by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)

Welcome to FUZZY MEADOWS, our weekly recap of this week's new music. We're sharing our favorite releases of the week in the form of albums, singles, and music videos along with the "further listening" section of new and notable releases from around the web. It's generally written in the early hours of the morning and semi-unedited... but full of love and heart. The list is in alphabetical order and we sincerely recommend checking out all the music we've included. There's a lot of great new music being released. Support the bands you love. Spread the word and buy some new music.

*Disclaimer: We are making a conscious effort not to include any artist in our countdown on back-to-back weeks in order to diversify the feature, so be sure to check the "further listening" as well because it's often of top-notch quality too.

BIG BUSINESS | “Tour EP 4”

Over the years Big Business have been doing their demo process in a public way with the releases of their tour EPs. The first three volumes were re-released this year in the must-own Solid Gold Metal: 2004-2009 box set together with the band’s first three albums, and with the band back from a US tour with Red Fang, they’ve shared Tour EP 4, another offering that proves that band’s heavy sound is undefinable. The duo mix sludge metal with elements of pop and their barn burning anthemic approach to fuzz punk and well… no one does it quite like them. It’s heavy but the only threatening feeling is that these songs may forever be stuck in your head. Big Business’ blueprint for bass, drums, and vocals continues to expand in new directions while retaining their primal rhythms and howling melodies.

BLONDE REDHEAD | “We Should Be Holding Hands”

Less a new single and more a reimagining of an old one, “We Should Be Holding Hands” is a reworked version of Blonde Redhead’s Penny Sparkle stand-out “Will There Be Stars.” Taking the stark electronic backdrop of the former version and opting for a sultry horn section and soulful feel that would make Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield proud. The lyrics, while untouched from the original, carry new meaning in 2018, reflecting on our troubled times and repurposing itself as a call for togetherness, despite the lyrics being at least eight years old. The new composition works in an incredible way the original didn’t, and paints new light onto a dusty canvas.

IRK | “Life Changing Porno“

I’ve never been to Leeds, but I’m all for whatever is happening over there to gift the world bands like Blacklisters and now Irk. While I consider the former to be one of the greatest living bands, my introduction to Irk has left me side-swept, another sordid noise rock band that has perfected the genre’s two key ingredients, that bass tone and those deranged vocals. Hell, the band don’t even bother with a guitarist... and it’s not missing. Getting ready to release their full length debut, Recipes From The Bible, on December 7th, the band sound brilliantly unhinged on the album’s second single “Life Changing Porno,” a sputtering and convulsive drag through the mud with added guest vocals from Kelly Bishop. I cannot wait to hear this record.

J MASCIS | “Elastic Days” LP

Let it be said, J Mascis’ new solo album Elastic Days is the best record he’s released since Dinosaur Jr.’s Farm almost a decade ago. That’s not necessarily a shot at the other records that have come since, but an endorsement that his latest is truly exceptional, an album that boils down his songwriting to its barest of elements and shines as a result. While he’s been no stranger to the folkier territory of his influences (namely Neil Young, as always) his songwriting sounds impeccably focused, the lyrics and melodies ringing together with introspective nuance and acoustic textures that provide welcome space for Mascis to do his thing, blistering solos and all. Songs like “See You At The Movies” (a true Mascis classic), the upbeat jangle of “Cut Stranger,” and the heartbroken “Web So Dense” show a depth in range, all buoyed by his earnest delivery that wisely never reaches too far out of his comfort zone.

LISA/LIZA | “Real Estate”

As a fixture of Portland, Maine’s vibrant and creative DIY folk scene, Lisa/Liza will release her sophomore full length (or 8th, depending on who is counting), Momentary Glance, on November 30th via Orindal Records, though she’s been releasing home-made demos and hard-to-find cassettes/CDs for years. While lead single “The Matador” was built on strings and an ominous reverb, “Real Estate,” the album’s second single and opening track, feels more like a solo composition, Liza Victoria and company’s pastoral guitar-work paired only with her magnificent voice. Kept primarily to a hush, the bare-bones approach to the finger-picked melody and gently commanding vocals feels like a presence of another time, reflections of memories brought to life during the cold winter months. Victoria’s poetic vocals recalling specific moments that feel abstract but reflective, an open-framework to a world both ruminative and transportive.

