When Connections congealed from members of various storied Columbus rock bands in 2012, it felt like an event -- maybe not for the world at large, but certainly among those who'd been paying attention to the groups that contributed this combo's component parts. The headliner was erstwhile Matador and Merge affiliate Times New Viking, whose drummer/howler Adam Elliott was keeping time for Connections back then. But equally exciting was the involvement of alumni from 84 Nash, El Jesus De Magico, and Swarming Branch. If these names elicit a blank stare from you, know that they're all responsible for some of the most ingenious, idiosyncratic rock music to ever emerge from the Midwest. El Jesus built explosive, trance-inducing psych-punk; Swarming Branch continues to specialize in skewed pop songcraft that defies categorization; and 84 Nash churned out compact guitar-pop detonations that made dive bars feel like arenas.