It’s impossible to cover each bit of new music that comes out during the week, so every Friday, we’ll be doing an end of the week music roundup. It’s called Final Track, and we’ll count off a few songs released during the week that are worth giving a listen to.
Today, we’ve got Grizzly Bear, Dum Dum Girls, Hit-Boy and Kid Cudi, and more.
“Yet Again” by Grizzly Bear
The Grizzly Bear of “Two Weeks” seems to be a thing of the past, and that’s not a bad thing. I, like the rest of the world, had that track stuck in my head for weeks at a time in 2009, but I’m not sure if I ever really liked it; it was an earworm, not a great song. “Yet Again,” on the other hand, is a great song, a slow-burner with a killer melody that sounds different every time you hear it. It’s a little less tight, a little more sprawling, and whole lot great.
“I Wanna Talk 2 U” by John Cale
Forty-five years after recording one of the greatest albums of all-time, The Velvet Underground and Nico, John Cale, who so memorably played the electric viola on “Heroin” and sang lead on “Venus in Furs,” is still around, putting out consistently solid albums (check out “Perfect” from 2005’s blackAcetate for proof). In October, he’ll release the bizarrely titled, Danger Mouse-produced Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood, and the bouncy “I Wanna Talk 2 U” is our first listen. John Cale, who turned 70 in March, is cooler than people half his age.
“Lord Knows” by Dum Dum Girls
“Crimson and Clover,” as sung by an all-girl gloom-pop band. Yes, please.
“Use Me” by Miguel
Toeing the line between sexy and sad, “Use Me” is the first song from Miguel’s upcoming Kaleidoscope Dream LP. It’s an echo-drenched R&B ballad that sounds endless, highlighted by Miguel’s elastic voice and sultry beat.
“Old School Caddy” by Hit-Boy and Kid Cudi
For more on the first Kid Cudi track I’ve enjoyed in some time, check out the Smoking Section.
“Gotta Catch Em All” by Insane Ian
I’m not gonna lie: I listened to “Adele” sing the Pokémon theme song A LOT this week.
“Jumping Fences” by Olivia Tremor Control