"Fuzzy Meadows: The Week in Review" is a weekly round-up of the best new music premiered this week across the internet. It's a weekly embarrassment of riches, let Post-Trash be your guide. It's the weekend, here's what happened...
KAL MARKS | "Life Is Alright, Everybody Dies" LP
[MTV]
"Kal Marks’ distinct brand of dark basement punk persists on Life Is Alright, but undoubtedly, the follow-up to 2013’s Life Is Murder offers a fresh glimmer of hope. The Boston trio cite new, diverse influences, from folk and psych rock to Kendrick Lamar, in crafting their new and— dare we say — optimistic vision, although it’s an uphill battle for Shane, most definitely." - Loren DiBlasi, MTV
BIG UPS | "National Parks"
[NPR]
"Capturing the song's spirit in pictures was an interesting undertaking. Joe Galarraga says he talked with brothers Robert and Adam Kolodny of the Brooklyn production company House of Nod, "and they immediately had some great ideas regarding how to visually communicate the song's ideas without replicating its exact narrative. We also specifically liked the idea of having a choreographed dance because we felt it complimented the energy of the music, but expressed it differently."" - Bob Boilen, NPR
KAL MARKS | "Coffee (Live)"
[Allston Pudding]
"The trio stopped by our headquarters on a snowy Sunday morning, and woke up the neighborhood with their heavy riffs and pounding rhythms." - Allston Pudding
OPERATOR | "Delia"
[The Fader]
"different at every turn, and Hirsch's exquisite and delicate voice—though I'd bet she has the capacity to scream as well—both mirrors and offsets the synths and reverbs." - Leah Mandel, The Fader
OPERATOR | "Bebop Radiohaus"
[AdHoc]
"With pulsating synths and unrelenting drumming, Operator produce resplendent pieces of Krautrock fandom that flaunt their ability to balance motorik build-ups with chaotic moments of release. "Bebop Radiohaus" channels these ideas in full force as tempered crescendos guide the track from an art-punk poetry reading to free-form jam in three and a half minutes." - Michael Kolb, AdHoc
SOFT FANGS | "The Light"
[Stereogum]
"...the album’s title track might remind me of “Dead Friends” the most, not necessarily in its lyrical content, but in its thin, delicately rendered structure." - Gabriela Tully Claymore, Stereogum
PROTOMARTYR | "Dope Cloud"
[Spin]
"In their latest clip, for Agent Intellect highlight “Dope Cloud,” a young man is chased through the woods to an empty phone booth, where he’s harassed by masked toughs. They shoot sparklers at the booth, they roll smoke bombs underneath it, and they eventually tip it over, continuing their ceaseless, unexplained assault as the camera pans up and the clip fades." - Andrew Unterberger, Spin
GUERILLA TOSS | "Eraser Stargazer" LP
[Hype Machine]
"Eraser Stargazer furthers the momentum, refining their signature sound: grooving basslines, shrieking guitars, manic percussion, and the elastic delivery of vocalist/poet Kassie Carlson." - Hype Machine
GUERILLA TOSS | "Doll Face on the Calico Highway"
[Stereogum]
"...here’s a video for closing track “Doll Face On The Calico Highway”" - James Rettig, Stereogum
PURLING HISS | "Something" EP
[Noisey]
"He played on all instrumentation and while they still "shred," it’s a rawer sound that harkens back to his 2010 album Public Service Announcement. Put on some headphones, crank “My, My, My," and you could be mistaken for thinking that the Ramones released an album on Homestead Records circa 1986." - Tim Scott, Noisey
MRS. MAGICIAN | "Forgiveness"
[Owl and Bear]
"Bermuda will take a less personal and more non-linear approach to its lyrics, but will still retain the cheeky humor that helped make Strange Heaven such a standout. According to frontman Jacob Turnbloom, “Bermuda has a boozy island malaise on the surface of the water, while beneath the waves we’re exposed to themes of confusion, nihilism, and the notion that even with all of our technology and omnipresence of big brother; essentially we are all still very lost.”" - Chris Maroulakos, Owl and Bear
BANNED BOOKS | "Crown Fragment"
[Tiny Mix Tapes]
"Their knot of short ropes, clocking in at 3:04, twists in a dip thick like queso. The bristles soak up the sauce. History is askew and pending, as they steer sonic fragments through multiple levels, leaving the fat and gristle on the cut. It’s a smashing sound with perfect timing, and gone in a flash. " - Weaver, Tiny Mix Tapes
HEAD WOUND CITY | "Scraper"
[Pitchfork]
"More depth, less irony. Eliminate irony altogether. Grow up and get rid of it." - Head Wound City
THE BLIND PETS | "Up All Night"
[Noisey]
"The Austin, TX band’s music has a solid surf-rock guitar and an explosive sound that will have you on your feet before you know it ... It’s a sad song disguised behind poppy vocals and a rock ’n’ roll chorus that will be stuck in your head for days." - Annalise Domenighini, Noisey
RINGO DEATHSTARR | "Stare at the Sun"
[Noisey]
"Musically Ringo Deathstarr hit a very sweet spot: the Austin trio's influences include Helmet and Cocteau Twins and as such, on "Stare at the Sun" they anchor the sweetly forlorn vocals of Alex with a driving rhythm section with balls bigger than the most weirdly overgrown Great Dane." - Kim Taylor Bennett, Noisey
HOODED FANG | "Tunnel Vision"
[The Fader]
"['Tunnel Vision'] talks about everyday life shit when living in this future happening—the images and messages that people are exposed to on a daily basis, what is emphasized by the media, how it is rated by ratings and reactions" - Hooded Fang
SOLIDS | "Blank Stare"
[The Fader]
"a song that's almost soothing in the way Solids' Xavier Germain-Poitra and Louis Guillemette reflect on resisting the urge to fall into routine, with their own songwriting, and, well, life in general. It's like a really cool reminder to get off your butt and challenge yourself, because you can't grow without pushing yourself to open up to new experiences." - Leah Mandel, The Fader
THE COATHANGERS | "Nosebleed Weekend"
[The Fader]
"This is the song you listen to when you're mad as hell about someone being a dick to you, and you're about to go boozing with your gang to blow off steam." - Leah Mandel, The Fader
B BOYS | "Seagulls"
[Noisey]
"...though they describe themselves as a relief from mania, what they bring on their latest track, "Seagulls," is quite the opposite. It’s a manic surf punk lick..." - Annalise Domenighini, Noisey
COURTNEY BARNETT | "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party (Live)"
[Stereogum]
"She and her thoroughly badass power trio were the musical guests on the Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and they thrillingly bashed their way through “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go To The Party,” from her great 2015 album Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit." - Tom Breihan, Stereogum
MUSEUM OF RECYCLING | "Karaoke"
[Bandcamp]
Museum of Recycling is a new slowcore influenced side project from Big Ups' Joe Galarraga (vocals/guitar) and Brendan Finn (bass) together with Avery Medjuck (drums). Reminiscent of Duster and Bedhead, the band are sharing the second single from their self titled debut EP.
