But don’t worry, we’re going to save you the hassle. We listen to some of the most-hyped and interesting songs each week, and tell you which are worthy of your precious listening time.
Here are our five best new songs to stream this week. And don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for a playlist of our weekly picks, which can also be found at the bottom of this post. Not sure which streaming service is best for you? Check out our post about the best music streaming services, or go in depth and learn the differences between Apple Music and Spotify to better weigh your options.
The Roots (Featuring Bilal) — It Ain’t Fair
A searing a cappella intro builds into a fully fleshed soul tune in The Roots‘ latest single It Ain’t Fair, a lengthy new jam that features the voice of neo-soul hero Bilal. The song focuses on the struggle of African Americans in urban centers, and was written for Detroit, a new film from Katheryn Bigelow about the city’s 1967 12th Street riot. Long and fluid, it ebbs and flows over a nearly 7-minute runtime, with multiple verses from The Roots’ Black Thought propelled by deep rhythms from the bass and drums.
The War on Drugs — Pain
Philadelphia-based rockers The War On Drugs have been heavily promoting their upcoming album, A Deeper Understanding, by making the rounds on various talk shows and radio stations across the globe. The album is expected to be released August 25. Though they have released numerous studio-recorded singles from the record so far, Pain — a slow-grooving pop tune with dark and shimmering guitar lines — was shared by the band during this live performance on Philly’s 104.5 radio. Full of cathartic and self-examining lyrics, consider this one for a late-summer walk in the woods.
Amber Mark — Way Back (Live on KCRW)
There’s a distinctly European tinge to the electronic groove beneath New York-based vocalist/producer Amber Mark‘s Way Back, the kind of boom-bap rhythm that makes it equally suited for the club as it is for your next workout. On this live performance broadcast on California’s KCRW radio, the young singer showcases immense chops, nailing the smoky lead vocals that have been grabbing the attention of some of the pop world’s most influential players since her debut single hit the internet last year.
Twin Peaks — Shake Your Lonely
When garage rockers Twin Peaks launched their Sweet ’17 Singles project, which will see the release of a two-song, 7-inch record each month for the remainder of the year, many were a bit concerned that they, like many bands searching for monthly promotion, may be pushing out poorly produced B-sides to their biggest fans. They couldn’t have been more wrong. This month’s Shake Your Lady is gorgeously written and produced, showcasing the exciting, country-tinged sounds of the Chicago band.
Antibalas — Gold Rush
If music is your favorite medicine, this nearly 11-minute afrobeat jam from New York’s Antibalas is about as healing as it gets. Outlined by a heavy drum beat and stabbing guitar lines, the song slowly colors itself in over its long runtime, eventually giving way to backing horns, lead vocals, and percussion.
That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more songs to stream, and check out the playlist loaded with our recent selections below:
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