Staff Picks for the Week of August 22, Featuring Max Bemis of Say Anything

Welcome to our weekly staff picks column, where we, the very attractive-but-approachable Noisey editors, dump out everything we’ve been listening to this week into one convenient pile. With us today to dump onto the pile is Max Bemis, who you probably know as the dude from Say Anything. This dude. Since Max is a guest in our blogging home, we’ll let him kick it off. Take it away, Max…

Clearly the song on this band's new record that they will underplay because it's almost TOO good. To me, it reaches Dookie-ish levels of anthemic teenage rebellion, but the best part: it's done with a sassy wink and a not-unhealthy level of irony. On getting a crappy tattoo: "I want to say 'What's up, Dad.'" RAD.

Max Bemis on Twitter

Even though she hasn't put out a new album in four years, we are clearly living in the Year of Sade. Hardly a week goes by without some new R&B upstart bringing her name into conversation, hoping it will stick as a point of comparison— and, to me, that is totally okay because the stronger Sade's legacy, the better. Sade's Diamond Life is almost always sitting next to my turntable but, this week, I've been listening to her music more than usual. And "By Your Side" has been my go-to Sade song. I have a theory that it's my new favorite because it's one of the tracks I don't remember hearing every Saturday morning on Chicago's old smooth jazz station WNUA-FM, 95.5, (R.I.P), when my mom dragged me with her to work. Instead, I gravitated towards it as an adult and, to be completely honest, only after Gayngs (R.I.P. to them too) covered it in their Daytrotter session four years ago. For me, it's the perfect mix of longing and heartache that a love song should be. So artists can keep pegging themselves as the next Sade all they want but hopefully, in the process, they'll create a song that's half as timeless as this.

Marissa G. Muller, Guest Editor
Marissa on Noisey | Marissa on Twitter

Ever since we dropped the Made In Baltimore episode last week I've fallen down a Bmore Club K-hole. Like yesterday I lost my shit to the Normaling remix of Astrolith (download it for free here), meanwhile this ancient KW Griff track epitomizes the hypnotically awesome qualities of the genre. Now scream it with me: "WE PAY OUR TAXES IN THE CLUB! WE GO TO LIBRARY IN THE CLUB! WE DO EVERYTHING IN THE CLUB! WE NEVER LEAVE THE CLUB!"

Kim Taylor Bennett, Style Editor
Kim on Noisey | Kim on Twitter

Cannot. Stop. Playing. This. Weirdo. Fucking. Song.

Dan Ozzi, Editor
Dan on Noisey | Dan on Twitter

I've suddenly decided that my new favorite type of music is post-hardcore. I asked Dan Ozzi which post-hardcore band I should listen to. He told me to listen to Pianos Become the Teeth. He was not wrong.

Drew Millard, Features Editor

Drew on Noisey | Drew on Twitter

I've been way into Benjamin Booker ever since we premiered his song "Have You Seen My Son" and especially since he came and visited our office and turned out to be the nicest dude ever. I may or may not even have some sweet stuff about him for you guys to read next week. Anyway, his new album came out this week, and it's some of the best rock music I've heard in a long time. He's a hell of a songwriter, and his guitar sounds like he's playing it from an actual swamp. There's such a tense energy in his music, and it pulls off the rare feat of sounding both classic and totally fresh. I can't stop listening to this album.

Kyle Kramer, Editor
Kyle on Noisey | Kyle on Twitter

I'm kind of a creature of habit. I usually do the bulk of my new music listening either on headphones at my desk or at home over my system. But right now I'm in Los Angeles, and when I'm traveling and relying on rental cars to get around, I usually count on classic jams so I can reflect a little and concentrate on the scenery. This time the culprit was bands from Manchester including The Smiths, Stone Roses and especially New Order.

One of my favorite tracks by New Order is technically a Joy Division song and the track sounded particularly great during a scenic stretch of road in SoCal. What a goddamned classic. Here's video of the band performing it at one of their first ever shows in the states, in NYC in 1981.

Fred Pessaro, Noisey, Editor-in-Chief
Fred on Noisey | Fred on Twitter

Earlier this week, I saw the Drake Vs. Lil Wayne tour and it was really sweet. So sweet that Kyle and I wrote roughly a million words about the night. I don't think I need to spill more ink as to why both of these guys are two of my favorite artists, but I will say that seeing Drake again reminded me to put on Take Care. This is an album I listened to on repeat for a four month period and I know every single word. So this is just my friendly reminder that Drake is super sweet and you should listen to it this weekend.

Eric Sundermann, Managing Editor
Eric on Noisey | Eric on Twitter