Mavis Staples and Levon Helm: You Got To Move
In 2011, musician Levon Helm (perhaps best known as a vocalist and drummer for The Band) invited legendary recording artist Mavis Staples to his Woodstock studio to record a series of sessions. They would become some one of Helm’s last, as he passed away due to throat cancer in 2012. From these sessions—which will be released by Anti as an album titled Carry Me Home later this spring—comes “You Got To Move,” a convivial rendition of the gospel and blues classic. Powered with Staples’ deep, soulful vocals, this energetic song is moving for more ways than one.
Saba feat. Krayzie Bone: Come My Way
Rappers Saba and Krayzie Bone reunite for the track “Come My Way,” which appears on Saba’s latest album Few Good Things. The official music video flits back and forth between exterior shots of a sun-lit day and the interiors of a dark room, capturing the breezy buoyancy of the track as well as its realistic themes of poverty, grief and the endless toil that comes with it. Bolstered with idyllic reprises and poetic lyrics, “Come My Way,” which was produced by Daoud and daedaePIVOT, crafts a sanguine yet poignant listen.
Malik Moses: Marvin
Smooth, funky and seductive, Malik Moses’ latest track “Marvin” conveys the frustrations of confusing love interests. From the first infectious beat, the single captivates, gliding forward on the Baltimore native’s slinky and versatile vocals. Set against a deep purple backdrop from COLORS—the studio where Moses premiered it—the track sonically and visually gratifies.
Tim Mislock feat. Heather Woods Broderick: With Love III
From LA-based musician Tim Mislock’s new seven-track ambient EP, With Love, comes the song “With Love III,” an emotionally engrossing collaboration with vocalist and composer Heather Woods Broderick. The comforting, ethereal sonic composition blankets listeners for nearly eight minutes. “All these songs were born as audio postcards sent to members of my musical family in the spring of 2020,” Mislock shared on social media. “They were meant as ways of checking in on friends, or trying to keep a creative spirit alive in a time that felt and continues to feel uncertain.”
Lucius feat. Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow: Dance Around It
Brimming with brilliant energy and a message of optimism, the fourth single from the upcoming Lucius album, Second Nature (out 8 April), “Dance Around It” finds the indie-pop act collaborating with Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow. In addition to lending backing vocals to the bright track, Carlile produced the album (the band’s first since 2016’s Good Grief) with Dave Cobb. “When we brought it to the studio, we asked our dear friends and collaborators (pinch me) Sheryl Crow and Brandi Carlile to sing with us; they were so present and instrumental during the writing and recording of our record—and hearing them sing on this track felt like dancing through that last part of a dark tunnel,” Lucius vocalists Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe shared in a statement.
Lucky Daye: Cherry Forest
From Lucky Daye’s recently released second album, Candydrip, comes the luminous “Cherry Forest.” The hypnotic mid-tempo tune is carried by the singer-songwriter and musician’s soulful vocals, creating an uplifting and romantic combination.
Listen Up is published every Sunday and rounds up the new music we found throughout the week. Hear the year so far on our Spotify channel. Hero image courtesy of Lucius