On a mainstream level, guitars may be "a dirty word at the moment," as Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders told the NME recently, but Solids probably don't give a crap. The Montreal duo have just hit us with 'Haze Away,' the second single from their forthcoming debut album, 'Blame Confusion,' and this one's an unabashed love letter to the distortion pedal -- proof that the neo-'90s-alt-rock thing so prevalent last year hasn't played itself out.

"Take my haze away," sings frontman and guitarist Xavier Germain-Poitras, obviously talking about some kind of mental block and not the glorious fuzz emanating from his amp. Taking that away would be a crime, as these guys mix noise and melody with the best of 'em. 'Blame Confusion' arrives via Fat Possum on Feb. 18. Two days later, Germain-Poitras and drummer Louis Guillemette head out on a North American tour scheduled through the end of March. Click here for a list of dates.

More From Diffuser.fm