Staff Picks and Good Shit for the Week of October 31

It’s Halloween and the entire Noisey staff dressed up as Pharrell’s big hat. Which would be embarrassing except, sorry not sorry, big hats are never not funny. In all seriousness though, we're boring and not dressed as anything. Not like our girl Katy Perry, above, who is dressed as someone thrilled about her work as a literal walking brand. Here's what the Noisey editors were listening to this week…

Who knew that a Miguel song—especially one as sexy as "Sure Thing"—could get even more sexy? But, here we are, with this E-603 remix that is, well, goddamn. The differences between the tracks are subtle, but what the remix successful does is brings Miguel's voice to the front, a sound that is delicate, effortless, and charming. He makes cliches land like it's the first time you're hearing them: "Even when the sky comes falling / even when the sun don't shine / I've got faith in you and I / so put your pretty little hand in mine." Happy Halloween. Cuff up, y'all.

Eric Sundermann, Managing Editor

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As someone who loves R&B but has been needing more guitars in my life, Nao vs. A.K.Paul's "So Good" has been doing the trick. It's from the same school of sound as Dev Hynes and Kindness; there's squeaky horns, gauzy harmonies, and it has a vaguely 80s swing. It's also by Jai Paul's brother (A.K. Paul) which can't hurt.

Marissa G. Muller, Guest Editor

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This has been a big week for my pals in the band Hop Along. For starters, they signed to Saddle Creek Records and then Frances got to sing on stage with Weezer. It’s a song from Weezer’s new album, so naturally, I’d never heard it before. So if this is a ploy to get me to listen to your new record, Weezer, congrats, it kinda worked. Anyway, Hop Along. They’ll probably put out the best record of 2015.

Dan Ozzi, Editor
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I know I wrote about this tape a couple weeks ago for my Staff Pick, but let me reiterate that this is still Good Shit. And the tape remains part of the conversation because there's been a wave of videos for different songs off it this week. So sorry. Here is a good interview with Birdman to console you. Much like Young Thug himself, I consider this to be the best Rich Gang song. Like a complex puzzle or a classical symphony or the Brooklyn Bridge, it's full of countless individual parts that interlock so seamlessly it feels like a marvel of human accomplishment and engineering. Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan trade off to the point that, until the video came out yesterday, there were several parts where I wasn't totally sure who was singing. There are like 18 parts of the hook, and all of them could be their own song. Even the parts of Rich Homie Quan yelling "yeah n—a yeah!" in the background or Thugger just crooning "flavaaaaaa" and "acreeeeee" in the background are catchy as hell. There are so many little flourishes in here it's impossible to catalog them all, but special acknowledgement is in order for Birdman's verse, as well as for Rich Homie Quan's zingers "Pull up on your ass like a diaper" and "My girl, I love her so much, the money, I let her count it." I'm also a huge fan of Thugger saying "Kendrick, I'ma dive in" and them filtering it like a Kendrick song, Thugger talking about his crew cut T-shirt (I've never been a V-neck guy either), and Thugger saying he's going to buy a rollie and walk into a party full of cool guys (which is a lyric that, even though someone on Twitter pointed out that he's more like saying cougar, I am holding onto because I love the image of that party full of cool guys. Although a party full of cougars sounds chill too, I guess). Anyway, this song is the pinnacle of recorded music thus far, and you should take care to enjoy it.

Kyle Kramer, Editor
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Women was a dope band that reminds me of my college radio days. That's why I was super stoked about former Women members Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace's new band, Viet Cong. Ever since I heard this single, it's all I have been listening to multiple times a day. I really don't want to have to wait until January to hear this entire album so holler at me if you have that leak

Kayla Monetta, Social Producer

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The now-defunct Lil Ugly Mane was not an easy project to be a fan of, but something tells me he liked it that way. The rapper/producer would stack his Three 6 Mafia-indebted mixtapes to the brim with murk and muck, only to punctuate it all with extended bursts of harsh noise. Some of his projects were structured like tapes, with no breaks in the MP3 file, and often his best songs, such as "ON DOING AN EVIL DEED BLUES" and "PASSION SCEPTRE/DERT MYSTERY" were extended suites that lurched forward only to stop and recalibrate, completely changing direction when you'd least expect them to. His was the sort of music you didn't skim through, you pressed "play" and hung on for dear life. "PASSION SCEPTRE/DERT MYSTERY" comes from Lil Ugly Mane's odds and sods collection THE WEEPING WORM, which at $3 on BandCamp is a steal. Buy it.

Drew Millard, Features Editor

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Blackstreet's "No Diggity" might be the perfect song. It's fun and carefree, the sort of thing you'd want to hear as you're leaving the bar to avoid the congestion of last call. It's a song that, up until about a week ago (week ago), I believed could not be improved upon. Thankfully, Que proved me wrong by turning it into a drug ballad with the aid of Problem with "Work In". Que has been quietly bubbling since "OG Bobby Johnson" and "Jungle Fever" tore down any club they were played at, but he's been unfairly ignored as of late as the conversation about Atlanta turns weirder and weirder. Is "Work In" better than "No Diggity"? No. Is it more fun to sing along to? Also, no. But is it more fun than "No Diggity"? Yes, yes it is, if only because it talks about very potent cocaine. And who doesn't love cocaine?

Slava Pastuk, Canadian Editor
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Sometimes I really miss the UK—which Dan Ozzi, who sits next to me will probably roll his eyes at—but I do. I don't miss the shitty weather or the fact that I can't eat whatever I want 24 hours a day, but I do miss endless cups of tea, Hob Nobs, house parties, English slang, and my friends. Also British indie. (Of course when British indie is bad it really fucking stinks.) Teleman are an excellent example of the kind of indie-pop that simply couldn't have emerged from any other country: nimble, a tad fey, and just the right amount of awkward.

Kim Taylor Bennett, Style Editor

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I'm currently in Puerto Rico, and I've heard this song twice. I don't know if this event is one giant cliche or if Frankie Cutlass did actually pen the national anthem.

Fred Pessaro, Editor-in-Chief
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