It is a shame John Schmersal isn’t a household name. Schmersal was originally part of Brainiac, a ’90s Ohio spazz-rock band that ended too soon due to the death of frontman Timmy Taylor. He then started the electro-pop band Enon that had some minor success in the early 2000s and broke up in 2010. Since then Schmersal has been playing in other bands and has been a touring guitarist for Caribou. And now he has a new band called Vertical Scratchers. Schmersal and drummer Christian Beaulieu are signed to Merge Records and just released a debut LP, Daughter of Everything. The record is short but a throwback to the ’90s in almost every way. While young bands are mining this sound, it is no wonder why a veteran like Schmersal would get traction out of the sound. “Kingdom Come” is a perfect Vertical Scrathers primer. The two-minute song is a guitar and drum blast with Schmersal’s vocals filling in the gaps between. Vertical Scratchers are’t trying to rewrite the the rules but they are perfecting the sound.

Vertical Scratchers play with Boogarins Sunday night at DC9. Tickets are $10/adv $12/dos.