“You are the music while the music lasts.” -T.S. Eliot
Alt-J feat. Mountain Man – “Buffalo”
Fresh off their Mercury Prize win, British quartet Alt-J will be getting even more exposure courtesy of “Buffalo”, a track that will be featured on the soundtrack to David O. Russell’s indie drama Silver Linings Playbook. Working with background vocals by Vermont folkies Mountain Man, the track floats along to tiny guitar plucks and Joe Newman’s wistful pipes. His voice lingers on calming tones before sharply ascending to higher registers. Crackling drums vie for attention amidst the otherwise supple surroundings. -Jon Hadusek
Autre Ne Veut – “Counting”
Brooklyn’s Arthur Ashin records hyper-pop dazzlers under the name Autre Ne Veut, R&B, pop, and electronic genre tropes melting like Dali’s clocks in a surreal landscape. With “Counting”, Ashin gives a hint of his upcoming sophomore LP, Anxiety, his crooning falsetto rippling over stomp-clap percussion. Add in some saxophone skronks and dizzy synths and you’ve got yourself a bubbling pop gem. Fellow electronic wiz Daniel Lopatin must have heard something he liked, as he’s releasing Anxiety on February 12th through his label, Software Records. -Adam Kivel
Joey Bada$$ feat. Ab-Soul – “Enter the Void”
Rap wunderkind Joey Bada$$ just nabbed a deal with Cinematic Music Group/Creative Control, but the B-side to his first official single shows that he and guest Ab-Soul have their sights set even higher. Black Hippy member Ab-Soul may have the single best line in the track, the brilliant humblebrag of “Jesus Christ and Sean Carter are my only idols / no, Jesus Christ and Sean Carter are my only rivals” rolling off of his tongue. That said, Bada$$ is the star, and his hilarious fruit-punning (“could’ve been a cherry-pickin’ nigga, if I ain’t makin’ jams and bury niggas”) and high dedication justify that deal. The single is available now on iTunes. -Adam Kivel
Boris – “Neu Years”
Japanese psych-rockers Boris and NYC dream poppers Asobi Seksu are total BFFs, apparently, and that results in the reciprocal covering on their split 7″ single (due Nov. 23 for Record Store Day Black Friday via Sargeant House and Polyvinyl). The typically heavy Boris’ take on “New Years” is particularly strong, the rambunctious, poppy tune layered over with thundering percussion, noise loops, and high-end squiggles, becoming the appropriately kraut-titled “Neu Years”. -Adam Kivel
Carnage feat. Katie Got Bandz – “Kat!e”
The Chicago drill and trap scenes continue to explode into the national conscious, and the next name you’ll know is Katie Got Bandz. That may be due to the fact that she drops her first name, like, a hundred times in each track, but it’s also due to her bouncy flow and bravado. Fool’s Gold producer Carnage lifts some of that drill sound, and then adds in some orchestral menace and dubby bass stuff for “Kat!e”, his collaboration with the self-pronounced “queen of drill, bitch.” Kaaaaatie! -Adam Kivel
Guards – “Coming True”
Guards will release their debut album, In Guards We Trust, on Febuary 5th via Black Bell Records. The LP’s delectable second single, “Coming True”, is what happens when teenage lust turns into an actual relationship, complete with the handholding, the first kisses, and the tear-jerking breakups. Frontman Richie Follin howls during the chorus: “Now it’s all coming true / what’s a boy supposed to / with a girl like you.” Follin’s vocal range is impressive, as are the loud-soft guitar dynamics that echo his youthful confessions. -Jon Hadusek
Angel Haze and Lunice – “Gimme That”
From the Yours Truly and adidas “Songs From Scratch” series comes this collaboration between CoSigned rapper Angel Haze and producer Lunice. The two met at Metropolis Studios in London and created “Gimme That” from scratch in one night. The beat is simple enough: pulsing synths bounce steadily up and down, setting the pace for Haze’s erratic release of rhymes and phrases. Her flow is superhumanly fast: “bitch, better gimme that” she demands during the chorus. Go on, give it to her already. She’s earned it. -Jon Hadusek
Johnny Marr – “The Messenger”
The title track to Johnny Marr’s forthcoming LP, The Messenger (out February 26th via Sire/ADA), is, naturally, built on toneful guitar lines and a recurring riff. The former Smiths guitarist sounds quite competent singing, as well. While his vocals are thin (enhanced by a dense echo effect), he easily holds down the melody. “Who wants to be a messenger,” he rhetorically asks during the chorus, and the tinge of melancholy in his voice hints that Marr isn’t quite sold on the idea of delivering messages. But based on the album title, he conceded and took the job anyway. -Jon Hadusek
Suuns – “Edie’s Dream”
Having a hectic day? The combination of slinky psychedelia, medicated vocal coo, and slow-drifting rhythm on Suuns’ new cut, “Edie’s Dream”, makes for a glacially serene break. Be warned, though, there’s a bit of darkness here, too: the chill hits vocalist Ben Shemie, “these same visions” lasting years and years, and he’s too laid-back to be clear whether he’s happy about it or worried. The track comes from the Montreal band’s upcoming sophomore LP, Images Du Futur, which should be available in March 2013. -Adam Kivel
Yo La Tengo – “Before We Run”
Noisy romantics Yo La Tengo just announced a new addition to their massive catalog, Fade (out January 15th via Matador). The record’s closing track, “Before We Run”, is segmented into three movements. The first: guitars creak and jangle as the always restrained Georgia Hubley coos and drones — her vocals buried in the mix. The second: a wall of brass and strings constructs itself. The third: Hubley’s vocals disappear, and the remaining three minutes evolve into crescendos of horns and bliss. It’s a triumphant finale. -Jon Hadusek
