slowthai ft. James Blake & Mount Kimbie - "Feel Away"

 slowthai gives a surprisingly moving rap on this collaboration with James Blake (whose vocal is equally as beautiful) and Mount Kimbie.

Romy Madley Croft (of The xx) - "Lifetime"

 

The xx's Romy Madley Croft releases her first solo single, the sunny and euphoric dance track "Lifetime."  It's all bouncy beats, throbbing bass lines, sparkling and happy synths, and Romy's gorgeous voice floating above it all.  The original is amazing, but I can see this being explosive with some dance club remixes.

Sufjan Stevens - "Run Away With Me"

 

Sufjan Stevens' remarkable new album The Ascension came out Friday and there are 15 songs of almost unparalleled beauty.  "Run Away With Me" is a shimmering ode to accepting yourself for who you are.  Stevens' angelic voice soars over swooning synths, twinkling pianos, and a sheltered beat.

Bonobo & Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - "Heartbreak"

 

“Heartbreak” is a new collaboration between Bonobo & Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and is one hell of a dancefloor banger. At the core of the song is a sample of Christine Wiltshire’s vocal “I can’t take the heartbreak” from the 1983 disco classic “Weekend” by Class Action.

girl in red - "rue"

 

Norwegian bedroom popstar girl in red has teased her upcoming debut album with "rue," a song inspired by the lead character in HBO's Euphoria.  It perfectly captures the feelings of growing up and how everything is confusing.

Sufjan Stevens - "Sugar"

 

Sufjan Steven previews another track from his upcoming record The Ascension.  It's another densely electronic exploration of the desire for goodness and purity.  

Leifur James - "I Ran With You"

 

London-based producer/composer Leifer James recently released his new album Angels In Disguise, a meditation on love and loss.  "I Ran with You" has a spare, minimal backing, glitchy drums, stark piano chords, and gradually rising waves of analog synths.  

Miley Cyrus - "Midnight Sky"

 

Miley Cyrus channels some series Stevie Nicks vibes on this really great pop song.  

Future Islands - "Moonlight"

 

"Moonlight" is a moving song about a relationship at a crossroads.  Lead singer Samuel T. Herring's vocals have never been so soft and subtle, with the rising synths giving him a base to sing on.  It is off their upcoming album As Long As You Are.

Future Islands - Moonlight from Will Mayer on Vimeo.

HEALTH - "CYBERPUNK 2.0.2.0."

 

From their upcoming remix album DISCO4, HEALTH releases a new single, the driving, yet melancholy "CYBERPUNK 2.0.2.0."  Over pounding tribal beats, Jake Duzsik's yearning vocals slide in and out of clouds of synths.  It's quite gorgeous.

Actress ft. Sampha - "Walking Flames"

 

Sampha adds his plaintive vocals to this lovely downtempo track from Actress.  It will be featured on Actress' upcoming record Karma and Desire.

Sølv - "Gentle Riot"

 

London-based singer/songwriter/producer Sølv's latest single is a really darkly textured pop song that really shows off her production skills.  If you like artists like FKA twigs, Grimes, and Banks, you will definitely find her enchanting.

Nothing - "Say Less"

 

Philadelphia shoegaze band Nothing return with a new album called The Great Dismal.  First single is "Say Less" which basks in washes of MBV-Esque jet engine droning along with Madchester beats and Domenic Palermo's half-whispered vocals.

Gorillaz ft. Robert Smith - "Strange Timez"

 

The Cure's Robert Smith provides his iconic vocals to the latest Song Machine offering from Gorillaz, the kinetic dance track "Strange Timez."

SHYGIRL - "FREAK"

 

Produced by Sega Bodega, SHYGIRL's new single "FREAK" is the PC Music version of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's infamous "WAP."  SHYGIRL's masterful flow remarkably keeps up with the fast and furious production, throwing down lines like "Arse up, titty out, know you like it when they bounce," and "Real nasty, never take me home/Won't ever meet your mum, but your daddy's on the phone."  

William Basinski - "O, My Daughter, O, My Sorrow"

 

Composer William Baskinski, best known for his masterful work called The Disintegration Loops, a four-volume set of works made from his own decaying music tapes, is set to release a new album called Lamentations.  The first taste of the record is the poignant, meditative "O, My Daughter, O, My Sorrow," which consists of a series of long synth passages with a distant operatic sample that feels like a call of a ghost in another room.  It's a truly breathtaking piece of art.

Lady Gaga - "Free Woman (Honey Dijon Realness Remix)"

 

This is a slamming good remix of the Lady Gaga track.  Get you up and moving after a long weekend.

Tricky ft. Marta - "Like A Stone"

 

From Tricky's remarkable new record Fall to Pieces, "Like A Stone" is a perfect representative of the feeling and mood of the entire album.  The album was recorded in the aftermath of the death of Tricky's daughter and it is an intensely personal, grief-stricken set of songs that plunges into the depths of his pain.  The song, like most of the record, is built on an almost rudimentary beat, with droning synth strings, warped bass lines, and skeletal tendrils of guitar lines.  Tricky lends most of the vocals to his Polish discovery Marta, with his blank vocals snaking around hers.  

Lewis Del Mar - "Where Are You Now?"

 

Danny Miller and Max Harwood, the duo that comprises Lewis Del Mar, are an up and coming folktronica/electropop group from Queens.  AUGUST, their sophomore album, is a wonderful collection of beautifully constructed character studies.  "Where Are You Now?" is a rumination on the end of a boyhood friendship (romance?) and still having feelings after many years.  Danny Miller's vocals are so rich and emotive, and the rise and fall of Harwood's production echo the emotions felt in the song.

Jhenny Beth - "French Countryside"

 

Savages lead singer has a stunning solo album out now called TO LOVE IS TO LIVE that is, for the most part, a very intense record, full of raging guitars and industrial electronics.  There is one exception, the beautiful ballad "French Countryside," that is just a quiet piano melody, strings, and her exquisite voice.  

PVRIS - "Death of Me"

 

Alt-rock band PVRIS is now just down to leader Lynn Gunn (and apparently was really her doing every all along anyway) and new Use Me is one of the best albums of the year.  If you are fans of Paramore, Halsey, Billie Elish, and Allie X you will really love PVRIS.  Honestly, it was almost impossible for me to limit this to one song, but I am going to go with "Death to Me," which explodes at the chorus with power chords, pounding drums, and Gunn's strong vocals.  Do yourself a favor and check out this amazing artist.

Kelly Lee Owens - "Re-Wild"

 

Kelly Lee Owens's second record Inner Song is a brilliant journey through techno, house, ambient, and synthpop.  I really love the dark, trip-hop stylings of "Re-Wild," that focuses on atmosphere and Owens's almost whispered vocals.