Nerves

Chicago garage punk revival trio the Nerves was formed in 1996 by singer/guitarist Rob Datum and bassist Seth Skundrick. Founded in direct response to the lack of traditional rock & roll in a local scene increasingly dominated by the post-rock aesthetic, the group went through a series of drummers before settling on Elliot Dicks, ironically enough a former member of post-rockers Rome. Scattering their earliest performances with covers of the Damned and the Seeds, the Nerves quickly developed a blistering and violently noisy sound that brought them to the attention of Thrill Jockey label owner Bettina Richards, who earlier released the lone Rome LP. The Nerves' self-titled debut followed in 1998; its taut, trebly sound recalling past classics including MC5's Back in the USA and the Stooges' Raw Power. New Animal appeared a year later. The frenetic energy of previous efforts gave way to the more slower, more expansive approach of World of Gold in 2001.