If we’re being honest, the non-Kendrick Lamar song we listened to the most this week was Charlift’s “Crying in Public,” even if the video just dropped yesterday. But the song is pretty old, and we give Chairlift plenty of love here at Flavorwire, so we’ve got 5 more fresh tunes to get you through the weekend.
This week, we’ve got a Columbian synthy songstress who we can’t wait to see in Austin, a peripheral Odd Future member ready to break out on the solo tip, a historic chart appearance for some british club vets, and some new jangle jangle from Polly Jean Harvey. But first, Brooklyn’s own Joey Bada$$:
Joey Bada$$ – “Brooklyn’s Own”
The unfortunately named Joey Bada$$ is one of the most talented young MCs coming out of New York; his veneration of the Silver Age boom bap that came out of the borough near the date of his birth has endeared him to the old heads while flexing considerable lyrical chops. He dropped this new track, “Brooklyn’s Own,” on March 9, the 19th anniversary of the death of Brooklyn rhyme king Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace.
ela minus – “Volcán”
You might remember Gabriela Jimeno from her turn as the drummer in Balancer, the post-Real Estate Brooklyn trio. Newly solo as ela minus, Jimeno graces the pulsing synths of “Volcán” with a Spanish whisper and lots of reverb. The track seems to push and pulls between forceful and reluctant; a child-like voice coming into its own. “Volcán” is the second of three tracks on her new EP, Grow, which dropped on March 4, which we hope to hear live when we head down to Austin next week for SXSW.
Domo Genesis – “Dapper (ft. Anderson .Paak)”
Domo Genesis has always been in the second or third tier in the Odd Future collective’s hierarchy; with his debut LP Genesis due to drop on March 25, he’s poised to finally break out on his own. Funk soul brother Anderson .Paak makes an appearance on “Dapper,” in which Domo drags a sluggish flow across the bouncy, uptempo beat.
Pet Shop Boys – “The Pop Kids”
“The Pop Kids” officially dropped on Februrary 16, but the Boys are in the news again with their historic hit single—their 40th to hit Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. It’s been nearly 30 years since “West End Girls,” their legendary club anthem and their first appearance on the chart. “The Pop Kids” is the second track to be released from Super, their forthcoming LP, due out April 1 on the band’s own x2 label. The promotional “Inner Sanctum” was given away in January to fans who pre-ordered the record.
PJ Harvey – “The Community of Hope”
Flavorwire’s own Moze Halperin went in on PJ Harvey’s “The Wheel,” the first single from her upcoming LP The Hope Demolition Project, but “The Community of Hope” is a bit more straightforward, a driving, raucous romp over ringing guitars in 4/4 time. It premiered on Shaun Keaveny’s BBC Radio 6 show (click the image and skip ahead to the 50:30 mark to hear the song).