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.

We’re going to do this a bit different this week as we’re running very behind on this column. Consider this the “lightning round,” where everything is twice as fast and twice as fun. There’s been a lot of amazing music over the past few weeks, so don’t take our abbreviated blurbs as a sign of anything other than us just getting behind on our responsibility to bring you the best new music.

ANIKA | “Rights”

With Anika’s long awaited sophomore album, Change, coming later this month, we’re presented with the album’s third stunning single, “Rights”. The hypnotic track is an anthem of empowerment for those who often feel voiceless, the outer rungs of society. Dripping with an electronic melody and a pounding rhythm, Anika calls to “feel your power.”

BUMMER | “JFK Speedwagon”

Last year Kansas City’s BUMMER released a split 7” with The Body on Thrill Jockey and now the trio are set to release their sophomore full length, Dead Horse, one of the most brutal noise rock records in recent memory. This one is colossally heavy but full of grooves and a demented sense of humor. First single “JFK Speedwagon” opens with feedback and then unfurls into the impentrable density of BUMMER’s signature sound: nasty, blistering, low end quaking, noise rock bliss.

CAFE RACER | “Time Killer”

This past week came with the unfortunate news that Cafe Racer drummer Elise Poirier’s house burnt down (you can donate here), but it also came with the great news that the Chicago band have a new two song single out. The a-side finds the band collaborating with Mia Joy to create something sleek and serene while the b-side, “Time Killer” is built on triumphantly hypnotic krautrock. It’s a slow burn of caterwauling repetition and engaged harmonies, coming increasingly unglued as the band loosen the reigns and let their twin guitars and synths sprawl out.

CHARLES BRADLEY | “Let Love Stand A Chance (Live at The Apollo)”

Having never had the opportunity to see Charles Bradley live is among my life’s big regrets, but The Screaming Eagle of Soul probably wouldn’t want us living with regrets. While he passed away four years ago, the modern soul legend’s legacy lives on, burning bright on The Daptone Super Soul Revue: Live at The Apollo, celebrating 20 years of Daptone Records. The collection features a handful of the label’s artists, most notably Bradley and Sharon Jones, both tragically gone too soon. This live version of “Let Love Stand A Chance” has us captivated all over again as the charismatic soul singer simply exudes passion with the power of his voice.

L’RAIN | “Fatigue” LP

The collaborative project of multi-instrumentalist Taja Cheek takes a kaleidoscopic approach to song creation throughout her sophomore album, a collection that feels much like a beautifully surreal collage. In conversation you’ll hear L’Rain’s music described as anything from R&B to prog, and incredibly enough, it all makes sense. She’s not creating with a sound in mind but a spirit of creativity, putting pieces together to create the overall shape of her music, wherever it may fit.

NOLAN POTTER | “Gregorian Chance”

Austin’s Nolan Potter is getting ready to release Music Is Dead, due out in September via the one and only Castle Face Records. While 2019’s exceptional Nightmare Forever somehow flew under our radar (a reminder that it’s never too late to get into something you may have missed), we’ve grown rather enamored with Potter’s weary blend of cosmic psych, tripped out folk, and prog. “Gregorian Chance” feels like a journey into the unknown recesses of another universe, with skittering drums, charming flutes, and lush keys that sink into the aura.

PILE | “I Don’t Want To Do This Anymore” + “Build A Fire”

If you’ve ever seen Pile’s Rick Maguire perform solo then you already know it’s a stunning experience, one that reshapes the band’s songs into something minimal and more intimate. Set to release Songs Known Together, Alone on August 20th, Maguire has reimagined two sets of Pile classics into skeletal guitar and piano compositions. “I Don’t Want To Do This Anymore” becomes a completely new song, with the once instrumental gaining lyrics and an entirely new structure.

