Besides being one of the best bands in Columbus, Nervosas are one of the most important. Jeff Kleinman, Mickey Mocnik, and Nick Schuld have been playing, attending, booking, promoting, and running sound at punk shows in Ohio’s capitol for years. They’ve each done a lot to turn the excellent Columbus rock venue Ace Of Cups into a crossroads for the melodically inclined house-show landscape and the aggressively skuzzy dive bar set among other bustling sub-scenes. But the best thing they’ve done for their community is form a band. Collectively, these three have been part of a zillion noteworthy musical outfits, but in hindsight they all feel like a prelude to Nervosas. Since forming four years ago they’ve taken their ballistic live show ’round and ’round the nation’s DIY circuit while steadily churning out great records. They’re a true underground treasure, and today they peek their heads above ground, if only for a moment.

Nervosas play an aggressive strain of post-punk they describe as “dark-punk.” The music hits with the lockstep precision of machinery but carries an unmistakably human fury. Guitars and bass cast harmonies at jagged angles, Kleinman veering his powerhouse voice between fierce barks and cavernous bellows. Imagine Viet Cong as filtered through the aggression of Cloud Nothings, Wire by way of Wipers, Joy Division on speed — or just imagine getting run over by a car and coming out the other side angry and inspired. “Night Room,” the lead single from their self-titled sophomore album, barrels along with all the beauty and ferocity of their best work. Hear it below.

Nervosas tracklist:

01 “Moral Panic”
02 “Night Room”
03 “Temporary Address”
04 “The Well”
05 “Parallels”
06 “Arcadia”
07 “Industry”
08 “Refinery”
09 “Permanently Isolated”
10 “Nothing”
11 “Clouds”
12 “Quarantine”

And here are their upcoming tour dates:

6/24 Bloomington, IN @ Madison Square Garden
6/25 Chicago, IL @ Burlington (w/ Red Dons, Mac Blackout Band, Daylight Robbery)
6/26 Milwaukee, WI @ Bremen Cafe
6/27 Minneapolis, MN @ Pork Haus (w/ Brain Tumors, Junkbomb, Chuckleheads)
6/28 Minot, ND @ Blue Rider
6/29 Missoula, MT @ The ZACC
6/30 Spokane, WA @ Baby Bar
7/1 Seattle, WA @ Narwhal
7/2 Vancouver, BC @ Railway Club (w/ Aging Youth Gang, Flagpolers)
7/3 Olympia, WA @ Flophouse
7/4 Portland, OR @ Blackwater (w/ Vivid Sekt)
7/5 Oakland @ House Show (w/ Birthday Girl, Freak Vibe)
7/6 Santa Rosa @ TBA (w/ Audacity, Useless Eaters, Vial, Together Pangea)
7/7 Oakland, CA @ 1234 Go Records
7/8 San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern (w/ Street Eaters, Silent Era)
7/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Redwood Bar
7/11 Los Angeles, CA @ Dog Haus (w/ Generacion Suicida, War Path, Benny and the Roids)
7/12 Fullerton,CA @ The Continental (w/ White Murder)
7/13 Las Vegas, NV @ Womb Room with Good Grief
7/14 Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
7/15 Denver, CO @TBA
7/16 Omaha, NB @ TBA
7/17 Kansas City, MO @ FOKL (w/ Nature Boys, Red Kate, Polish Gift, Horace Grant)
7/18 St. Louis, MO @ Bad to the Boner Zoner (w/ Veil ?)

Nervosas is out 7/10 on Dirtnap.