Essential Tracks This Week: Ty Segall, Sextile, and more
Because we didn’t do an Essential Tracks roundup, this week’s is just a little bit longer than usual. So enjoy the extended version, featuring seven new songs to add to the queue, including another banger from Ty Segall, a bonus track from Nilüfer Yanya, some soul, some industrial dance, and more.
Ty Segall – “Possession”
Ty Segall is wowing fans with acoustic sets on his current tour through the U.S., but the release of “Possession” is making us antsy for him to get the band back together and jam into oblivion once again. This song captures Segall at the top of his game; it’s a gloriously syncopated tune that effortlessly provokes head-bobbing and foot-tapping. “A bible placed beside the butter by a farmer of misfortune in the winter” sounds like a line that Kurt Cobain might’ve scribbled in his journal. But Segall executes this composition in a far brighter and shinier manner than Nirvana ever would. – Kurt Orzeck
From Possession, out May 30 via Drag City
Sextile – “Women Respond to Bass”
Once again, Los Angeles-based electronic punk band Sextile, part of the NFAC (Not F*cking Around Crew), is showing their determination and creativity. The title alone, “Women Respond to Bass,” is a genius choice—it serves as an anthem, mantra, slogan, and war cry, all rolled into one catchy hook. Sextile’s Melissa Scaduto describes it as a “sassy strutter for the girls, gays, and theys.” If you hold on until two-thirds of the way through the heatrock, you’ll hear the addition of a woodblock amidst the snarling chaos of industrial techno drums and playful vocals. Undeniably a DJ set disrupter, just waiting to go off. “No more teeth / Life is bleak / Fuck your dollar,” indeed. – John-Paul Shiver
From yes, please, out May 2 via Sacred Bones
Nilufer Yanya – “Cold Heart”
“Cold Heart” is the latest in Nilüfer Yanya’s low-stakes indietronica-laden career, and with every passing year, she improves by burrowing deeper into her niche. This track was written either before or during My Method Actor (one of last year’s best albums) yet only recently assumed form after Yanya and her co-writer Wilma Archer returned to it following their tours throughout 2024. It continues her arc toward more insular music as she lays trip-hop percussion underneath twinkly synths. But Yanya has never been, and still isn’t, a bedroom act. Her voice carries weight, mostly due to her plainspoken presence. On “Cold Heart,” she turns in an astral performance, as if she exists between the layers of production, and sounds entirely at peace. – Colin Dempsey
Out now.
MSPAINT – “Angel”
The first single from MSPAINT’s upcoming No Separation EP finds the Mississippi band armed with a more polished production that brings out the grooves in a more accessible manner. That sometimes felt like the missing piece on their previous work, which has finally snapped into place and finds the band poised to capture the ears of a larger audience. The rapped vocals can’t help but draw comparisons to their Adidas-clad forefathers, but they’ve assembled a more atmospheric backdrop for the lyrics to flow over. For those seeking something a little less mainstream than Turnstile’s recent tracks, the ambiance MSPAINT conjure here might be more to your liking. – Wil Lewellyn
From No Separation, out May 23 via Convulse
Rival Consoles – “Known Shape”
UK producer Ryan Lee West, a.k.a. Rival Consoles, captures lightning in a bottle on this, the latest selection from his upcoming Landscape From Memory record due on July 4. He draws an immeasurably fine line between alluring and haunting electronic music here, creating percussive beats by dabbling with switches and synths. It’s no wonder that West decided to release this song now; he’s about to embark on a tour building anticipation for the new LP, and to sit on this addictive track would be akin to not cashing in a winning lottery ticket. – Kurt Orzeck
From Landscape From Memory, out July 4 via Erased Tapes
Space Ghost & Teddy Bryant – “Majestic Fantasies”
Space Ghost, aka Sudi Wachspress, is staple in the Bay Area dance music scene, and ever since the launch of his Peace World Records imprint, more and more people are starting to get it. He’s teamed up with vocalist Teddy Bryant for the next release, “Majestic Fantasies,” which focuses on late ’80s and early 90s-sounding projects that possess that swing. Through the prism of R&B, UK Street Soul, House, and g-funk, both artists polish up what seems to be a trend these days, but for the discerning listener, it never could go out of style. I mean, Teddy Riley, Jam & Lewis, Carl McIntosh, and DeVante Swing? Legends. The lead track, “Majestic Fantasies,” puts listeners at ease with that vintage sound and refined Space Ghost touch. – John-Paul Shiver
Out now
Ruby Francis – “Helicopter”
A serious low-end theory barely lets this “Helicopter” off the ground, and that’s okay. The British R&B singer and DJ sticks with a formula that’s made her pop up on in-the-know lists overseas and here in the States. But this sweet, sticky, booming lullaby, Francis cooing “I’ve got a kiss for you” over that earth-shattering kick? She’s sorted a formula that’s in the red and working. – John-Paul Shiver
Out now
