TL;DR
Get audio and creator gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Stereogum’s staff selected five songs for its weekly roundup: tracks by Bloodsports, smush, Fire-Toolz, Crate and Sufjan Stevens. The list spans shoegaze, experimental electronic music and a new Christmas song from Stevens; the source does not specify the roundup’s publication date.
Stereogum’s staff has named five songs among its best new tracks of the week, selecting releases by Bloodsports, smush, Fire-Toolz, Crate and Sufjan Stevens. The roundup highlights music ranging from shoegaze and fuzzy guitar rock to experimental electronic sounds, and includes what the publication describes as Stevens’ first Christmas song in 15 years.
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. Stereogum says its staff chooses five new songs each week, with the eligibility period running from one Thursday night to the next, just before midnight.
The entries pair brief musical assessments with details about the artists’ stated intentions. Bloodsports’ track draws on the story of baseball player Joe Sprinz, who was injured attempting to catch a ball dropped from a blimp. Smush singer and bassist Emily Borrowman describes “john dearly” as a song about feeling like a child in early adulthood. Fire-Toolz artist Angel Marcloid says her track reflects a relationship from her youth and the passage from childhood into adolescence.
Stereogum characterizes Crate’s “Crushed To Nothing” as a shoegaze power ballad ahead of the Brooklyn band’s full-length debut, which the roundup says was due the following week. The Stevens song, meanwhile, is presented as a return to holiday music. The publication calls it his first Christmas song in 15 years and connects its tender, sad tone to his description of the project as “a Christmas apology.”
Five Tracks Across Different Sounds
The roundup gives readers a compact guide to five new releases selected by Stereogum’s staff, rather than a chart based on sales, streams or audience voting. Its value lies in putting artists with distinct approaches side by side: Crate’s distorted guitar sound, smush’s energetic indie rock, and Fire-Toolz’s combination of electronic and metal elements all appear alongside Stevens’ quieter holiday song.
For readers following the artists, the list also flags near-term developments. Stereogum says Crate’s debut album was expected the following week, while the Stevens selection marks his return to Christmas music after a long gap, according to the publication. The list itself does not establish how widely the songs have been heard or how they performed commercially.
Products Worth Considering
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones, Silver
Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), Wireless Over-Ear Noise-Cancelling Headphones, Eucalyptus Green
Samsung Odyssey G93SC 49-Inch QD-OLED Curved Gaming Monitor
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Stereogum Makes Its Picks
Stereogum describes the feature as a weekly staff selection, with songs eligible during a period that begins and ends on Thursdays shortly before midnight. The publication directs readers to hear the selections in the article and on its weekly Favorite New Music Spotify playlist.
It also says subscribers can access an expanded playlist of new music picks on Spotify and Apple Music, updated throughout the week. The five-song feature is therefore one part of a wider editorial music-curation effort; the source does not provide a formal scoring system or explain how staff resolve differences in opinion.
““being in your early adulthood and still feeling like a child””
— Emily Borrowman, smush singer and bassist, as quoted by Stereogum
What the List Does Not Measure
The source does not state the roundup’s publication date, identify a specific calendar week, or give release dates for all five songs. It also does not disclose a ranking method beyond saying staff members choose five songs, so the order should not be read as a quantified score or audience ranking.
The article’s descriptions of the music and its significance are Stereogum’s editorial judgments. The source offers no streaming figures, sales data, chart positions or independent measures of reception. Its note that Crate’s album was due the following week is relative to the roundup and does not confirm whether the release ultimately arrived on schedule.
Playlists and Crate’s Album
Readers can listen to the five tracks through Stereogum’s article and its Favorite New Music playlist on Spotify. The publication says the playlist is updated weekly, while its expanded subscriber playlist on Spotify and Apple Music is updated throughout the week.
The roundup also points to Crate’s forthcoming full-length debut, which it said was due the following week. The source does not provide a specific release date or later status, so readers will need a separate announcement from the band or label for confirmation of its release.
Key Questions
Which songs made Stereogum’s weekly list?
The five picks 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 five songs?
Stereogum says its staff chooses five new songs each week. The eligibility period begins and ends on Thursdays just before midnight; the source does not describe a scoring system.
Where can readers hear the selections?
The songs are available through the article and Stereogum’s Favorite New Music Spotify playlist. The publication also offers subscribers an expanded playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.
What is the news about Sufjan Stevens’ song?
Stereogum identifies “On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)” as Stevens’ first Christmas song in 15 years and says he described his return to holiday music as “a Christmas apology.”
When was the roundup published?
The supplied source does not give a publication date or named week. It describes the feature as a weekly list and says its eligibility period runs Thursday to Thursday.
Source: stereogum.com
