It’s a mess, but there’s nothing else like it. At the link in bio, see where Take Care—a lonely, insecure, and chaotically honest time capsule of Drake at his most creative and most emotionally unfulfilled—lands on our list of the 100 best rap albums of all time.
"Smerz" is shorthand for the German phrase for heartbreak. It's also the stage name of Norwegian duo Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt, who create uncanny electronic pop music that will make you feel like the coolest girl in an Oslo club.
Back in 2017, we profiled the duo after the release of their debut EP—head to the link in bio to learn more about their past musical lives (choir singing), inspirations (Jamie xx’s Gil Scott-Heron remix album), and side hustles ("a summer job in the mountains in Norway where I dance at a waterfall for tourists who are taking a train”).
📷 by Ebru Yildiz
Popular thinking has it that the 1960s ended with Altamont, the Manson killings, or the Beatles’ split. But Let It Bleed, the Rolling Stones’ eighth album released in Britain, could also make a strong claim to killing the decade’s dream. Released at the end of 1969, it brilliantly captures the ’60s fantasy turned dark, more blood in the streets than flowers in the hair. See where the album lands on our list of the 200 best albums of the 1960s at the link in bio.
For this week's Saturday Track, we’re looking back at the neotraditionalist Kentucky singer Keith Whitley's last single before his tragic death—an ode to perseverance that captured a glimpse of the elemental. Read our review of "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" at the link in bio.
📷 Getty Images
The guitarist Jeff Parker and his fellow improvisers in the ETA IVtet demonstrate mind-meld rapport and roof-raising intensity on a pair of side-long cuts recorded at L.A.’s Lodge Room last summer. Read our review of "Happy Today" at the link in bio.
Drake and Sexyy Red's "Cheetah Print" is named Best New Track 🏆 Get ready to “Cha Cha Slide” on the standout from MAID OF HONOUR. Read our review at the link in bio.
Nick Valensi is dropping out of an unspecified portion of the Strokes’ upcoming performances. He will be replaced by Longwave frontman Steve Schiltz. Read more about the move at the link in bio. 📷 Getty Images
Happy New Music Friday. At the link in bio, see the 15 new albums you should listen to now, including Kevin Morby's Little Wide Open.
📷 by Chantal Anderson
Tapping Florida’s DJ Frisco954 for a fast music take on pain rap, Drake’s got a great idea with some familiar downsides on the first track off HABIBTI. Read our review of "Rusty Intro" at the link in bio.
