Best Songs of the Week

I never thought that my favorite song during one of the final weeks of 2014 would feature Mystikal. But here we are. Mystikal joined Ronson and Bruno Mars as a surprise guest on SNL and he channeled James Brown levels (almost) of bravado for an excellent performance and the introduction to a song that I'm going to play the shit out of for the rest of the year.—Confusion

"I eat flames up, crap fire out, don't make me light my butt" - Mystikal, 2014

If he carries on like this, Yung Gud could be on the way to Evian Christ or Hudson Mohawke levels of crossover success, where electronic music fans respect him and hip-hop lovers are familiar too. The Swedish producer and Yung Lean affiliate (he produced the excellent "Ghosttown," featuring Travi$ Scott) may only just have released his debut solo EP (Beautiful, Wonderful), on which "Forever 2001" appears, but the sound quality and detailed, thoughtful production mark him out as a producer with huge potential.

With the success and increasing visibility of Yung Lean and the Sad Boys, don't be surprised if you see Yung Gud producing for some big-name rappers in the not too distant future.—Constant Gardner

Related: 10 Reasons You Should Take Yung Lean Seriously

It’s not uncommon to come across a song that begins slowly with a very subtle progression as it builds up to the chorus. But here, Denai Moore’s voice and the piano immediately start off strong, giving you no time to prepare yourself. Yet, even with such an impressive start the song still finds a way to continue to build and build into something greater than you may have anticipated.

“Something Out There” can easily inflict emotion onto anyone who listens because Moore’s tender voice has enough feeling in it for a million heartbreaks. Though the subject matter may cause Moore to come off a bit timid at first, the sound of her voice assures you that although she may be vulnerable, she is certainly not weak.—Adrienne Black

YOU might have Ebola.

And if you don't, you might end up like me, completely paralyzed by my inability to get Brownsville, Brooklyn rapper I.O.D’s "Ebola" out of my head. Gloriously tasteless, energetic, consciously comical, and catchy as hell, "Ebola" is exactly the sort of song a young rapper from once-gloried New York should be making right now—something that feels like it exists in its own creative sphere.—Jon Tanners

Jack Garratt is a British singer/producer that I'm still getting familiar with, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I pressed play on "The Love You're Given." That might be the best way to go into this song.—Confusion

The telltale sign of a good cover is when you prefer the cover over the original. I don't listen to Mac DeMarco much, so I really had nothing to compare Australian producer/vocalist Mammals’ take on "My Kind of Woman" to. Whereas DeMarco's original feels like an innocent and sweet profession of love, Mammals' version is like a more sensual tease. Maybe it's the mindset that I'm in, but right now, Mammal's cover is so much more alluring.—Joyce

Great electronic music full-length albums are typically hard to come by. They are usually neither cohesive nor enjoyable from front to back, and often tend to drag, as the artist feels they must add in energy draining interludes to split up their big club hits.

Mr. Mitch’s excellent debut album Parallel Memories, released via Planet Mu, is an often ominous, mysterious ride through mutated grime and experimental electronic music. What is most impressive, however, is the way Mr. Mitch creates tangible tension and emotion whilst keeping his tracks spacious and fairly straightforward. Sometimes you need that sit at home with the curtains closed and consider life, love, and the unknowably infinite universe music. For those times, you should listen to Mr. Mitch.

Listen to "It Takes Hold Of You" below and stream the entire Parallel Memories album on Soundcloud here. Read our Daily Discovery feature on Mr. Mitch here.—Constant Gardner