All The Best New Music From This Week That You Need To Hear

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Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best music released in the last week.

This week was pretty light on new music, but still found Gucci Mane offering up a new record, the first posthumous offering from XXXTentacion, and Christmas tunes from the likes of Robyn and Queens Of The Stone Age. Yeah, it was still a pretty good week for music. Check out the highlights below.

Gucci Mane — Evil Genius

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There was a time when Gucci Mane was turning out albums at a quicker pace than most anyone. But since his release from prison in 2016 and becoming a fixture on the festival circuit, Gucci has stopped to smell the roses. His first big release of the year tries to make it up to anyone that expects his non-stop pace of release, with a sprawling effort that includes appearances from Bruno Mars, 21 Savage, Quavo, Kevin Gates, Lil Yachty, and many more.

XXXTentacion — Skins

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The death of XXXTentacion brought about complex feelings that many in the music world are still trying to parse. But in spite of his horrific actions, the fact remains that he was making a mark with his music that cannot be ignored. This first album since his murder is just ten songs with a single guest. But that guest just happens to be Kanye West, making this first chapter of the posthumous XXX recording output a must-hear for hip-hop fans.

Death Cab For Cutie — “Summer Years” (Jimmy Tamborello remix)

Though Death Cab For Cutie has built an illustrious career in their own right, there are some that will always consider Ben Gibbard’s album with The Postal Service as his greatest accomplishment. Still, they only offered one proper album more than a decade ago, and fans have only their recent reunion tour in 2013 to show for recent output. But this remix, from one Postal Service member to another, gives fans the closest thing they’ll get to new PS music, at least until Ben and Jimmy decide to really cash in, which seems unlikely to ever happen.

Robyn — “Last Christmas”

Tis the season for wonderful Christmas covers. And one of our favorite artists of the year offers up a version of one of the best holiday tunes of all time. It’s not quite as peppy as the Wham original, instead matching the music with the forlorn lyrics, as Robyn puts her own unique spin on the classic.

Queens Of The Stone Age — “Silent Night”

Speaking of unexpected Christmas covers, we have Queens Of The Stone Age giving their interpretation of the classic “Silent Night.” It’s not quite as rocking as you’d expect from a QOTSA song, but instead takes a cue from classic country, sounding at peace with Josh Homme’s high desert roots.

Jessica Pratt — “Poly Blue”

There’s a breeziness to this new Jessica Pratt track that can almost double as a sense of effortlessness, like the memory of a dream that took place on a tropical 1950s vacation. As our own Derrick Rossignol writes, “it’s a warm and languid track, made for allowing a lazy summer afternoon to wash over you.”

Shoreline Mafia — OTXMAS

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Christmas came early for fans of this LA party-rap crew. But while this surprise collection isn’t all Santas and Frosties, OTXMAS is proof that Christmas comes in many packages, with many different meanings. For some it might be the obvious seasonal references, but for Shoreline Mafia, it’s the gift of the unexpected.

Steve Gunn — “Stonehurst Cowboy”

In 2016, Steve Gunn lost his father and “Stonehurst Cowboy” is an emotional tribute to him. The title is taken from the neighborhood that Gunn grew up in and his father is the titular cowboy, whom he describes as a tough guy with fast boxing hands and a wealth of stories from Vietnam. “My father was a positive and hilarious force among his family and friends for the rest of his life. I miss him dearly,” Gunn wrote about the song, and the tune does the man justice.

Phoebe Bridgers — “Friday I’m In Love” (The Cure Cover)

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The Cure and Phoebe Bridgers ostensibly have little in common, besides the general sadness at the core of their music. But as Bridgers tackles this iconic song for Spotify, generations are bridged as Bridgers’ delicate, confident voice gives new life to the classic tune.

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