In the mid-1990s a quartet from Baltimore, Maryland formed the indie pop outfit Love Nut, with Max Mueller on guitar and vocals, Andy Bopp also contributing guitar and vocals, Dave Vespoint on bass, and Joe Parsons behind the drums. Their first album, Bastards Of Melancholy, appeared in 1996 on a regional independent label and was subsequently acquired by Interscope Records. Strong critical notices failed to translate into commercial traction, prompting the band to sever ties with the major label after finishing work on a follow-up. That second collection, Baltimucho!, surfaced in 1998 through the Big Deal imprint and offered another strong yet underappreciated set of hard-rocking power pop. Love Nut entered a period of inactivity by the close of the decade as Bopp turned his focus to his other, more pop-leaning project Myracle Brah.
