Cloudkicker - Unending
https://cloudkicker.bandcamp.com/album/unending
(Insta-buy! Man oh man... we've waited a long time for this one. Incidentally, Cloudkicker was the reason I joined Bandcamp in the first place, so I could buy the LPs and have them show up in my collection. All new post rock from the mind of Ben Sharp.. brilliant! Just what the doctor ordered! Heavy and beautiful, bright and grimy...)

The Revenants - Dreamland
https://therevenants1.bandcamp.com/album/dreamland
(Such impressive music from what is, to me, a total enigma... Eliot Wilder, a person with Robert Pollard Syndrome in the absolute most incredible way possible. Shine on, man.. shine on...)

Reader - Engrams 
https://readerseattle.bandcamp.com/album/engrams
(I'm afraid I didn't give this a proper introduction before. A Nerve Salad first. I'm RE-doing a Blitz from before. This album... how can I begin to describe it? Mathy, nasty, noisy, melodic, twisted-up, tied-up, bound-up, spastic bombastic flakes of watery, crunchy sounds. I must say, this is likely one of the most compelling albums I've heard in a while. Lots of twists and turns, gravitational pulls, stark robotic landscapes filled with tributaries of shimmering metallic lines and jagged edges, but a bunch of birds and butterflies and bees all hang out in a paisley pasture, doting on purple blooms... Noisy melodic math rock.. maybe like Meat Puppets and Yes get together and form a band. Super super!)

RF Shannon - Rain On Dust
https://keeledscales.bandcamp.com/album/rain-on-dust
(Gorgeous. Eight fantastic tracks of spacey Psych/Americana, complete with a layer of "yacht rock"-esque sensibilities. Shows the band in fine form, a little tighter, a little peppier. This band has grown on me immensely in a short couple of years.)

Owel - Paris
https://owel.bandcamp.com/album/paris-2 
(Owel's music ebbs and flows through emotions. Since their debut, they've been quite a captivating band. Having seen them live a few times, it turns out they have quite the knack for recreating the sound of the album on the stage. They've been around for a while, making dreamy pop/alt-rock with very bright arrangements and a melancholy vibe. A hard-working bunch, this latest album, released in March of this year, shows the band in their element once again.)

The Dusty Pockets - DP EP Vol. 1
https://thedustypockets.bandcamp.com/album/dp-ep-vol-1
(Montana's Dusty Pockets return with another fantastic album! Country/soul/r&b/rock. A really good time wrapped up in a little package of 5 killer tunes.)

- Andy B.

Bandcamp Blitz - July 31st, 2019

I know, I know. I'm taking FOREVER to get the next Blitz out. Many other projects going on all at once. I was supposed to be taking a short break. It will be easier to get things done faster after I chip away at some stuff at Nerve Salad HQ. I'm working on a little thing with a band I'm in, Woodcreeper. I've been experimenting with different kinds of music throughout my whole life, playing in all kinds of bands, singing all kinds of styles. Woodcreeper is one of those strange experiments that turned into an actual working machine. Some alt-stoner rock or heavy rock.. I don't know what to call it. We just turned up our stuff and went off. Stay tuned for some real self-indulgent bullshit about that, I guess. We're almost done with our "Demo/EP". Might suck, might be awesome. Who knows? Meanwhile, grab yourself a Strippers In Love CD or tape.
https://nervesaladrecords.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-what-im-becoming


The Blitz awaits:


Arctic Sleep - Kindred Spirits
https://arcticsleep.bandcamp.com/album/kindred-spirits 
(Keith D. & company return with another gorgeous doom epic.  Arctic Sleep's last album was a real stunner. Kindred Spirits picks up where Passage Of Gaia leaves off and surges forth with huge hooks, lovely melodies. Heavy guitars, lush vocals. There's a lighthouse in the distance, but with all of this rain, we can't tell just how far away it is, so we just keep going. Is this a good album? Totally.)

Reader - Engrams
https://readerseattle.bandcamp.com/album/engrams
(Meat Puppets-y, twisted heavy alt-rock with fine vocals and barbed hooks. Layered vox equals interesting listen. Borderline proggy... has a real "beachy" feel at times. Really looking forward to the whole thing.)

