10 best songs of the week: Gucci Mane, Jay Z, The Hotelier

Gucci Mane x ManMan Savage - "Shark In A Building" | Shot by @lakafilms

By: Nate Scott and Charlotte Wilder| May 27, 2016 1:56 pm

This is our weekly recap of the best new songs released each week because Plato said that music gives soul to the universe and wings to the mind and we care deeply about your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Its also not a bad way to start the weekend. Heres a Spotify playlistof the songs (with some substitutions for the ones that arent on Spotify yet) if thats more your speed. Also, heres our collected Spotify playlist of all the songs of the week weve had.

A general warning that many of these songs have explicit lyrics. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. The Hotelier Opening Mail for My Grandmother

Emo music has almost never been taken seriously. Even right at its beginning, emo was cast aside, laughed at. Fans of the genre went as far as torebrand the genre pop punk, whatever that means, and Im as guilty as anyone. But with a slew of new releases that couldnt be characterized as anything but emo, I for one am over hiding my love. Emo music can be spectacular, and few emo albums have been better thanGoodness, the new release from Worcester, Massachusetts The Hotelier. Ive written about one of their songs before, but I wanted to take this week to single outOpening Mail for my Grandmother,an earnest and heartfelt ballad sung in a way I never thought Id hear an earnest and heartfelt ballad sung again. I wasnt ready to say goodbye to emo, it turns out. I cant thankThe Hotelier (and Into It Over It, and others) enough for reminding me of that. Nate Scott

2. Gucci Mane FIRST DAY OUT THA FEDS

Gucci is free,and Gucci is back. The same day hegot out of prison, the Atlanta rapper headed straight to the studio, and a day later, he released this song, aptly titledFIRST DAYOUT THA FEDS. Mike-Will Made Its beat is a typical Mike-Will beat slowed down and deliberate and it works really well with Guccis bars. Big fan. Glad to have you back, Mr. Mane. Charlotte Wilder

3. Dinosaur Jr. Tiny

As long as J Mascis keeps playing the guitar like this, I will keep listening to him. It never gets old. I will never get tired of that sound. Dont even worry about it, J. Just keep doing what you do. Youre a treasure. Nate Scott

4. Wildes Illuminate

Ill admit that the reason I initially listened to this song is because its by Wildes, and Wildes soundsvery much likeWilder, which is my last name. But the reason I kept listening to Illuminate, and have listened to it several times since, is because Wildes (the stage name of London-based Ella Walker) voice is haunting, her range incredible. Itll mean nothing without you, she sings almost howls over a slow, driving beat. Its beautiful. It makes you ache. Charlotte Wilder

5. Cymbals Eat Guitars Wish

Cymbals Eat Guitars are one of my favorite bands making music today, and their last album LOSE remains one of my favorite albums of the last decade. And on their new song, they are getting funky. Funky is not an adjective I thought Id ever use to describe Cymbals Eat Guitars they usually hang in the epic loud and massive lane but hey, if they want to slap a grimy sax over a funky bass and keybord line, Im not going to complain. Nate Scott

6. Fat Joe, Remy Ma, JAY Z All The Way Up (Remix)

You know you made it when the fact your marriage made it is worth millions, Lemonade is a popular drink and it still is, Jay Z raps on the remix of All The Way Up.Thisis the first thing hes said rapped, rather in responseto the rumors of his infidelity that swirled after his wifeBeyonc released Lemonade,which appeared to be a scathing indictment that her very famous husbandhad cheated on her. But how isAll The Way Up (Remix) as a song, rather than a statement? Good.Listen to it. Charlotte Wilder

7. Flume You Know (feat. Allan Kingdom and Raekwon)

Flume makes weird electronic music that usually has one or two moments, seeming to come out of nowhere, that will knock you over with their beauty. This is a quivering, bizarre track that eventually settles down, and then Raekwon comes in. Yep. Yep yep yep. Nate Scott

8.Honey Radar Caterpiller

I cant remember how I stumbled across Honey Radar, but Im so glad I did. They sound a little bit like The Beatles later stuff and a lot like The Rolling Stones theres a ton of reverb on the vocals, and the rock beats are pretty straightforward. But Honey Radar is also a little bit wonderfully weird: Some of the songs on their new album, Blank Cartoon, are under a minute long, and feature nothing but a few different notes played one at a time. Its definitely an album best listened to in full, but Caterpilleris one of my favorites. Charlotte Wilder

9. Band of Horses Solemn Oath

Band of Horses have yet to top their stunningly good 2007 album Cease to Begin (that album would be a highlight for just about any band), but they still can write and record a song. Solemn Oath is a rocker that has quiet moments, allowing Ben Bridwells trademark falsetto to ring out pure. Nate Scott

10. Mistah F.A.B Up Until Then (Feat.Boosie Badazz and Iamsu!)

This is just one of the great tracks off Mistah F.A.B.s new album, Son of a Pimp, Part 2, which dropped on Friday. Hes from Oakland, and one of the songs, which I included in this weekly round-up a few weeks ago, features an incredible verse from Kendrick Lamar. I love the beat of this song it reminds me of an early 2000s song. Careful, though: The phrase up until then will probably get stuck in your head after you hear this. Charlotte Wilder

flume, FTW Songs of the Week, Gucci Mane, Jay-Z, mistah f.a.b., Songs of the Week, wildes, Culture

Source: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/05/10-best-songs-of-the-week-gucci-mane-jay-z-the-hotelier