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.

FAITH HEALER | “2020”

After many repeat listens, Faith Healer’s 2017 album, Try ;-), became one of my absolute favorite albums of that year. The Edmonton based project of Jessica Jalbert and Renny Wilson combined psych-pop, folk, and krautrock to create something gentle but utterly infectious. On New Year’s Day, the band shared the appropriately titled “2020,” that features a soulful groove reminiscent of The Stone Roses, locked in with sweet whispered harmonies and a funky rhythm that slinks around the sultry horns and focused synth, everything steadily bouncing with as much “cool” as humanly possible. Here’s hoping this means there’s a Faith Healer album coming this year.

HELVETIA | “Fantastic Life” LP

Surprise! The world’s most underrated band Helvetia aka Jason Albertini (also of Duster) just released a collection of 4-track cassette recordings called Fantastic Life, and I’ll be damned if two weeks into the year this one doesn’t remain one of the best. Energetic and bursting with bent and distorted pop bliss, Albertini proves that even a skeletal recording set-up lends itself to his impressionistic songwriting, warbling between psych pop sketches and a downer-pop drawl to create something that feels vibrant and heartfelt, like his being working to jump right out of his body. There’s lots of fuzzy guitar noise to feast your ears upon and the warm tape wizardry captures it at the songs’ height of noise pop exuberance. Duster is cool… but Helvetia is the best.

PAX | “89 Days”

Our favorite Toronto DIY up-and-comers PAX are back with another single , Melt It Down, (this one at three tracks), led by “89 Days,” another perfect example of their slow-drawn slacker psych (not too dissimilar to the aforementioned Helvetia). The whole thing feels woozy and disoriented, with its head firmly in the clouds, the melodies washed in a passing fog, peaking out at opportune times. Madeline Link’s vocals work impressively to lift up the stoned mumble into a higher register, juxtaposing the warble with a falsetto melody that feels bright and brilliant (somewhat reminiscent of Crumb). I can’t wait until PAX record a full length album, until then we’ll continue to be amazed by their steady stream of singles and EPs.

SLEEPING BAG & ROZWELL KID | “Chiller Instinct”

Way back in 2013, Sleeping Bag and Rozwell Kid teamed up to release the exceptional Dreamboats 10”, a collaborative project that had Jordan Hudkins (Rozwell Kid) & Dave Segedy (Sleeping Bag), writing and recording together. Seven years later we’re getting the follow-up, Dreamboats II and judging by first sing;e “Chiller Instinct,” we’re in for a treat once again. These two really seem to bring out the best in one another, capturing their fuzzy power-pop with the slickest of guitar solos and hard burnt Thin Lizzy-esque harmonies. It’s jangly but it also rips with a shoegaze touch, feedback and layered guitars shred in full pop glory. The video captures a whole lot of juggling, so prepare for a good time all around.

WASTED SHIRT | “Double The Dream”

While Wasted Shirt, the new collaborative project of Ty Segall and Lightning Bolt’s Brian Chippendale, certainly don’t need our help spreading the word, it’s simply too great a pairing for us to remain silent. The duo of garage punk and experimental noise rock legends is as exciting on paper as it is in actuality on their lead single “Double The Dream,” taken from the upcoming Fungus II LP due out next month. A raging song that really melds the style of their projects to perfection feels warped and damaged, aggressive and explosive, with Segall’s guitars bleeding between 70’s bubblegum psych and distorted noise while Chippendale keeps a ballistically motorik beat in place while shouting along in defiant force. It’s a damn good time and we’re eager to hear more.

YOUBET | “Volcano”

The more I listen to Youbet, the more I love their music. Nick Llobet’s project makes pop music for an alien planet, one we should all hope to voyage to some day. While is as it seems, “Volcano,” the record’s latest single wriggles through consciousness with a focused center and blurred edges, a melancholic swirl that spirals out at the seams. As vivid and glistening as the album’s album cover, the bent chord progressions and whimsical lyrics (“blame it on me, you’re a volcano”) work together in surrealist fashion, snaking in out and of pop structure with an optimistic glow, leaving the wake of eruption behind for the desire to feel good. Compare and Despair is one of the year’s early essential releases.

Further Listening:

December 27 - January 5:

January 6 - January 12:

Fuzzy Meadows: The Week's Best New Music (December 27th - January 12th)