This has been a short week for the music industry, just like it has been for everyone else, so we’re limiting our regular Friday roundup of the best new tracks we heard this week to five instead of our usual ten. But never fear, because there’s still plentiful goodness laying in wait after the jump — there’s a beautiful new song from ever-reliable Brooklyn psych-folk aficionados Woods, along with a rollicking new track from Dan Deacon, spacey Afrofuturistic goodness from Ras G and the Afrikan Space Program, the return of Chelsea Wolfe, and a reminder that Azealia Banks still exists. Click through to listen!
Woods — “Be All Be Easy”
Breezy, summery pop. Perfect for a beautiful summer afternoon enjoying the long weekend in the backyard. Now, fingers crossed those crazy thunderstorms hold off, eh?
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Ras G and the Afrikan Space Program — “All is Well…”
Psychedelic Neo-Afrofuturistic space rock? Um, HELL YES.
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Dan Deacon — “Why Am I On This Cloud?”
More goodness from the latest iteration of Adult Swim’s ongoing Singles Club series, this is a suitably all-action wig-out built around a pounding beat and a sample that seems to be saying “Fuck off-a!” repeatedly. You can listen to it — and download it for free, if you’re so inclined — here.
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Chelsea Wolfe — “The Warden”
There’s something more than a little absurd about Chelsea Wolfe, but whether or not you take her 100% seriously, she does a pretty fine line in neo-goth atmospherics. This is the first single from her cheerily titled new album Pain Is Beauty, which is due out on September 3, and… well, it’s neo-goth atmospherics, really. It’s less dirge-y and more melodic than her previous work, bouncing along on a — you guessed it — atmospheric beat that’s downright jaunty by her standards.
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Azealia Banks feat. Pharrell — “ATM Jam”
Hey, remember Azealia Banks? This is really just a sketch of a song, and recorded live to boot, but it does provide some insight into what Broke with Expensive Taste might sound like if it ever sees the light of day. She might be an asshole, but she’s still a talent.