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Stereogum’s latest weekly roundup names five tracks as its picks for the best new songs: releases by Bloodsports, Smush, Fire-Toolz, Crate and Sufjan Stevens. The selections span shoegaze, experimental electronics, indie rock and holiday music; the source does not provide release dates or chart data for each song.
Stereogum has named five songs as its picks for the best new music of the week, selecting tracks by Bloodsports, Smush, Fire-Toolz, Crate and Sufjan Stevens. The publication’s staff chooses the songs from music released during a weekly eligibility period that runs from Thursday to just before midnight the following Thursday.
The list ranges from Bloodsports’ “Ten Thousand Feet”, which contributor Margaret describes as ominous and hypnotic, to Smush’s “john dearly,” an angsty indie-rock song that contributor Danielle says pairs colorful, fuzzy guitars with an energetic finish. The write-ups offer the staff’s critical responses rather than rankings based on sales, streams or audience voting.
Fire-Toolz’s “Clustered Around My Opening!” is presented as a brief, multi-part track combining new age synths, prog-rock guitar, glitchy beats, jazz fusion and black metal vocals. Artist Angel Marcloid describes the song as reflecting both darkness and light in a relationship and the shift from childhood to adolescence. The roundup also includes Crate’s “Crushed To Nothing,” which contributor Chris calls a shoegaze power ballad ahead of the Brooklyn band’s full-length debut, described in the article as due the following week.
The final selection is Sufjan Stevens’ “On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better).” The article characterizes it as his first Christmas song in 15 years and says Stevens has called his return to holiday music “a Christmas apology.” Contributor Tom highlights its tender vocal, guitar figure and lightly glitchy effects. Stereogum says readers can hear the selections in the article and on its weekly-updated Favorite New Music Spotify playlist.
Five Picks Span Distinct Sounds
The roundup gives readers a compact guide to five recent releases that Stereogum’s staff considers noteworthy, with selections covering markedly different approaches to songwriting and production. The range—from shoegaze and indie rock to experimental electronic music and a seasonal song—makes the list useful to listeners looking beyond one genre or a single chart.
The selections also connect new releases to broader artist developments. Stereogum places Crate’s new single ahead of the band’s forthcoming debut album and frames Stevens’ track as a return to Christmas music after a long gap. Those details provide a reason to follow what the artists release next, though the list does not establish how the songs are performing commercially or how listeners have responded.
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How Stereogum Makes Its Weekly List
Stereogum describes the feature as a weekly staff selection, not a chart or a public vote. Its eligibility window begins and ends on Thursdays just before midnight, according to the publication. The supplied article does not give the exact dates covered by this particular edition.
The publication also points readers to its Favorite New Music Spotify playlist, updated weekly. It says subscribers can access an expanded playlist of new music picks on Spotify and Apple Music, with that version updated throughout the week. The five songs in this roundup are the staff’s selected highlights from that broader process.
““being in your early adulthood and still feeling like a child””
— Emily Borrowman, singer and bassist in Smush, as quoted by Stereogum
Release Dates and Reception Details
The supplied roundup does not state its publication date or the precise weekly eligibility dates, so the period covered cannot be established from the source material alone. It also offers no streaming figures, sales numbers, chart positions or audience-response data; “best” refers to Stereogum’s editorial selection, not a measured ranking.
The article says Crate’s full-length debut was expected the following week, but the supplied text does not identify an album release date or confirm whether that schedule changed. Further release and tour details for the featured artists are not included.
Follow the Artists’ Next Releases
Readers can hear the five tracks through the weekly Favorite New Music playlist linked by Stereogum. The publication says it updates the playlist weekly and maintains a larger subscriber playlist on Spotify and Apple Music that changes throughout the week.
The roundup points to Crate’s forthcoming full-length as a near-term release, though its exact date is not supplied. Stereogum’s next weekly list will follow the publication’s stated Thursday-to-Thursday eligibility schedule; the article provides no further announcements about the next edition.
Key Questions
Which five songs did Stereogum select?
The selections are “Ten Thousand Feet” by Bloodsports, “john dearly” by Smush, “Clustered Around My Opening!” by Fire-Toolz, “Crushed To Nothing” by Crate and “On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)” by Sufjan Stevens.
How does Stereogum choose its songs of the week?
Stereogum says its staff selects five new songs each week. The eligibility period runs from Thursday to just before midnight the following Thursday, according to the publication.
Are the five songs ranked?
The supplied article presents five staff picks but does not describe a ranked order. It is an editorial roundup, not a chart based on streams, sales or public voting.
Where can listeners hear the selections?
Stereogum says the tracks are available in the article and on its Favorite New Music Spotify playlist, which it updates weekly. Subscribers can also access an expanded playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.
Source: stereogum.com
