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.

BABE REPORT | “Very Different Original Masses”

There’s kind of magic familiarity that comes with all of Ben Grigg’s musical projects. The Chicago multi-instrumentalist has been a member of Geronimo!, FCKR JR, Future Biff, and Ordinary Reaper in addition to his prolific solo project, Whelpwisher. While many of those bands are seemingly one and done efforts (though time could hopefully prove us wrong), there’s a essence that runs through each that feels instantly identifiable, warm, fuzzy, and effortlessly enjoyable. Grigg has teamed up with his FCKR JR bandmate Emily Bernstein to form the duo Babe Report, a drum (Grigg) and guitar (Bernstein) band that finds both on vocals. Their debut two song single Very Different Original Masses, shows a slightly pallet than much of their previous efforts, but the sonic landscape remains fully welcoming. “Oil, LOL” rides a snaking post-punk riff with vocals buried in the verses and power-pop sweetness emanating from the hook. “Sam Saikin” on the other hand is a slow burner, steeped in a slowcore melody, full of ringing harmonics and an increasingly unhinged crescendo.

BEAK> | “Oh Know”

The always profoundly awesome Beak> return with a new single “Oh Know,” their first new music in about two years (though they digitally reissue the great Wulfstan EP last year). The Bristol based trio led by Geoff Barrow (Portishead) hardly need any introduction at this point with three stellar LPs of experimental krautrock and motorik wonderment (not to mention several EPs and limited run releases). The video, directed by Echo Panda Films, is great and the song itself is even better, with Beak> doing what they do best, creeping and darting between the steady beat with slithering synth bleeps and bloops, warbled yet melodic vocals, and a psych punk kind of dexterity that somehow always keeps their space-age sonic odyssey’s sounding more “rock” than electronic. It’s great. Really great.

HORSE JUMPER OF LOVE | “So Easy”

Through The Soil is a great (and lengthy) new compilation released to benefit the NAMI COVID-19 Mental Health Support Fund with artwork from none other than Sami Martasian (Puppy Problems) and Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie). Among its 68 tracks, the collections features Thanks For Coming, Anna McClellan, 22° Halo, Julie Doiron, Vivi Milne, Spencer Radcliffe, and many many others. The stand-out upon our first listen is Horse Jumper of Love’s “So Easy,” a song that moves at a brisk tempo for the band, with a rustic twang and wonderfully abstract and escapist lyrics, “I could disappear it’s easy, I could escape anything it’s so easy.” The song’s pace and form deteriorates like melting film as the song eventually unravels with a kind of scenic perfection that puts you out in the wilderness, “It was the end of summer, the crab apples were on the ground, we squashed 'em with our bare feet.”

SPREAD JOY | “Spread Joy” LP

Chicago’s Spread Joy have released their self-titled debut and it’s one of our favorite albums of the year so far. Clocking in at a very lean ten songs in thirteen minutes, it’s a quick listen, and subsequently quick repeat (you’re going to want to listen a few times, trust me). Released via the always dependable Feel It Records (Qlowski, Smirk, Silicone Prairie), the album is expertly tightly coiled post-punk that seeps with the band’s personality, primarily to be found in Briana Hernandez’s charmingly animated vocal performances. Yelping, engaging, and at times utterly deadpan, Hernandez gives a sardonic character to the band’s razor sharp compositions. While only lead single “Unoriginal” breaks the two minute mark, the song’s feel fully realized with structures that complete in sub-two minute glory, leading directly into the next.

WOMBO | “Dreamsickle”

Having only been introduced to Wombo’s music recently when the reissue of last year’s Blossomlooksdownuponus was announced, I was instantly transfixed. The Louisville band avant-garde post-punk with weird psych pop touches and math rock undertones. It’s pretty special and we’re along for the ride. Along with their LP’s Fire Talk Records reissue, the band are set to release Keesh Mountain next month, a new EP that continues down the band’s rabbit hole of hallucinatory music. Lead single “Dreamsickle” swerves and weaves, with moments of art-damaged pop interwoven in their own post-hardcore boogie. It’s complex but Wombo remain locked into dreamy territory that’s plenty alien but never alienating.

Further Listening:

Fuzzy Meadows: The Week's Best New Music (March 29th - April 4th)