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.

CAUTION | “Fuck It Up”

Baltimore duo Caution return with their sophomore album, Arcola, due out April 29th via Born Yesterday Records (Landowner, Spirits Having Fun, Mesh). Their debut album was a great mix of noise pop and post-punk jangle that recalled the blissed out sound of The Jesus And Mary Chain, but the band are exploring further depths of intricate psych, shoegaze, and layered density on their latest, expanding in a brilliant way. Lead single “Fuck It Up” is a welcome introduction to the record, a sludgy yet sultry tune that feels immediately haunting, with shadowy melodies and a sparse rhythm. The simplistic beat is met with dense progressions as keys and layers of guitars envelop the mesmerizing single.

CRISIS MAN | “Asleep in America”

Four years can be a lifetime for a hardcore band, so we were thrilled to see the Bay Area’s Crisis Man announce their third record, Asleep in America, following a four year silence. It makes sense that the musicians involved have been busy when you consider the fact that the line-up includes Ross Farrar (Ceremony), Bee Wright (Acrylics), Jess Sylvester (Marinero), and Nick Vicario (Smirk, Public Eye), so we’re thrilled for the May Day release of their latest ripper. Lead single “Asleep in America” is ugly and brutal, with guitars that cut through the jittering rhythm and Farrar sounding the most pissed off he’s sounded in years (perhaps since the last Crisis Man release). It’s condensed filth and fiery aggression, just as one might hope.

DAMA SCOUT | “Emails From Suzanne”

After a great EP and a handful of singles, London’s Dama Scout have announced their full length debut, Gen Wo Lai (Come With Me), due out April 22nd via Hand In Hive Records. The record includes the previously released “Dan Dan Bub” single and with the album’s announcement comes “Emails From Suzanne,” a wonderfully abrasive song that toes the line between sweetened noise-pop and primal noise rock. Where the first single had a dreamy haze to it, “Emails” is all aggression, from the crushing introduction to the agitated breaks and the stampeding motorik beat. The band sound fired up but the melody remains impossibly catchy, with momentary glimpses of gang-vocals and serrated effects that disappear as quickly as they appear.

HELVETIA | “Dishes Are Never Done But Good Luck” LP

The well of inspiration that is Helvetia never runs dry… hell, it’s overflowing more often than not. The past two years have consisted of four full length albums (one billed as Helvetia presents Sudden Hex), each one a treasure in a catalog that never ceases to amaze. Jason Albertini’s long running project is never “quantity over quality,” there’s a consistent wonderment and tranquility to ever record he’s released. Dishes Are Never Done But Good Luck massive new album was released without warning, announced with the note “check out new album on Bandcamp before its released.” With nothing further, we’re gifted another 37 (!!) new Helvetia songs, fully formed and blissfully mellow. The crystal clear recordings feel delicate and home-made, with the band’s signature dreary yet beautiful psych pop resonating perfectly.

HIPPYFUCKERS | “Pink Eye Demo”

For those of us who love our hardcore doused in psych punk filth and irritability, St Louis’ Hippyfuckers have arrived with their debut EP, Pink Eye Demo. The band, which features members of the great Warm Bodies, carry on their cities’ grimiest punk traditions in the vein of Lumpy Records and sordid basement punk with plenty of disdain and disgust. The riffs veer away from traditional hardcore with some psych shredding, but there’s nothing even close to “indulgent” on their demo, as the band are reliant on primal instincts and intense pummeling, with the occasional acidic burn. With a fuzzy din to the recording, this one sits among the best hardcore demos in recent memory.

HORSEGIRL | “Anti-glory”

The “great new hope” Horsegirl haven’t released anything less than great yet, and we don’t expect that to change anytime soon. The young Chicago band just announced their debut album, Versions of Modern Performance, due out June 3rd via Matador Records. With three months to go before the release, the band are sharing the record’s second single and album opener “Anti-glory” (following the previously released “Billy”). It’s another example of why the band’s meteoric rise is well earned, a perfectly constructed slacker punk song that’s both intricate and easily digestible, with shimmering harmonies, knotty rhythms, and blistering overdrive. The trio always show a deep understanding of the greats that came before them, adapting their influences into their own razor sharp structures.

LE PAIN | “Is That How You Want Me To Feel?”

Los Angeles’ Le Pain sounded fully formed from the very start and while the band have only released three singles and a cover to date, they’ve already shown a great deal of depth in their songwriting. Led by sisters Olivia Babuka Black (vocals) and Madeline Babuka Black (drums/vocals), the quartet have established they can do dreamy retro futurism and with “Is That How You Want Me To Feel?” the band embrace the lush west coast vibes of the Laurel Canyon folk scene, blending it together with a touch of early 90’s space age pop. The harmonies are stunning and the pop overtones feel like DIY studio magic at its very best. It’s exceptionally well written, a smooth earworm that drifts between art-pop and twee with a blissful swoon.

MANEKA | “Dark Matters” LP

Brooklyn’s Maneka have always taken an experimental approach to punk where nothing is off limits. The solo project of Devin McKnight has an expansive pallet, known to incorporate touches of shoegaze, psych, jazz, post-hardcore, and hip-hop into the mix as it suits the unpredictable trajectory of each record. Dark Matters, the second full length from McKnight at co. (including frequent collaborator Jordyn Blakely) takes as many risks as his debut, but there’s a refined sense to it, a relaxed atmosphere, even in the face of personal and societal turmoil. The songs manage something special, simultaneously sounding more experimental in structure and yet more “pop” as a cohesive whole. It’s less jarring and more focused, both lyrically pointed and adventurous but part of a reflective piece that shifts naturally with highlights like “Runaway” and “Maintain” leaving instant impressions of the record’s duality.

MISTER GOBLIN | “Holiday World”

Bloomington via Maryland’s Mister Goblin returns with his fourth record, Bunny, due out April 22nd. The record marks a significant shift as Sam Goblin’s solo project becomes a band, rounded out by the expert rhythm section of Seth Engel (drums), Aaron O’Neill (bass), and frequent guest collaborators Sadie Dupuis, Matt Gatwood, K Nkanza, and Andrew Krull. Together they’ve created the most dynamic Mister Goblin record to date, pairing Sam’s unique out-of-body observational songwriting with both the project’s heaviest and most introspective set of songs. “Holiday World” is another phenomenal one in a catalog full of them, a song that mixes Sam’s sense of humor with raw emotion, enormous hooks, and a riff that digs way in.

PINCH POINTS | “Haruspex”

We’re now less than a week away from the release of Pinch Points’ second full length, Process, a record that only gets more profound with each listen. There’s two sides to the coin throughout the album. On one hand there’s the sarcastic approach and aggression pitted against gendered violence, sociopolitical issues, police brutality, and the dangers of continuous damage to our environment, the band raise issues that are local to their home but undeniably global. On the other, there’s the equally forceful but radiant positivity that sets the band apart, with songs that offer self-help reminders and personal mental health check-ins. “Haruspex” is a prime example of the former, an incredible song that laments the nature of repeatedly addressing violence against women without ever enacting change to prevent it. It’s bitingly sarcastic but speaks volumes, fed up with do nothing measures. The band tear into it with clean tones that skip from one amazing riff to the next.

Further Listening:

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