Listen Up

From a two-sided trip-hop tune to an electro oddity, a few of our favorite tracks from this week

U.S. Girls: Overtime Technically a rework of a 2013 release, “Overtime,” as it appears now, is a single from U.S. Girls’ forthcoming seventh album, Heavy Light, out 6 March via 4AD. The soulful experiment by the band (led by multi-disciplinary artist Meg Remy) employs choral vocals as instruments and incrementally introduces drums and saxophone until the song reaches its peak. Each of the highly anticipated …

Soko: Being Sad Is Not a Crime

The first release from Soko’s forthcoming full-length, FEEL FEELINGS, “Being Sad is Not A Crime” channels emotional lyrics through the French singer’s signature croon. Directed by Gilbert Trejo, the music video features puppets from the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, where it was filmed. Soko’s son Indigo also plays an important role. It’s the first time Soko has not directed her own music video but Trejo …

Thundercat, Steve Lacy + Steve Arrington: Black Qualls

By Thundercat (aka Stephen Lee Bruner), Steve Lacy (of The Internet) and the legendary Steve Arrington, “Black Qualls,” is smothered in funk. With familiar but contrasting vocals from Bruner and Arrington atop the rich, layered track, this song warrants repeat listens. The lyrics explore the mindset of many young black Americans at the moment, as Bruner explains, “What it feels like to be in this …