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New music recommendations: Chvrches, Jessie Ware, Foo Fighters, and more

New music recommendations: Chvrches, Jessie Ware, Foo Fighters, and more

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Tunes to power you through Friday — and beyond

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Every week, a veritable flood of new music is released to the world, and with it the tyranny of choice rears its ugly head. There's only so many hours in the day, so where do you focus your listening energies? That's where our Verge New Music Recommendations come in: it's our entirely subjective, non-comprehensive attempt to throw the favorite new songs and albums we've stumbled upon this week your way. Of course, we're barely skimming the surface here — feel free to throw any auditory discoveries you've made this week in the comments, and get busy listening.

Update: As everyone in the world has told us, Run the Jewels 2 dropped last night at around 1:30AM. We'll have a full write-up next week, but here's the first reaction from Ross Miller: "OHHHHHHHH MY GODDDDDD." Listen for yourself, it's a free download.

The Budos Band — Burnt Offering

The Budos Band has been churning out gorgeously retro, funk-laced walls of sound powered by a massive horn section for nearly a decade, and their latest album, Burnt Offering, doesn’t stray far from that formula. But it does take some new chances — while it’s still very much the ‘70s-inspired afro-funk they’re known for, it all sounds slightly more sinister this time out. The healthy dollop of slowed-down stoner-metal is a new look for the band, and it suits them well. — Nathan Ingraham

Chvrches — "Get Away"

There’s no word on when Scottish synth-pop wizards Chvrches will release the follow-up to their excellent debut, The Bones of What You Believe, but fortunately the group has contributed a new track to a somewhat strange project: it appears on a new, alternate soundtrack to the 2011 film Drive. Regardless of its origins, "Get Away" has all the hallmarks of Chvrches best music — it’s a mid-tempo tune alternating between a minimalist verse and a chorus full of lush electronic soundscapes. There’s more new music from the group coming soon, too — another new song will appear on the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. — N.I.

Cold War Kids — "First"

Five records in, Cold War Kids don't have many new tricks off their sleeve. But Nathan Willett's voice retains its spooky power — a soulful intensity that brings life to the band's straightforward indie rock. "First" is the standout track on Hold My Home, a breakup anthem that starts with a deceptive jangle before tearing right into a former lover. The lyrics are opaque, but the sound is huge, and it's a nice reminder of the emotion Cold War Kids can conjure when they're on their game. — Casey Newton

Foo Fighters — "Something From Nothing"

Dave Grohl’s HBO documentary series Sonic Highways made its debut last week, and now the first track from the Foo Fighters album of the same name is out for all to enjoy. "Something From Nothing" was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago, where the first episode was shot, and features Chicago native Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick on guitar. It looks like each of the eight tracks on the new album will match up with the episodes from the HBO series, and we're curious to see how the style of the record changes with the band’s travels across America. — N.I.

iLoveMakonnen and Drake — "Tuesday"

You've probably been jamming to iLoveMakonnen's breakout hit for like two months now, ever since Drake dropped a unusually high-pitched verse on top of the already-addictive, slow-moving track. But if you somehow haven't had this on repeat, now's the time to start: the duo just put out a video for "Tuesday," and it's basically just Makonnen and Drake chilling in a club (presumably, on a Tuesday). What's not to like? — Jacob Kastrenakes

Jessie Ware — "Keep On Lying"

Jessie Ware is best known for the kind of sultry, slow-burning R&B that’s best played over candlelight dinner with bae. But tucked into Tough Love, her strong sophomore album, there’s "Keep On Lying" — a bubbly little prayer sung on top of a $10 Casio keyboard loop. This love may not be real, Ware sings, but can’t we keep up the illusion a bit longer? Sounds like a fair trade to us. — C.N.

Sleater-Kinney — "Bury Our Friends"

Portlandia’s fifth season might be its last, and Carrie Brownstein is returning to her main gig: Sleater-Kinney is back after nearly a decade-long hiatus, and the band hasn’t lost a step. "Bury Our Friends," the first single from the upcoming No Cities to Love, is a song that manages to be simultaneously sludgey, uptempo, and catchy. Bands getting together after so many years on break often lose their fastball, so we’re glad to hear S-K sounding as good as ever. — N.I.

The Smashing Pumpkins — "Being Beige"

Never let it be said that Billy Corgan isn’t a prolific songwriter — Smashing Pumpkins have two full-length albums ready for release over the next year, with this first track from Monuments to an Elegy arriving this week. It’s notable as the first Smashing Pumpkins song to feature Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, who Corgan started working with for this project. While Corgan’s output over the last decade has been a mixed bag, this song is a strong mash-up of some of the Pumpkins’ best attributes. The gentle, acoustic intro (reminiscent of the sound on 1998’s recently reissued Adore) leads into a powerful, triumphant chorus, with Lee doing his best approximation of former Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. — N.I.