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Playful hip-hop, atmospheric electronic, kooky indie-pop and more in our weekly musical round-up

Skylar Spence: Carousel

From his upcoming EP, “Carousel / Cry Wolf,” out 5 September, Skylar Spence (aka Ryan DeRobertis) releases the title single, “Carousel“—a tune about the whirlwind, roundabout feeling of falling in love and the excitement that comes with finally finding it. The track is crammed with sparkling layers, an infectious melody and disco-like high points. The release comes after a brief hiatus, one that Spence plans to detail in full on his forthcoming album, Festival Music, due to release early next year on Carpark Records.

Tobi Lou: Buff Baby

Rapper Tobi Lou and director Glassface have been on a streak. After collaborating on videos for “Solange,” “Troop,” and “Lounar,” the pair have released possibly their best video yet for Lou’s joyful jam “Buff Baby“—with animation help from artist Ronald Grandpey. Packed from start to finish with Adventure Time references and Lou’s dancing baby character, the video shows off Glassface’s prowess as a force in the industry and accentuates Lou’s rapidly growing popularity. The song is reminiscent of recent feel-good raps but Tobi Lou’s personality shines through in his playful lyrics and references.

Brigade: From Dogs We Come

Released a few days ago on Majestic Casual Records, Brigade’s “From Dogs We Come” is an atmospheric and dreamy tune from the Berlin-based duo. Hazy and slow-burning, the track eventually leads to an eerie chant: “From dogs we come, from dogs we go.” With some glitchy, heady moments, this six-minute creation is downtempo, but still rich and layered.

Disclosure: Where Angels Fear To Tread

Disclosure (English-born brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence) has released a pair of singles in preparation for their upcoming LP. The most recent, “Where Angels Fear To Tread,” is a funky, upbeat rework of The Four Freshmen’s 1961 a cappella rendition of “Fools Rush In“—a hit penned by Tommy Mercer in 1940. While the duo isn’t the first to cover the song (Elvis, Etta JamesFrank Sinatra and others have too) this version is certainly the most contemporary. In typical Disclosure fashion, airy lyrics complement a relaxed, downtempo house beat.

boygenius: Bite The Hand

A supergroup formed by three of the most exciting voices in the singer/songwriter community right now, boygenius taps into each and every known strength (and more) of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. The trio has offered up three of the six songs that will appear on their debut self-titled EP, out in November. Both the Bridgers-led “Me & My Dog” and the Baker-led “Stay Down” feature meticulous, emotive storytelling. The Dacus-led “Bite The Hand” is our favorite, however, for its magnificent harmonies and delicate but powerful conclusion.

The Marías: Cariño

For “Cariño,” LA-based five-piece The Marías brings a nouvelle vague-like visualization to their chic summertime lounge-style of music. Both the song and video tug at the heart, from the bilingual beckoning behind the gentle, invitational vocals to the swooning horns. It’s dreamy—and a bit silly—and makes for a lovable first single off of the group’s forthcoming EP, Superclean Vol. II.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs: Don’t You Forget About Me

Orlando Tobias Edward Higginbottom, better known by his stage name Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, has released his first new music in four years on a new label, Nice Age. One of the two singles is “Don’t You Forget About Me,” a sprawling, airy ballad that acts as a haunting plea. The finiteness of the track’s lyrics are a beautiful juxtaposition to the song’s length—an astonishing six minutes of electric guitar solos, rising synths and vocoded vocals.

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Tobi Lou: Buff Baby

Rapper Tobi Lou and director Glassface have been on a streak. After collaborating on videos for “Solange,” “Troop,” and “Lounar,” the pair have released possibly their best video yet for Lou’s joyful jam “Buff Baby“—with animation help from artist Ronald Grandpey. Packed from start to finish with Adventure Time references and Lou’s dancing baby character, the video shows off Glassface’s prowess as a force in …

Listen Up

One of Aretha Franklin's best performances, a glittery Sade remix, and plenty more new music this week

MOORS feat. tUnE-yArDs: Mango

If “Mango” affirms anything, it’s that Lakeith Stanfield has mastered more than one craft. The track sees the acclaimed actor partnering with music producer HH (Hrishikesh Hirway), under the moniker MOORS, and the result is electrifying. tUnE-yArDs features on the song, amplifying the magnetism and underlining the strange magic of it all. Visual artist ruffmercy directed the video, which incorporates pop art visual manipulation that truly rounds out the experience—which tUnE-yArDs’ Merrill Garbus is quick to point out is, in fact, altogether weird.

Locksley: Black Ajax

From Forward, the first full-length album released by NYC-based Locksley in nine years, “Black Ajax” marries many beloved indie-rock styles from the last decade to great effect. It’s a bit flashy, a bit rollicking and undeniably catchy from the beginning. As for the 15-track album, it’s really a compilation of work from years’ worth of their recordings that never made it onto other albums, assembled by Nick Stuart. It’s as lovable as the track and the band’s many memorable performances at CBGB just prior to the iconic venue’s closing in 2006.

Sade: Kiss of Life (KAYTRANADA Remix)

Just about everything DJ/producer KAYTRANADA (aka Louis Kevin Celestin) touches turns to glittery gold, so it’s no surprise that his remix of Sade‘s sublime “Kiss of Life” is a bop. The song (from 1992’s Love Deluxe) has been given KAYTRANADA’s signature infectious, dance-floor-ready touch—which doesn’t take away from the original’s groove. He also shared a rework of A Tribe Called Quest‘s “Midnight” (from 1993’s Midnight Marauders) as well as two new original tracks.

Cat Power feat. Lana Del Rey: Woman

The final song recorded for—and the second song released from—Cat Power’s forthcoming album Wanderer, “Woman” floods the ears with a bluesy beating heart. Lana Del Rey guests on the track, underlining Chan Marshall’s mantra-like repetition of identity. Visuals come from Greg Hunt, and focus on several beautiful performances of the song. The album will be the first release from Marshall in six years—and all early indicators point to one that will be both powerful and sonically diverse.

Aretha Franklin: Live on Midnight Special 1976

A true icon, Aretha Franklin passed away this week at 76 years old. Winner of countless awards, Franklin was a legend not just because of the accolades she achieved, but for the way she made her audiences feel. While her vocals can seem, at times, effortless, there’s such emotion and power driving them that listeners can’t help but feel their heart swell. Born in Memphis and raised in Detroit, Franklin thrilled audiences and broke boundaries (especially for black Americans) over her half-century career—and was declared a national treasure. The Queen of Soul gave countless phenomenal performances—and this electric 20-minute bonanza for Midnight Special in 1976 is one of the best. The legacy she leaves behind—musical and political—will continue to impact all of us.

Peluché: Figure Me Out

Recorded straight to tape during the band’s second take, “Figure Me Out” dances with an escalating instrumental frenzy. Synths and drums dart in, out and around the steady, repetitious vocals and groovy bass of the Peluché song. The London trio dots the track’s momentum with sonic quirks and jangles. This is the first glimpse at music from Unforgettable, Peluché’s debut album, out 28 September.

Guerilla Toss: Green Apple

With their latest single, “Green Apple,” the members of Guerilla Toss seem to be employing some form of kaleidoscopic songwriting—instruments tumble in and out as colorful sonic shapes form and fall back into pieces. Amidst all the chaos (and discord really) nothing feels outside of the realm of the song. It’s lovable world, fully-formed and catchy. Even as the weirdness ramps up and up, the vocals and synths endear until the very end.

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