So. Much. New. Music. This. Week. A respectful shout-out to Bob Dylan’s Frank Sinatra cover, but these songs were the soundtrack to my week.
Sharon Van Etten — “Your Love Is Killing Me”
SVE’s upcoming album, Are We There (May 27), is emotional warfare that runs the gamut of how love can make you feel. But few songs, by Van Etten or otherwise, are as horrifically desperate and utterly life-pausing as “Your Love Is Killing Me”: “Break my legs so I can’t walk to you/ Cut my tongue so I can’t talk to you/ Burn my skin so I can’t feel you/ Stab my eyes so I can’t see.” If love has ever made you feel like this, “Your Love Is Killing Me” is the ultimate musical salve for your wounded soul.
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Lil Wayne — “D’usse”
After some of the truly whack shit Weezy has released in recent years, I can see why one would be skeptical of this. But a Tha Carter V track named after Jay Z’s cognac brand, Wayne is back in full swing. Thank you, Wayne, for my new alter-ego: “Tina Turn-Up.” “Brick Cannon” is still up for grabs, if you wanna be the Clyde to my Bonnie.
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Roses — “Florence Girls”
You ever hear a song that makes you nostalgic for multiple eras of music simultaneously? That’s what I take away from “Florence Girls,” the first taste of Roses, a new project from former Abe Vigoda member Juan Velasquez. New wave and post-punk meet in one Cure-like jam. Roses’ Dreamlover is out August 5 via Group Tightener.
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Priests — “Doctor”
Another gnarly track from DC punks Priests, who’ll release their new album Bodies and Control and Money and Power on June 3. This is how you do “personal is political” music — and do it well — in 2014. The way singer Katie Alice Greer fades out, exhausted, with her doctor chant will haunt you.
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M.I.A. — “Baddygirl 2” (remix of Beyoncé’s “Flawless”)
M.I.A. leaked a remix of a Beyoncé’s “Flawless” this week. “Remix” is a generous word for what this is — it’s more like M.I.A. stuntin’ all over the themes of “Flawless” then remixing Bey’s “Diva.” Whatever it is, it’s great.
Bonus remix: In way of a proper mix, this week’s finest belongs to U.K. producer GRADES, who blows Four Tet’s recent take on Lana Del Rey’s “West Coast” out of the water with a disco-house version. It’s like Studio 54 pillow talk. Listen over at Dazed.
Weird thing of the week: I’m obsessed with the way Conor Oberst says “Camelot” on his new song, “Kick,” because it sounds nearly identical to the dramatic way Jenna Maroney from 30 Rock says “cam-er-ah.” The song, with all its Jeff Lynne riffing, is great too — listen over at Pitchfork.