Welcome to ourweeklyrundownof the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more.This week, Grupo Frontera enlist Bad Bunny for a masterclass in apologies, Latto pops off on a hot single, a glistening track off SUGA‘s debut, and the first new music from the …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Musclecars, 'Shelter'
Musclecars’ “Shelter” is airy and urgent. The production is uncluttered; the piano refuses to settle on any easily memorable vamp; singer Brandon Markell Holmes unfurls long, wordless ad-libs in daredevil falsetto, content to take his time and play around in the upper register. Later, all the parts start to coalesce, …
Read More »Maxo Kream and Tyler, the Creator Trade Grown-Man Flexes on 'Big Persona'
Things in life tend to come full circle, which is the best way to understand the pairing of Tyler, the Creator and Maxo Kream on the latter’s new single, “Big Persona.” Both rappers, now in their early thirties, set off distinct movements in the cities in which they reside. Tyler’s …
Read More »Song You Need To Know: Tatiana Hazel, 'It's All Right'
Tatiana Hazel has been strengthening her DIY abilities for a long time now: She’s a Chicago-born, Mexican-American singer, writer, producer, and fashion designer who has been quietly releasing her own music and videos since she was 13. Her latest EP, And the World Will Turn, was an opportunity for her …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Patrick Holland, 'Up to You'
Patrick Holland’s latest single is immaculately layered: rolling bass line, soft, percussive pitter-patter, something like birdcalls zipping through the background, a sweet, squeaky synthesizer riff poking through all the prettiness. “Up to You” builds intensity stealthily, as snippets of wordless, pitch-shifted vocals emerge to play tag with the main motif. …
Read More »The Voidz' 'Did My Best' Is Vintage Casablancas
Julian Casablancas is going to spend the rest of his time on earth being asked to talk about the first two Strokes albums. That’s the price of making music that connects with people, but you can’t blame him for chafing a little at all those questions about the work he …
Read More »Hope Tala Made the Song of the Summer Morning
Hope Tala’s “Lovestained” is a hybrid as intrepid as it is airy: The guitar suggests Brazil in 1965, the steel drums add a springy touch of the Caribbean, and the bass seems plucked from an irresistible hit on American rap radio in 1998. “That’s what the vision is: Bringing together …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Laura Stevenson, 'Dermatillomania'
The title of indie singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson’s latest single is the name of a OCD-related mental illness that causes people to repeatedly pick at their own skin. But despite that ominous title, Stevenson’s latest — a jangly pop-rocker that recalls Rabbit Fur Coat-era Jenny Lewis — is about persisting through …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Angel Bat Dawid, 'We Are Starzz'
In a recent interview with Qwest, Chicago jazz artist Angel Bat Dawid discussed the importance of cultivating a tight bond with her bandmates. “We went grocery shopping and sat down and had a meal together like a real family,” the multi-instrumentalist and composer explained of her group’s recent trip to …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Vampire Weekend, 'Harmony Hall'
It’s been six years since we heard from Vampire Weekend. So how are they feeling these days? Judging by the lead single from their upcoming Father of the Bride, the answer is pretty, pretty good. On “Harmony Hall,” Ezra Koenig and his bandmates spend a joyful five minutes and nine …
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