Hi everyone. Anthony Fantano here, internet's busiest music nerd. It is time for a Weekly Track Roundup. My thoughts, my opinions, my feelings on a bunch of tracks that have dropped over the last week or so.

It has been a minute since we've done one of these, kind of took a break for the holiday weekend, but we are back and we have tracks. Hopefully you get some good recommendations.

Worst tracks of the week.

We have a couple of those.

New Mountain Goats, "Candlebox." I have for the most part been looking forward to this new Mountain Goats record, but I do not get the instrumental direction on this track. And I've seen John and company take the band in so many stylistic directions over the years. But this song just kind of sounds like, it just sounds like a Fun. song. You know, like Fun 'period,' Fun 'dot,' like the defunct band Fun. It just sounds like a Fun. song, which is not really a sound I feel like I want the Mountain Goats to be giving us at all in any way whatsoever. I just don't really feel like it complements the urgency and the gravity of John's lyrics. But, here we are, not really a huge fan of this particular track.

Also not really big on this track from Green Day, which is going to be obviously featured on the Nimrods soundtrack, which is a cinematic retelling of the story of Green Day. A Green Day comedy, I guess, they're calling it. And yeah, this kind of has like a weird little rockabilly kind of twist to it and sounds really hokey. Not a big fan, but I don't think it's taking itself that seriously anyway.

Meh.

You might like them more than me, even if not blown away by them. They're still worth shouting out, they are as follows. Here we go.

We have a new one from Wet Leg. They have been dropping lots of remixes, extra tracks from this new, kind of like deluxe edition of their latest full-length LP, "hi from me." It's a pretty low-key rocker. It's all right. It's fine. I could see why it's an extra, but I can also see why it's worth sharing after the album drop. So it's fine. It's more Wet Leg.

We also have more from The Last Dinner Party over here, a track that also feels a little, kind of like skeletal, a little scant, a little lacking, but you know, at the end of the day, it's more Last Dinner Party. It's fine. It's cool. I could imagine sort of like a more done-up production where the final version of the track is maybe a bit more interesting and dramatic and exciting to listen to, but look, if you're up for some extra The Last Dinner Party, here you have it.

We also have Open Mike Eagle and Kenny Segal from their forthcoming DOOMED! album. This track they have decided to treat us to, "Watching a Movie Called Freedom by Myself," is the closing track to this forthcoming album, and it's a very tough sell as a single. I guess that's why I'm a little kind of on the fence with it. It's very cerebral. It's very low-key, but simultaneously it is kind of stereotypically very dour and very sort of like slow, like a lot of finale and closing tracks happen to be on a lot of records. It's just strange as a single, you know, might work better in the context of the album. In fact, I'm kind of anticipating that's going to be the case, but here we go.

Also, new one from Interpol over here, "Iron City." It is a spacey, dreamy, moody piece of indie rock with of course a lot of glockenspiel. Sometimes the atmosphere and the effects a little overdone, but it's not a bad track overall for sure.

Also we have Ibibio Sound Machine who are treating us to a very cute, kissy number with some funky drums that I think are really the selling point of the track. "Give Me Peace" is the name of this cut.

Also got one from Getdown Services, "Cha Cha Slide," which has some cute lyrics on it for sure. A bit of an alt and indie rock throwback on this one.

Genesis Owusu, who's also treating us to extra from his last full-length album cycle. This one has an overt dancey indie-tronic feel. It's swoopy hair, it's tight jeans, it's American Apparel hoodies all over again. It's not bad. I could see why it doesn't fit into the overall vibe of the new album in terms of its messaging. But definitely in terms of some of its influences, it makes sense for within this era for Genesis. And it's cool that it got shared. Bit of a dance floor number.

We've also got Dinosaur Jr., who are back, new album on the way. First taste of it comes by way of this song, "Several Got Away." And yeah, of course, it's kind of a bit of a slackery, fuzzy, low-key indie rock track that is kind of Dinosaur Jr. sticking to their guns.

We've also got one over here that I'm a little on the fence with from, of course, Cage the Elephant, "Beaches in Tennessee." Of course, a bit of a vintage rocker, but produced and presented in such a way to where it's kind of put together and assembled in the doll like a pop song. It's got a very, very in-your-face earworm hook, but I don't know if I'm too sold on it, honestly.

Also Beyoncé, this new one over here, this "MORNING DEW (DONK)" track has a bit of an old school R&B flavor to it. Although the kind of weird "donk" chorus refrain of it, I don't know if I'm totally sold on. I could see why it's kind of like a loosie that's getting thrown out there randomly because it's produced well enough and there's some really good vocal harmonies on it that I think are worth sharing, but simultaneously it's not her best songwriting for sure.

We've also got Anthrax who have seen fit to treat us to a really lengthy one on this "Edge of Perfection" track. Like, there are some thrashy moments on it for sure, but mostly this feels like a very progressive, slow, alt-metal anthem with a lot of dramatic lead vocals. And it's not necessarily what I'm looking for from Anthrax in this era. Certainly not as kick-ass as the last single, but hey, changing up a little bit, showing some ambition, showing some emotional depth on this track, I guess you could say. It's not too bad.

The best tracks of the week.

Of course, those are as follows, and we have quite a few, so pay attention.

Digging on this new one from, of course, the good people over at Westside Cowboy, who are giving us some old school alt rock flavors on this new track of theirs. It's a bop for sure. "Pinup Boys" is the title of it.

