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Six best new songs of the week (28th April): Shabazz Palaces, Rostam, Young M.A.

28 April, 2017 — by Christopher Ratcliff0

This week’s round-up of best new songs includes Shabazz Palaces, Rostam, Young M.A., DEDE, Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, James McAlister and Doldrums.

At least 4 of those people are in the same band, so please don’t expect this to be more extensive than it really is. The last thing I want to do is promise something I can’t deliver. On a side-note, if you read every last word of this article, I’ll buy you a puppy.

Shabazz Palaces – Shine a Light (feat. Thaddillac)

Shabazz Palaces have announced a new album Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star, due out July 14. The hip-hop duo have also shared a lyric video for new song, ‘Shine a Light’, which you’ll be disappointed to learn isn’t a cover of Katrina & the Waves’ 1997 Eurovision winning hit. But I’m CERTAIN Ishmael Butler a.k.a. Palaceer Lazaro and multi-instrumentalist Tendai “Baba” Maraire will have accidentally heard the song at least once in their lives. Possibly while shopping in B-Wise.

Rostam – Gwan

Rostam is quickly becoming one of my very favourite artists, following his superb collaboration with Hamilton Leithauser last year, and appearances on two of my favourite singles of the last 6 months (RAC’s ‘This Song‘ and Jim E-Stack’s ‘Deadstream‘). Now Rostam has announced a solo album, set to come out later this year, and has just released a new single called ‘Gwan’. Let this be a lesson to all of us that leaving Vampire Weekend may be the best thing you ever do. Wait, you’re not still in Vampire Weekend are you?

Young M.A. – JOOTD (featuring Monica)

Brooklyn rapper Young M.A has released a new EP, Herstory, which includes the phenomenal ‘JOOTD’. The sample is from Monica’s 1995 track ‘Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)’, so why it’s not called ‘JOODD’ is a question for her sub-editor.

DEDE – Faultline

DEDE is an LA based singer best known as the vocalist in Tiny Hearts. Her new solo single ‘Faultline’ features Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste, and is a glorious, slow-burner full of breathy vocals and bittersweet recollections of romantic mistakes. It’s a song for looking at the horizon, sighing and feeling a bit sad, while secretly hoping that someone attractive will see you in the distance and think, “gosh, what a poetic yet tortured soul.”

Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, James McAlister – Mercury

A super-group who couldn’t be arsed to think of a name. Sufjan Stevens, the National’s Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly and drummer James McAlister have a new song called ‘Mercury’. It’s taken from their forthcoming album Planetarium, which features 17 tracks with titles that reference planets, stars and other cosmic crap. Obviously there isn’t an 18th thing in space they could have taken as their band name.

Doldrums – Runner Up

Montreal’s Doldrums returns with a new album E s c set for release on June 30, and the first single from the album ‘Runner Up’ is below, just in case you haven’t figured out how this whole thing works yet.

And here’s a continually updated Spotify playlist featuring all the best new tunes in April 2017…

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