PRISON AFFAIR + RESEARCH REACTOR CORP. | “Split EP”

The pairing of Sydney’s Research Reactor Corp. and Barcelona’s Prison Affair is what a perfect split EP is all about. The scuzzy post-punk bands (“egg punk” if you will) both had great releases within the last year or so, playing heavily deranged synth punk that’s both energetic and down right disgusting. Their music compliments each other well, darting around sharp angles and with a rattled alien-like intensity.

SMILE MACHINE | “Pretty Today”

Smile Machine, the solo project of Brooklyn’s Jordyn Blakey, is set to release their debut EP, Bye For Now, at the end of this week. After spending a decade in more bands than you’d imagine humanly possible, Blakely is finally brining her own songs to life with a blistering lo-fi set of shredders that are big on drowned melodies and enormous walls of distortion. “Pretty Today” is a ripper, blasting out the gate with thick ringing feedback that’s only juxtaposed by Blakely’s dreamy vocals.

SMOKE BELLOW | “Fee Fee”

Their sound is their own, oscillating between mesmerizing repetition and soft arrangements that feel both lush and expansive, focusing on their rhythmic compositions. “Fee Fee” is the first single from Open For Business (due out 9/17 via Trouble In Mind), a song that sets the tone for what lies ahead without giving up all of Smoke Bellow’s tricks. It’s a great song to get you immediately hooked, pulling you into their world where ambitious vision and textural simplicity come together.

SPIRITS HAVING FUN | “Hold The Phone”

The incredible Spirits Having Fun return with their sophomore album, Two, due out early September via the always on-point Born Yesterday Records. The band have a knack for making songs that follow their own formula, twisting and turning in unique paths that are accessible but rarely conventional. The band make spiky math rock with a jazzy mindset, creating something that feels vividly complex but natural.

TROPICAL FUCK STORM | “G.A.F.F.”

Melbourne’s Tropical Fuck Storm have announced their third album, Deep States, due out next month via Joyful Noise Recordings. The album seems to take on worldwide political themes with a rather unwound sensibility, taking cues from all sides of the conversation (which is to say the songs are not all written from whatever the band’s perspective may be). “G.A.F.F.,” which stands for “give a fuck fatigue” embraces those themes, with a song that takes the point of view from someone who is tired of caring (aka an asshole). The band deliver their usual brilliant swarm of warped guitars and detached rhythms.

VANISHING TWIN | “Big Moonlight (Ookii Gekkou)”

London’s Vanishing Twin are not reinventing the wheel with their retro-futuristic noise-pop sound but if there was anyone to claim the top spot of the Broadcast and Stereolab second coming, look no further. Set to release their sophomore album, Ooki Gekkou, in September, the album’s title track finds them continuing to amaze with an incredibly lush flair for dreamy post-punk and jazzy lounge fusion. The song floats in mid air, all mystique and atmosphere with lively drums and gorgeous layering.

YVETTE | “B61”

It’s been eight years since Brooklyn’s YVETTE released a new full-length record and well, there’s been a lot of change in both the greater world and the band’s world, which is now the solo project of Noah Kardos-Fein. Set to release How The Garden Grows in September, it would appear that YVETTE remains one of the best modern no-wave bands. “B61” is a brooding electronic hornet’s nest, buzzing from one claustrophobic moment to the next, embracing the uncertainty of modern times.

ZELMA STONE | “Gift Horse”

San Fransisco’s Chloe Zelma Studebaker records music under the name Zelma Stone, creating a beautiful blend of indie rock with a touch of post-punk, folk, and Americana twang that should appeal to fans of Angel Olsen and Tenci. Set to release a new EP, The Best, in August, the first single “Gift Horse” is nothing short of mesmerizing. The song drifts between the detached and forlorn verses and the boisterous riffs and earworm hooks of the chorus, with an anthemic quality that should have everyone anticipating this record.

Further Listening:

JUNE 21 - JUNE 27:

JUNE 28 - JULY 04:

JULY 05 - JULY 11:

Fuzzy Meadows: The Week's Best New Music (June 21st - July 11th)