MAL DEVISA | “Mystery Tsrain” EP

Just as writers everywhere are starting to fine-tune their year end lists, Mal Devisa surprise dropped not one but two new albums, full length Shade and the Little Creature and it’s companion, Mystery Tsrain, Deja Carr, the incredible talent from Northampton has been reclusive since the release of Kiid with the occasional live appearance to remind everyone why she’s considered one of the best underground musicians out there. Both the new records work to further cement that position, offering a natural hybrid of soul, hip-hop, punk, and beat tape compositions, skipping from one sound to the next with a grace all Mal Devisa’s own. From the skronky dirges of “You Are All That You Need” to harmonic soul stand-out “Alabama,” Carr demands your attention and consistently dazzles with sparse beauty.

SORRY | “Starstruck”

Cut from a similar cloth as London post-punk peers Shame, Sorry have slowly been trickling out singles and their own brand of “mixtapes” for over a year, building anticipation for a full length album that is sure to be nothing short of spectacular. The band are already signed to Domino Records and their latest single “Starstruck” is another great example of their unique sound. Combining shimmering production with alternative-rock-glory-days essence, part dance-punk, part dream-pop, and a touch of experimental glam, Sorry shifts grooves, collapses rhythms, and offers the best “ugh” this side of Pusha T’s trademark ad-lib. This band is already gaining “buzz band” status, but each single is further evidence why it’s increasingly well deserved.

STOVE | “s Favorite Friend” LP

Sure, you could say I have a bias, but Stove’s sophomore album ‘s Favorite Friend is easily one of the best records this year, an album that truly gets better with every listen. Hitting you with new earworms every time, the record finds new ways to amaze whether you’ve hearing it for the tenth or hundredth listen. The quartet have created a cohesive and effortless vulnerability that changes shape and tone as it works its way through the record, from remorse and regret to understanding and acceptance, it’s a powerful record that packs as much emotional heft as it does infectious hooks and fuzzy guitar brilliance. Around every turn is warmth in distorted melodies and truly brilliant drums that tear between complex and primal rhythms. It’s a masterpiece that follows tragedy and allows it to grow into something special.

WASHER | “Super Pop”

Washer done did it again. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again, this band only knows how to write smash-hits. “Super Pop,” the band’s new single from their upcoming split EP with Bethlehem Steel is barely over a minute long and yet it manages to sneak in just about everything you know and love from the the duo. It’s got a thick as syrup vocal melody from Mike Quigley, a pounding rhythm from Kieran McShane, and more than a few left turns that skronk and delight. There’s layered guitars, a guest vocal harmony from B Steel’s Becca Ryskalczyk, and a blood curdling scream… and then it ends. Typical Washer, always leave you wanting more.

WU-TANG CLAN | “For The Children: 25 Years of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”

In case you didn’t know, Wu-Tang Clan are the greatest hip-hop group of all time (and yes, I’m classifying the Dungeon Family as more a “collective” than a group). While this isn’t exactly new music, there’s a short documentary, For The Children: 25 Years of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), that celebrates the group’s debut album and the revolution it started with 9 MCs (though we really ought to be counting Cappadonna at this point) from Staten Island and Brooklyn. There’s never been a group to do it as grimy and simultaneously mainstream as Wu-Tang and their legacy lives on as members like Inspectah Deck (with Czarface), Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah continue to release some of the best hip-hop albums of the past decade.

Further Listening:

October 29 to November 04:

November 05 - November 11:

Fuzzy Meadows: The Week's Best New Music (October 29th - November 11th)