Much like vitamins and other supplements that you don’t take or keep track of in your diet, new music is essential for your health. We’re no doctors here, but we do care about your well-being, so without further adieu, here’s a prescription for a handful of newer jams and a few classics. Take at least two of these and call us in the morning. With any luck, they should help improve your alarming complexion and low energy levels.
Feeble Little Horse “Steamroller”
More like ‘Fuckin’ Huge Guitars’ amiright? All jokes aside, we hope you’ve been studying for your finals, because this excellent single from Pittsburgh’s Feeble Little Horse is sure to transport you directly to a college dorm room circa 1991. This quartet’s sound is hard to define, but if you’ve ever hoped for a version of My Bloody Valentine with coherent and audible vocals, your wish has been thoroughly granted on this track. Like its title suggests, ‘Steamroller’ will flatten you emotionally, but it should still have you eager to saddle up once their new album ‘Girl With Fish’ trots by in June.
The Hives “Bogus Operandi”
In case you missed it, the Hives are back and they are clearly not fucking around. This absolute ripper of a lead single is their first new song in over a decade. Your first listen is almost certain to get you so excited that you’ll break out in some sort of unidentifiable rash. ‘Bogus Operandi’ has everything you would want from a Certified Hives Hit™ and absolutely nothing more (that’s a good thing). Their upcoming album, ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’ promises more of the same, so grab your tightest suit and your skinniest tie and smash that goddamned play button. Just try not to break your phone screen again.
Queens of the Stone Age “Do It Again”
You’ve been good so far, so you deserve an older track as a treat. We’ve heard that the new QOTSA single is excellent. We’re afraid that it might suck, though, so we’ve been putting off listening to it. We’re right to be suspicious considering their forthcoming new album is titled ‘In Times New Roman’ which… ugh. Anyway, while attempting to work up the courage to play their new song, ‘Emotion Sickness’ (also ugh), we decided to just revisit their album ‘Songs for the Deaf’ for the entire day instead. It’s a good thing we did, too, because we almost forgot how fucking sick all the little unison guitar bends are in ‘Do It Again.’
Killer Mike “Don’t Let the Devil [feat. thankugoodsir]”
Having spent over a decade co-fronting the massively successful rap duo Run The Jewels, Atlanta rapper/activist/hero Killer Mike, has decided to branch off on his own for the first time since 2012’s ‘R.A.P Music.’ His forthcoming album, ‘MICHAEL,’ promises a somewhat radical departure from the signature RTJ sound, but the El-P produced single, ‘Don’t Let the Devil,’ should provide the perfect bridge to allow you to feel like you aren’t listening to something entirely new. If you happen to be one of the few people that finds RTJ corny, skip this one and play ‘MOTHERLESS’ instead.
Superviolet “Infinite Spring”
Superviolet comes to us three years after Steve Colicek’s excellent indie-punk band, the Sidekicks, called it quits. This project exudes a quieter side of the songwriter while paying homage to some of his earthier influences. With Colicek’s dazzling voice firmly featured, these new sounds are given the space to breathe without sacrificing the intensity fans have come to know and love from the Columbus, Ohio musician. The title track from his solo moniker’s debut album, ‘Infinite Spring’, will have you feeling things you haven’t felt in years while briefly wondering if it’s time to quit that hardcore band you’ve been in for far too long.
Jenny Lewis “Giddy Up”
Jenny Lewis has often flirted with Country-Pop throughout her long and storied career as both a solo artist and frontwoman of legendary indie-rock group, Rilo Kiley. While she never quite went whole-hog on the genre, everything we’ve heard so far from her upcoming full-length, ‘Joy’all’, suggests that she is getting closer to sealing the deal. ‘Giddy Up’ takes Lewis’s trademark Americana-esque sound and sends it into outer space. You’d be forgiven for thinking the song’s producer, Dave Cobb, was tasked with creating a soundtrack to a Western-themed version of Star Wars. Also, whoever is in charge of Star Wars now, please get in touch with us because we’re pretty sure we just inadvertently drafted your next mini-series.
Oasis “Don’t Look Back in Anger”
Time for another tried and true hit. Earlier this week, one of our editors went into his office, gently closed the door, and then proceeded to absolutely blare this song for three hours straight. We were too afraid to ask him what was wrong. When he finally re-emerged all disheveled and puffy-eyed, though, he claimed it was just allergies. Whatever actual strife caused this deeply troubling moment in our work week is irrelevant. Oasis rules, and every single one of your friends that pretend to hate them secretly listens to their unimpeachable album, ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory,’ at least three times a week. We commend our very sad colleague for reminding us of this indisputable fact.
Bully “Hard to Love”
Nostalgia comes for us all, so don’t worry about feeling lame when you inevitably get this song’s excellent chorus stuck in your head for the next few days. Serving as the third single from Bully’s upcoming release, ‘Lucky For You,’ ‘Hard to Love’ finds songwriter Alicia Bognanno trading in Bully’s rougher grunge edges for sleeker 90’s alt-pop sounds. That’s not to say the edged bite of the project’s sound is missing, but rather that it’s more refined and laser-focused. Much like how you would erroneously describe your music taste over the past few years.
Did we miss something? Well, no shit we did. There are like… a million songs released per day now. Give us a goddamn break but be sure to complain about our unforgivable omissions in the comments section. We’ll be sure to pretend to think about listening to them at some point.