Best Songs of the Week

I've listened to this song dozens of times this week and it never fails to give me goosebumps. Austrian singer Anja Plaschg has taken the dark blues of Robert Johnson and lifted it into haunting, chilling territory. - Confusion

There's something heartbreakingly striking about "Black Satin Living Room." It's the melancholic piano keys, the desperation in both Chris F. Edley aka SAFE's voice and bleak lyrics, and even the glitchy, industrial scratches lurking in the background. But above all, what enhances this song that explores the hurtful truth of the Friend Zone is its beautiful but terrifying accompanying visuals, making it almost impossible to not conjure up the video when listening to the song. It's one of those tracks you put on infinite repeat when your day's looking a little bit grim, and who doesn't need that every now and then? - Joyce

Always nice when lightning strikes twice. I fell in love with Bipolar Sunshine's "Fire" a few weeks back; "Rivers" solidified my fandom. Driving and anthemic, modern without pandering but still warm enough to conjure a classic sound, "Rivers" shows that Bipolar Sunshine can shoot for the stadium as well as the heart. - Jon Tanners

Thanks to an encouraging tweet from fellow Glasgow band, CHVRCHES, we were introduced to indie-pop outfit Prides. Their latest track "Out Of The Blue" possesses an impressive combination of rich instrumentation and catchy choruses - a dynamic that is often expected in the indie-pop scene, but rarely delivered in such an infectious way. With sweeping vocals and hazy synths, "Out Of The Blue" is a track that's sure to get stuck in your head. - Katie K

When I shottied to write about Cashmere Cat's remix of Miguel's "Do You...," Khal responded, "That blurb is easy: 'sex.'" Once you hit the play button, you'll understand how this five-minute long remix can be reduced to just one word. It's a slow, torturous game of seduction that you will undoubtedly lose, as it's near impossible to not fall for Cashmere Cat after listening to this remix, especially when you thought Miguel's music couldn't be any more sensual. - Joyce

Lorine Chia wants your attention, and with the crystalline power of her voice, she's going to get it. There's an unspeakable strength embedded in this track, which fuzes old-world jazz sounds with drops and beats that would sound at home in any club. Chia is one to watch, her queenly confidence sizzles and she's got the pipes to back it all up. - Harmonicait

My tastes don't normally lead me down techno paths, but in my old age, I've been opening up. Plus, you can't help but succumb to an undeniable groove. Running a site like DAD, I also can't help but imagine that a swarm of android b-boys would love to practice their backspins to something like this. - Khal

Everything Nicolas Jaar touches turns to gold. He has such a wonderful appreciation of space and texture in his music, such a sense of atmosphere that turning his talents to reworking Grizzly Bear's uplifting melodies was always going to work well. And it really does, on this deep, blissful Record Store Day release. - Constant Gardner

Grip Grand put together a whole album of DOOM remixes, and it's done with a master's touch. Matching the crate-digging vibes of DOOM's own style of production, Grip Grand does the masked villain's vocals justice—not an easy task. The whole project is excellent, but check out "Jive Turkeys" as a starting point. - Confusion

When "Too Ill For the Law" hit the internet earlier this week it felt like the middle finger salute that we all knew he was capable of. Still, don't take his antics for granted, there's some serious rhymes lurking behind his sinister sneer, and serious support too. Check Heems, Dapwell and Despot all showing up in the video. Don't sleep on Lakutis. - Harmonicait

Random, almost forgotten R&B gems getting reworked by Joy Orbison is as good as it gets sometimes. You almost wish Donnell Jones would smarten up and head to the UK and get in on this quirky house funk for an album-length project. Pipedreams from the peanut gallery. - Khal

Valentina has had the support of two masterful producers on the two versions of "Wolves" that she's released. The first one we heard was a Joe Goddard-produced belter, but this more recent version, produced by Kwes., impresses through it's sparse, industrial production and, of course, Valentina's anguish-ridden vocals. - Constant Gardner