Also liking this new one from Rico Nasty, "Cupcake." This new era is going to have, of course, Kenny Beats in the mix here and there. This one has like almost a sugar trap, very synthy, bright, upbeat, you know, trap flavor to it from her earlier career. Really liking the energy. It's chaotic and fun at the same time.

Also digging on this new one from Rebecca Black, "Hot Wet Delirious," who's bringing us big Britney vibes, big Pussycat Doll vibes with a lot of vocal versatility, a lot of booming and insane production on this. She just gets more and more ambitious with each new single and album cycle, that's for sure.

We also have one from the Sharp Pins over here who are giving us a bit of a, kind of a lo-fi mod rocker. Very cute. It's a mod, mod world anthem for sure. Lots of raw, catchy guitar riffs and a good attitude. Very fun, very lighthearted.

Also digging on this new one from Mock Media, "Mock City Rock." Whoa, this one has a fun, like, old-school English kind of punk rock feel to it with big group vocal from front to back, "The book city book." Like, it's so goddamn addictive and catchy. Lots of floor tom, lots of great riffs, lots of shouty vocals, like I said, and a great energy all around. Looking forward to their forthcoming album over here, which will be dropping soon.

We have also Girl Talk teaming up with Michael Christmas and Chris Crack on this new track over here. Apparently there's going to be more to come with this strange but, very cohesive crossover from all these guys. It's booming. It's witty, it's lyrical, it's got a good attitude about it. Really liking this mix-up vending machine, charcuterie board, a bit of a tongue-in-cheek title there, of course. And the mood flows throughout the entire track.

We've also got a new one over here from L'Rain, who treated us to a very surprising, very heavy, loud rock-oriented single with the last teaser for this forthcoming album. More rock vibes on this newest track over here, and also kind of a linear progression too, but doesn't so much get super loud and intense toward the end, the more it goes along, the more psychedelic, and sort of like trippy and drippy it gets as it goes along. A lot more sonic depth. And, you know, again, interest is piqued. L'Rain definitely evolving creatively pretty rapidly between these two projects that we've gotten in quick succession. "Borderline" is the name of this one.

Also Koreatown Oddity, "Ragu & Prego," treating us to some absurd, witty, funny, creative oddball lyricism on this new track for sure. Looking forward to what he's going to be doing in the very near future.

Of course, also enjoying Imogen Heap teaming up with Jon Hopkins, kind of a match made in heaven on this track, believe it or not. Imogen Heap's explorative, angelic, beautiful soaring vocals over Jon Hopkins' hypnotic and entrancing, sort of like, you deep house progressions, it works really well. I mean, there's not really any notes I can give it. You know, it does really kind of like ask a lot of you in terms of like relaxing and really chilling out and letting the music do what it's gonna do. But once you kind of allow it to wash over you, it's quite beautiful and immersive, that's for sure.

We've also got King Gizzard who are also hitting us with some electronic music for this forthcoming album cycle of theirs; "Level 5" is the name of our first taste of this new era. It's got a lot of break beats, very Prodigy-flavored, I would say, like a little Chemical Brothers as well. But of course, like those trademark psychedelic, strange, and unnerving King Gizzard lyrics and vocals that I feel like are kind of like their calling card at this point and make it truly feel like a King Gizzard song, even though for the most part, like, with the revving bass and, you know, some of the stuttering synths, it does really feel like an EDM-type production. I mean, they're really committing to the bit and doing it quite tastefully, I'll say that.

We have a new one from Fat Dog over here, "Cancel Me (I'm Tired)." It's a bit of a synthy, alternative dance bop, I would say. Great production, killer beats, awesome synth work, and hilarious kind of premise for the lyrics, and the entire idea of the song as well. Fat Dog sounding as good as ever in this new era.

We have Eartheater over here with a totally immersive, beautifully angelically sung new single, which I mean, I'll be real, is stunning as hell. "Crown Jewel" is the title of it. Make sure to give this one a spin. It's definitely for the art pop girlies.

We have "PEN I S MALL" from Chat Pile, which the vocal performance on this frightened me. This is like their loudest and freakiest and most unnerving song ever, point blank period. Possibly one of their best songs, like top three, top five Chat Pile song for sure, hands down, no question; bests some of my favorite tracks from their debut. Just an amazing moment. And some guitar riffs that I would say are hugely Korn-influenced. Like, this is not only one of their best tracks ever, craziest and most unhinged, but like, it's one of their most nu metal-flavored songs ever. And I feel like there's some fans that won't be super ready to admit that, but believe me, the influence is there. Don't be a wuss.

We also have Daniel Avery, who's giving us one of his hardest beats ever on this new single over here, which goes absolutely freaking crazy. "Lemon," of course, is the title of the track. I mean, the progression is a little one note at points, but the beat and the groove is so goddamn good, it doesn't need to vary up too much.

We also have Alabama Shakes who are hitting us with another taste of this new era for them. And of course, you know, Brittany Howard and company are sounding amazing per usual. It's great rock/soul fusion, amazing vocals, great drum work, you know, tasteful production all around. Really excited for this new era from them. And I feel like that is pretty much it. "I Feel Hope Coming" is the name of the track, of course.

That's everything we needed to go over for this Weekly Track Roundup. Again, all the tracks I talked about linked down below. You guys are the best, and I will talk to you again very soon.

Weekly tracks forever.