There’s a new addition to the family of Ty Segall side projects, Wasted Shirt. It finds Ty teaming up with Lightning Bolt drummer Brian Chippendale. The duo’s first album, Fungus II, is already in the can. It arrives on February 28 via Famous Class Records. Wasted Shirt also shared the video for the LP’s lead single, “Double the Dream.” You can check it out below.

Fungus II cover art

We’ve been wondering what was in the works between Ty and Brian. A couple of weeks ago, Ty posted a video on Instagram of the pair in his home studio. Brian was screaming on Ty’s cue. Now we know what that was all about. However, the video might be from over a year ago. From the press materials, the record has been marinating for a while. Ty and Brian recorded it in July 2018, which is just after Ty completed the Freedom’s Goblin World Freedom Tour. The twosome shares vocal duties on Fungus II but divides up instrument responsibilities. Ty plays guitar, bass, and harmonizer, while Brian sticks to the drums.

Punk-rock legend Henry Rollins has had the pleasure of listening to Wasted Shirt’s Fungus II, and, in typical fashion, he has something to say about it:

Rarely when formulating combinations of musicians you would like to hear play together do you get to actually hear it. If Brian Chippendale and Ty Segall made a record, would you want to hear it? If the answer is yes, read on. If the answer is no, it’s too bad you ended up canned, suspended in syrup with nothing but other peaches to keep you company.

Ty’s 2019 album First Taste and the new Lightning Bolt album Sonic Citadel are easily some of the best material either entity has ever released so if these two happened to find themselves in the same recording studio, a fan just might entertain elevated expectation levels. In fact, some might actually show signs of enthusiasm, even excitement at the fact that from July 5th -13th 2018, in the air-conditioning free environs of Ty’s home studio, the duo, eventually calling themselves Wasted Shirt, wrecked the joint as thoroughly as you hoped they would.

The album is exploding euphoria from start to finish. A morphing day-glo rainbow that will bring a smile to your face like if you were on your way to Washington DC for the Million Puppy March. Upon first spin, all boxes are checked, and any previously held doubts are completely obliterated. The more you play it, the better it kabongs you upside your head. Hectic doesn’t even begin to describe it. Brian and Ty, two mere particles in the grand scheme, collide at high speed, the technicians dive for cover, the reaction is recorded. Mutation is achieved. This is Freedom Rock. Turn up the volume. Hasten your emancipation. Sonic joy awaits.

It’s a great time for music. As major labels continue their agonizingly slow march to total irrelevance, these masters of mediocrity at least provide great contrast. That is to say, the time has never been better for experimentation, spontaneity and restraint-free creativity in music, lest we endure a never-ending post-modern stasis of cynical emulation. What would happen if Ty Segall and Brian Chippendale went to the studio in the dead heat of July? There was only one way to find out. Life is short. More assaults on the mordantly predictable need to happen because when it works, like with Wasted Shirt, it really works.

As for the video for “Double the Dream,” the boys enlisted the help of paper artist Somer Stampley. She’s crafted a colorful, female-forward animation for Ty and Brian’s hellfire track. It features melting brains, cowboys, blooming flowers, and more. Somer also did the animation for Hank Wood & the Hammerheads “You Wanna Die.”

Fungus II, which is available for pre-order now on limited colored vinyl, comes with an eight-page risograph lyric zine featuring art by Brian. Portland, Oregon portrait artist Susan Sage designed the killer cowboy cover artwork.

Wasted Shirt hasn’t announced tour dates yet, but Ty has some other stuff in the works. He’s playing some acoustic sets as the Ty Segall Acoustic Trio (Ty, Emmett Kelly, and Ben Boye) later this month in Northern California. And, Ty Segall and the Freedom Band have some festival dates later in the year. Fuzz, Ty’s band with Charles Moothart and Chad Ubovich, will also be out and about. The band, who haven’t toured in five years, will play Low Festival in Spain this summer. (h/t to Reddit)

Lightning Bolt, Brian’s band with Brian Gibson, has also been making some noise. They played a string of shows in December and have more on the way. Thrill Jockey is also reissuing two of the duo’s records, their self-titled debut (aka The Yellow Record) arrives on January 17th (pre-order here), and Ride the Skies lands on February 21st (pre-order here).

Fungus II Tracklist:
1. All is Lost
2. Zeppelin 5
3. Fist is my Ward
4. Harsho
5. Double the Dream
6. The Purple One
7. Fungus 2
8. Eagle Slaughters Graduation
9. Four Strangers Enter the Cement at Dusk

Tour Dates
Ty Segall Acoustic Trio
Jan 14 – Starline Social Club, Oakland, CA
Jan 15 – Terrapin Crossroads, San Rafael, CA
Jan 16-17 Fernwood Resort, Big Sur, CA

Ty Segall and the Freedom Band
May 1-3 – Shaky Knees Festival, Atlanta, GA
Aug 14-16 – Psycho Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
Aug 19-22 – Paredes de Coura Festival, Paredes de Coura, Portugal

Fuzz
July 31-August 2 – Low Festival 2020, Benidorm, Spain

Photo Credit: Scott Alario & Denée Segall