Staff Playlist – Songs to listen to right now

“Tap Out” THE STROKES

Do the roles of elder statesmen fit this NYC five-piece as well as their once-iconic Chuck Taylors and skinny ties? On the band’s fifth album Comedown Machine, the scruffy rockers, now in their 30s, use this lead track to show they’re still masters of taking vintage sounds—in this case an Off the Wall-era Michael Jackson groove—and blasting them into the future.

“Suit & Tie” (feat. Jay-Z) JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

JT brings sexy back again with this suave number from new album The 20/20 Experience that blends modern-day R&B with old-school 1970s soul for a breezy, rhythmic groove. Jay-Z’s verse doesn’t exactly elevate the track, but the presence of “HOV” never hurts, either.

“Retrograde” JAMES BLAKE

He’s gone from a producer of sneaky, quirky beats to a songwriter with surprisingly soulful vocals and an electronic style all his own. Blake’s familiar brassy synths are here on this first single from Overgrown, released this month, along with a muffled piano bass line as he stretches his R&B falsetto, singing, “Ignore everybody else, we’re alone now.”

“How Long?” HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS

Trent Reznor is still making a mark on the post-industrial/electronica genre even without Nine Inch Nails. The sound remains distinctly Reznor, but with a softer spin thanks to his wife, vocalist Mariqueen Maandig.