Makeunder - Pale Cicada
https://music.wearemakeunder.com/album/pale-cicada
(Easily some of the best experimental R&B you're likely to hear this side of Saturn. A real gem in among the rubble. Get your socks knocked off.)

Gyasi - Androgyne
https://gyasimusic.bandcamp.com/album/androgyne
(Psych/glam/glitter rock with Bowie/Hoople-esque glitz. Shimmery lipstick morphed into a living snail, smearing itself over a guitar, invading the dreams of Roberto Cavalli while stumbling through a field of rose petals.. in high heels.. on Mars. Ultra-recommended.)

 

Salvadore Ross - The Transfiguration Of Salvadore Ross
https://salvadoreross.bandcamp.com/album/the-transfiguration-of-salvadore-ross
(Wow... perfect psych rock with '60s psych/pop influences. I mean.. how can this be terrible after hearing the first 45 seconds of the album? Strap in for another ride through the stratosphere.)

Hymnambulae - Nausikaa
https://hymnambulae.bandcamp.com/album/nausikaa
(Experimental psych? Prog? Spoken word? Dark ritual ambient? In any case, it's quite fascinating stuff from Sweden.)

Jordan Jones - s/t
https://belugarecords.bandcamp.com/album/jordan-jones-s-t
(Power pop, psych punk, classic rock. Infectious, really. One listen, and these tunes will affix themselves into your head.)

A little blitz for everybody. August will be here before we know it, and then its back to the grind as usual. Thanks for checking in!

- Andy Benson

Strippers In Love CDs and Cassettes

Manchester, UK and Balearic Islands, and Spain's Strippers In Love made a wonderful thing. The Psych/Stoner masterpiece is finally available in physical form!

Get It Here

Bandcamp Blitz - June 27th, 2019

Summer is officially here. The weather is hot and muggy. Just the way I like it. Another Blitz, right to the point.

Fat White Family - Serf's Up
https://fatwhitefamily.bandcamp.com/album/serfs-up
(Nasty electro-pop with emphasis on the nasty. Go ahead. Shine a black light on this album.There's going to be more stains that you can count. Classy.)

Shifting Sands - Crystal Cuts
https://shiftingsandsau.bandcamp.com/album/crystal-cuts 
(Psychy alt-country from Australia. At this point, I'm sure NOBODY will be surprised that I post something psychy alt-country from Australia. Seems to be the place to make that happen. A real sleepy feel to the whole thing, but keeps the pace well enough to keep you awake. Diggin' it.)

The Crawling Eye - No Short Stays 
https://thecrawlingeye.bandcamp.com/album/no-short-stays
(Alt rock with a touch of Americana and psych pop. NO mind-blowing proggy riffs, no cosmos-bending sweeps... just four good tunes.)

Camionero - Confianza en ti solo
https://camionero.bandcamp.com/album/confianza-en-ti-solo
(Argentina's best-kept secret rolls forth with another selection of killer Southern/Stoner Rock-styled tunes. Every album they make is a total gem. These guys need to be known the world over. Ready? And... go!)

Children Of The Sün - Flowers

https://childrenofthesunofficial.bandcamp.com/album/flowers 
(Wowee! Fine 60s/70s classic rock, straight from the tap. One tune here on Bandcamp, but trust me: This is album is gold. Plenty of hard licks and tasty tricks, lots of good times and unwinds, tons of heavy rocks, lovely locks, and tasty vox. Ya dig?)

The Hong Kong Sleepover - Butcher & Bolt
https://thehongkongsleepover.bandcamp.com/album/butcher-bolt
(I heard that some people, when they receive some kind of head trauma, come out of a coma or shock with new areas of their brains awakened... like, now they know how to play the piano or see the world in geometric patterns. Maybe if I listen to this album enough, I could actually be good at math.. but it seems like I would likely wind up knowing exact details of the history of samurai swords and nail bats. Does this band rule? You betcha. Get a snootful of this shit and you'll be clear as day, ready to throw down.)