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 BIG BISON | “Bruiser”

Seven years after the release of Geronimo!’s final EP, the trio of Ben Grigg, Kelly Johnson, and Matt Schwerin have come together once again, with a new project, Big Big Bison. The trio finds Schwerin resuming his drum duties, while Johnson has moved over to bass, and Grigg to guitar and vocals, but instrumental changes aside the chemistry is felt throughout their self-titled debut EP. Due out August 12th, Big Big Bison emerge fully formed, with an EP that packs a lot of different sounds and styles into an essential 22 minutes, melding expansive post-hardcore, syrupy fuzz pop, and even a touch of AM gold. However, “Bruiser” is… well, a bruiser of a track. This one shreds, frying braincells with a muscular sludge and impenetrable density. It’s not really representative of the record as a whole, but it undoubtedly rips, and if nothing else signifies you’re in for a good time with Big Big Bison. Guitars bend and warble into the stoniest of pastures while Schwerin and Johnson absolutely slam the rhythm into existence.. Even as the band surge and destroy, Grigg’s vocal melody is a delight, creating a memorable hook amid the carnage.

CAPPADONNA & STU BANGAS | “Bring It Out”

Cappadonna has more records than any other member of Wu-Tang, some of which are more memorable than others. He’s a truly underground artist, always has been, even despite being the official 10th member of the legendary rap group. His solo debut, The Pillage, is an undeniable classic, up there with the other Wu solo debuts, and the exceeding independent releases that have followed always have a few gems, even if the beat selection, hooks, and guests can leave you wanting more… the fact is Cap remains on-point. 3rd Chamber Grail Bars, pairs together Cappadonna with Stu Bangas, a producer who’s done full album collaboration with Esoteric, Cypress Hill’s Eric Bobo, Recognize Ali, and countless others. It’s the first time Cappadonna has ever done an album with one producer, and we’re excited about the prospect of it. Lead single “Bring It Out” is a great first listen, with Stu Bangas providing a slow crushing beat, full of ominous keys, gasping noire sustain, and a steady resolve. Cappadonna sounds hungry over it, reminding us “all my darts sound focused and potent,” and he’s not lying.

GLAAS | “Qualm” LP

At the tail end of last year, Berlin’s GLAAS released a colossal self-titled demo EP, introducing the world to their brand of hardcore influenced post-punk, pairing brutality with nightlife scuzz. The quintet, which features members of Clock of Time, Exit Group, and Idiota Civlizzatto, among others, returned this month with Qualm, their full length debut via Static Shock Records (Warthog, Lasso, The Flex). The record is dense and corrosive, a sonic assault pushed into the red but lead by the heavy clamor of the rhythm section and a guttural dirge of harsh barked synth punk and oft motorik hardcore. Throughout Qualm, the band keep the aggression at the forefront, but there’s an inescapable nod to psychedelic side, as the band slide and careen from one dark shadow to the next. Led by a thick cloud of feedback and locked in grooves, the band peel the paint from the walls with a disorienting framework and a healthy societal disdain.

JUNE MCDOOM | “The City”

“The City” is effectively the world’s introduction to June McDoom, a New York based songwriter who released her official debut single via Temporary Residence (Nina Nastasia, Party Dozen, Mogwai). It’s a stunning beginning, as McDoom is able to weave together traditional folk with an impressive amount of stellar atmosphere, drawing upon elements of analog exploration and old soul touchstones. There’s a ton of nuance, from the finger picked strums and McDoom’s calming presence, to the sparse early reggae-indebted reverberations, and the space between it all. By the time the song traverses to the sort of anti-hook, the guitars have mostly faded into a minimal stillness, with the vocals doing all the heavy lifting. “The City” gives us so much to dig into with the production, shifting sensibilities as the song evolves, the progression as stunning as the reflective lyrics and sweeping melody.

MEYHEM LAUREN & DARINGER | “Red Pesto” (feat. Conway The Machine)

Perhaps the best compliment that can be paid to Meyhem Lauren is that he is the epitome of rap’s golden age. He’s hip-hop in its purest form, unadulterated rawness, rapping as if there was never another choice. In the few weeks since we wrote about “Broken Rubberbands,” Meyhem Lauren and Daringer, Griselda’s always in demand in-house producer, have announced the official release of Black Vladimir, and thankfully the wait is nearly over. Due out August 26th, the album’s second single is once again glistening with that kind of dangerous head splitting beat that Daringer has made his signature. It knocks hard with piercing tones and a low key griminess, a raw backdrop for Meyhem and guest Conway The Machine to rip up with street tales, hustle tips, and general braggadocios joy. They sound like they’re having fun just riding the beat into submission, with hard gangster rhymes and plenty of “QB fly shit”. It’s cold as ice but too damn fun.

