Every week, members of the Vulture staff will highlight their favorite new songs. They might be loud, quiet, long, short, dance-y, rawkin’, hip, square, rap, punk, jazz, some sort of jazz-punk-rap fusion — whatever works for the given person in that given week. Read our picks below and please tell us yours in the comments. Enjoy!
Bon Iver, “Heavenly Fatherâ€
I was at a screening of Zach Braff’s Wish I Was Here last week and during a pivotal scene, I heard something that sounded like Bon Iver. I assumed it was Volcano Choir, as I thought Bon Iver was still on hiatus. But lo and behold, the song was released on NPR this week and my hopes were confirmed. Not as raw as For Emma, Forever Ago or as lush as the self-titled record, “Heavenly Father†sounds most like the Blood Bank EP. I like Justin Vernon’s falsetto as much, if not more than, the next sad guy who lives in Brooklyn, but it’s nice to spend a little time in the richness of his mid-range. —Jesse David Fox (@JesseDavidFox)
Suno Deko, “Bluetsâ€
I had no idea who Suno Deko was before The Fader premiered this song of his this week, but I am onboard. It kind of sounds like a cross between Real Estate and Fleet Foxes. Remember chillwave? It’s like that. — JDF
Jeremih, “Don’t Tell ‘Emâ€
Sampling Snap!’s “Rhythm Is a Dancer,†“Don’t Tell ‘Em†isn’t the only Jeremih track on the charts that uses an inventive sample: His duet with Ludacris, “Party Girls,†samples Aqua’s “Barbie Girl.†But it’s a DJ Mustard track (“Mustard on the beat, hoe!â€), so it’s required to be (a) catchy and (b) sound exactly like “Rack City.â€Â —Lindsey Weber (@LindseyWeber)
Migos, “Fight Nightâ€
I was at a bar on Saturday, and aside from someone (whooooo, me?) requesting “I Luh Ya Papi†(a request that was, by the way, ignored by the DJ), the only song people really wanted to hear was Migos’s “Fight Night.†No surprise: It’s fun and loud and catchy and (at least on Saturday) wonderfully yellable. Do you not yell lyrics at your friends for fun? For more Migos, go with “Island,†which references both Gilligan’s and Gulla Gulla Island. Drip Drip! —LW
Nonono, “Echoâ€Â
The Swedish trio Nonono first touched down Stateside last fall with its Pumpin Blood EP, a tight set of pop jams that led to sold-out shows and festival gigs. The band just released We Are Only What We Feel, a disappointing full-length album that nonetheless yielded “Echo,†a scratchy slow burn of a song on which lead singer Stina Wäppling allows her smoky, distinctive voice to get lost in the music. It doesn’t pack the punch that last year’s “Jungle†and “Pumpin’ Blood†did, but it stirs deeper feelings that those songs couldn’t. —Brennan Carley (@Brennan_Carley)
Spoon, “Do Youâ€
As promised, Spoon released a new song from their upcoming new album and we are sharing it in this column. It’s just so freaking bouncy and catchy: How did we get so lucky? Fall in love with someone and go for a walk listening to this song this summer, please. —JDF
Ryan Adams, “Gimme Something Goodâ€
I never realize I miss Ryan Adams until he returns with something new — and he always does. 2011’s Ashes & Fire had soft songs like “Lucky Now†that were reminiscent of Gold, but his newest, “Gimme Something Good,†(off an upcoming self-titled album) feels more like Adams’s first band, Whiskeytown, or like he’s been listening to a bunch of Tom Petty. It’s some good ol’ alt-rock to celebrate our great nation’s birthday. —LW
Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj, “Touchin, Lovinâ€
Trey Songz is one of music’s best impersonators — sometimes Drake, sometimes R. Kelly — and he knows how to snap his vocals into whatever the public is hungry for at that moment. On Trigga, though, Songz is completely overshadowed by Nicki Minaj on the undeniably filthy “Touchin,†a song with plucked and synthesized harmonies and a totally forgettable chorus. Minaj bursts in late in the track with fire in her voice. “I never love him / I cuff him / and when we done / I’m-a duck him,†she rhymes in one of the only raps suitable for print here. This is the stuff of hip-hop dreams. Give us more this and less “Pills N Potions,†please. —BC
