Staff playlist – Songs to listen to right now

“Faces”
JONATHAN RADO
As half of scatterbrained psych-pop relic Foxygen, guitarist Jonathan Rado grounds lead vocalist Sam Frances’s more rambling oddities with a wistful Kinks vibe, and his new solo album Law and Order follows suit with heartfelt after-tea strummers like “Faces.” This is lazy Sunday makeout music at its coolest.

“Mercy”
TV ON THE RADIO
This is the first single from the Brooklyn band since the death of bassist Gerard Smith in 2011 and their departure from Interscope Records. The sound is reminiscent of tracks from earlier albums Return to Cookie Mountain and Dear Science, and if it’s any indication of what’s to come, the band sounds ready to rock again.

“Byegone”
VOLCANO CHOIR
One of Justin Vernon’s many side projects, Volcano Choir’s first album back in 2009 was more a collage of pretty sounds rather than proper songs. The lead single from Repave, out this month, sounds like a real band, with a rock ballad buildup of guitars and crashing cymbals, and Vernon using his increasingly rare lower register.

“The Wire”
HAIM
Not to be confused with actor Corey Haim, this all-girl trio of sisters from Los Angeles has been blazing a buzz trail thanks to a steady release of a few songs with nonstop hooks and impeccable musicianship. They’ll finally release a debut full-length, Days Are Gone, at the end of this month.