MIND SPIDERS | "Running"
[Brooklyn Vegan]
"Is it possible for a song to be both mellow and a burner? The song seethes, never letting up, but never getting in your face about it. Maybe that's a roaster." - Bill Pearis, Brooklyn Vegan
BEECH CREEPS | "Creeps Can't Swim"
[GimmeTinnitus]
"This one is a churner and a burner with the Creeps demonic vox on top." - GimmeTinnitus
DEATH INDEX | "FUP"
[Brooklyn Vegan]
"Like the previous two singles, it has Carson's Morrissey-inspired croon as intact as ever, but this is much heavier music than Merchandise. It's a dark, distorted song with a trudge-across-the-pit backbeat, and it lasts shorter than your average Ramones song." - Andrew Sacher, Brooklyn Vegan
G.L.O.S.S. | "Give Violence A Chance"
[Impose]
"When peace is just another word for death / It’s our time to give violence a chance. So goes the opening of “Give Violence a Chance”, a new song by Olympia hardcore outfit G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit) ... The song, which leads Illinois punk and hardcore label Not Normal‘s upcoming Not Normal Presents… Hardcore compilation, lands urgently and emphatically, the aforementioned proclamation but another part of an argument articulated by vocalist Sadie Switchblade explicitly about and for trans women, whose disproportionate deaths amount to what’s been called an “epidemic of violence” in the United States..." - Sam Lefebvre, Impose
BLEACHED | "Wednesday Night Melody"
[Noisey]
"Like the band itself, the video tackles objectively unpleasant subject matter with cheeky panache, transforming it into a scuzzed-out garage pop ride. " - Andrea Domanick, Noisey
JEFF ZAGERS | "Your Motion Says"
[The Fader]
"Zagers' cover Russell is a little out of place among the old Americana staples, which may be why it stands out as such a gem. Or maybe it's because when Zagers sings What you want/ is far away/ it's plain that I/ spend my time on you too much and Your mouth it is just kisses/ your hand is just a handshake/ and I am just another guy it makes me want to cry about all the beauty and pain involved in human connection." - Leah Mandel, The Fader
JAPANESE BREAKFAST | "Everybody Wants To Love You"
[AV Club]
"With a sound like if Fleetwood Mac were to try its hand at trance-inspired pop music, “Everybody Wants To Love You” is the perfect post-Valentine’s Day comedown for lovers and loners alike." - David Anthony, AV Club
SUNWATCHERS | "Eusebius"
[Spin]
"the course charted is not one of whimsy or mystical exploration, but that of a complex psychological portrait, closer to home. A modern re-arrangement of 19th century composer Robert Schumann’s piece of the same name, the song elegizes its original composer and the free-jazz sax legend Arthur Doyle, both of whom suffered from mental illness but nonetheless propelled their craft into the next dimension." - Evan Siegel, Spin
and of course, on Post-Trash...
RICK RUDE | "Sap"
[Post-Trash]
"The beginning of “Sap” combines a jangly guitar line with a constantly driving drum line and relentlessly building anthemic vocal tone, only to crash back down to the opening progression and build again. The cyclical nature of “Sap” keeps it well within a pop sphere and functions to build the song’s deep playability – indeed “Sap” performs best on loop accompanied by a beer or four." - Niccolo Dante Porcello, Post-Trash
CHERRY | "Gloom" EP
[Post-Trash]
"If you’ve been following underground indie rock in Philadelphia lately, you’ll get a good sense of the psych-bedroom pop dished out on Cherry’s Gloom. The plaintive vocal delivery evokes fellow City of Brotherly Love brethren Gunk and Sun Organ (also ex-Kite Party). The melodies are simple but affecting; the song arrangements wouldn’t sound out of place on a Mikal Cronin record." - Kelly Johnson, Post-Trash
FOOTINGS | "Alienation" LP
[Post-Trash]
"At times plaintively reflective, stripped back and focused. Footings draws from the guts of what Passerine embodied, while transcending & building on the structures for which Eric is known. The addition of Cote on drums, and Fuchsia on strings deepens the pool in which we're swimming here, and there is a sort of late-night casual grandeur to those moments that evokes as much a wistfulness for years past as it does a hope for the future. Forever music, you know: timeless and heartfelt." - Stephen Pierce, Post-Trash