PALM | “Feathers”

The world has been patiently awaiting the return of Palm, waiting to see what the Philadelphia quartet capable of seemingly anything would do next. While four years isn’t such a long await, with a band like Palm, who’s never released the same record twice, it can feel like an eternity, but “Feathers” has arrived, and Palm have once again successfully leaped over any expectations into their own stratosphere. With their new album, Nicks and Grazes, due out in October via Saddle Creek (Tomberlin, Disq, The Rural Alberta Advantage), “Feathers” presents a new form for the band, one far deeper immersed in experimental electronics but still somehow with “rock” at it’s core, even at its most alien. With a cavalcade of “how’d they do that” moments, it quickly sets itself up as on of the year’s most interesting songs, with a maximalist array of sounds and shapes moving about with freedom. It’s the kind of song you listen to on repeat, finding different nuances with every listen.

SNAKESKIN | “Spinning Heart”

Snake aka Shanna Polley writes timeless songs. Since the early days of New York’s Snakeskin, Polley has shown an incredible knack for perfectly structured songs that hit deep with both expansive progressions and Polley’s beautifully vulnerable voice. Set to return with a new full length, Summoning Suit, in the not too distant future, and while details are hazy, the lead single “Spinning Heart” and its accompanying video are immaculate. From the ominous start to the lush acoustics and slow grooving rhythm (the drums courtesy of frequent collaborator Charlotte Kahn), Snakeskin sets up a sweeping landscape of natural tones, tangled, and accented in atmosphere, reminiscent at times of Smashing Pumpkins at their very best. The sustain of guitars and bass builds against mounting tension, harnessed by Snake’s voice, commanding and breaking in time with emotional dexterity. The songs steadily progresses, dropping in and out of darker clouds, retaining a sense of beauty as it builds toward delightful harmonies and carefully developed distortion.

SOUR WIDOWS | “Witness”

There’s something so damn special about Sour Widows and it would appear the trio are only getting better with every release. The emotional weight of their songwriting is colossal, drawn out in thoughtful lyrics, but also patient structuring, their utterly stunning harmonies, and cathartic breaks in the tension. While you can probably pick apart their influences, no one is doing it quite like Sour Widows, in part due to the trio’s deep understanding of balance, depth, and a natural force that pulls like gravity. Heartbreaking songwriting dealing with loss and the inability to share the profound sadness that accompanies it are rendered with grief in stages, from calming acceptance to sullen intensity, driven by circumstance. They shift from movement to movement with grace and a constant beauty, whether soft or heavy, everything resonates together, creating peaks and valleys that feel entirely natural, a part of the ever changing journey.

THANYA IYER | “Leave The Room And Face The Waves”

We were late to the Thanya Iyer party back but upon the release of 2020’s KIND, we were hooked on the subtle idiosyncrasies in her songwriting, slight touches that shift a great song to an amazing one. The Montreal based musician brings an otherworldly experience to our world, developing experimental pop with of folk, jazz, and outsider art rock, manipulating structures while retaining a dreamy mind state, balancing meditative bliss with the sound of the world melting around us. Set to release Rest, a new EP that Iyer calls “a reflection of myself,” next month via Topshelf Records (Zenizen, Mal Devisa, Cool Original), the record’s lead single “Leave The Room And Face The Waves” really capitalizes on those nuances that make her music so vivid. The song pops with a mesmerizing rhythm that sounds like a faucet dripping in perfectly syncopated time, setting off the magic of the arrangement (complete with the most tasteful clarinet, oboe, and trombone) as Iyer and her collaborators ease into what nearly feels like a lo-fi bossa nova, swaying in and around the surrealist synth and vocal melody. We’ve been listening on repeat.

WOMBO | “Fairy Rust” LP

Everything I thought about Wombo based on 2020’s Blossomlooksdownuponus has been thrown out the door on the band’s sophomore album, Fairy Rust. Out now via Fire Talk (Mamalarky, PACKS, Cola), their new record is mesmerizing, impressively fluid, and despite its tonal dexterity, its smooth as eggs. The band’s sound is an amalgamation of post-punk, psych rock, dream-pop, art rock, and a touch of prog, creating songs that are off-kilter without ever feeling truly off-kilter. The Louisville trio lure you in to the calm and serene, only to bend, shake, and tear holes in the fabric of the songs, though all in the service of the record as a whole, a ride that really demands to be heard from start to finish, as the pacing works to develop and derail your senses, making challenging music that feels at ease, a magic trick of sonic diversity and artistic cohesion. They’re throwing us all for a loop and making it feel so natural.

Further Listening:

July 18 - July 24:

july 25 - july 31:

Fuzzy Meadows: The Week's Best New Music (July 18th - July 31st)