Best new songs to stream: The National, Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett, and more

Every week, there are thousands of new songs hitting the airwaves — and it’s just too much for your two ears to handle. With all those options, you can’t be wasting your time on tracks that deserve a thumbs-down click — you want the best new songs to stream right now.

But don’t worry, we’re going to save you the hassle. We listen to some of the most-hyped and interesting songs each week, and tell you which are worthy of your precious listening time.

Here are our five best new songs to stream this week. And don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for a playlist of our weekly picks, which can also be found at the bottom of this post. Not sure which streaming service is best for you? Check out our post about the best music streaming services, or go in depth and learn the differences between Apple Music and Spotify to better weigh your options.

The National — Day I Die

The National are gearing up for their upcoming album Sleep Well Beast — out September 8 — by releasing three new singles to whet fans’ appetites. Out favorite, Day I, Die uses a tom-filled drumbeat and descriptive vocals to create a fun rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere — just the sort of of forward-leaning tune that helped vault the popular band to international acclaim in the first place.

Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett — Over Everything

Indie rock giants Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett join forces on Over Everything, a fun and wordy song propelled by a punchy bass line and layered electric guitars. Barnett and Vile trade places in the included music video, singing each others’ parts in various locales.

DJ Kay Slay — Cold Summer (featuring Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and Kevin Gates)

Kendrick Lamar leads off the latest single from DJ Kay Slay with a heavy-hitting verse about responsibility and work ethic, followed by verses from Mac Miller and Kevin Gates that share similar hardworking perspectives. The three famous rappers are just a few of DJ Kay Slay’s recruits for the producer’s upcoming album The Big Brother, out September 22). Other songs will feature Rick Ross, Jay Rock, 2 Chainz, Busta Rhymes, and more.

Wolf Parade — You’re Dreaming

Wolf Parade‘s new single, You’re Dreaming, is a driving rock song that will quickly have you moving your feet like the animated man in the song’s music video. Full of cool keyboard and guitar tones, the Canadian rockers’ lyrically dark song was written about the aftermath of the 2016 election, but its upbeat musical energy somehow creates a desire to work on yourself and your community.

OCS (Oh Sees) — Memory of a Cut Off Head

Popular psych-rockers Oh Sees have a long and prolific history of recorded output, having recently released their 19th studio album in two decades, Orc. As usual, fans can expect even more new music soon, with frontman John Dwyer announcing the band’s next album, Memory of a Cut Off Head, will be out in November. The newly released title track is a return to form for the band that features past band member Brigid Dawson. It relies heavily on beautiful folksy melodies instead of shredding guitar energy.

That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more songs to stream, and check out the playlist loaded with our recent selections below:

‘Metroid: Samus Returns’ trailers show action-packed gameplay and new abilities

Why it matters to you

After disappointing receptions for the last two games, Nintendo hopes to return one of their flagship franchises to its former glory.

Leading up to the launch of the highly anticipated 3DS game, Nintendo has unleashed a couple of new Metroid: Samus Returns trailers that show Samus in action. The first is a TV commercial with the tagline “Summoning All Heroes.” The second, at more than four minutes long, explores some of the new gameplay elements and additions to the game.

A remake of the original Game Boy classic Metroid II: Return of Samus, the new game features 3-D graphic enhancements and a vibrant color palette. It’s still the side-scrolling blaster you remember though, with numerous items to collect and new areas to explore. It should play great on the 3DS, with the map continuously available for reference on the lower screen. There’s even a limited-edition Metroid 3DS XL console available featuring the armored space mercenary ready for action on the front.

In addition to the legendary bounty hunter’s familiar arsenal such as the Morph Ball and Space Jump, Samus now has a melee counter ability and free aim with her blaster. She also has access to some new “Aeion” abilities, which are powered by a separate energy meter that replenishes over time.

• Scan Pulse: Check your surroundings for hidden paths.
• Lightning Armor: Repel physical attacks with temporary invincibility.
• Beam Burst: A super destructive blaster with triple beams.
• Phase Drift: Slows down time in the immediate area.

Samus Returns also has Amiibo support, with the figures unlocking bonuses like extra Aeion energy and a gallery of original Metroid artwork, as well as a more challenging “Fusion” difficulty level after beating the game. Some fans, however, aren’t so happy that the most challenging difficulty can only be accessed by purchasing the Amiibo figure.

The packaging for the Special Edition of the game includes a novel feature – you can flip the packaging to display the original cover art for Metroid II: Return of Samus from 1991. The Special Edition also includes the game soundtrack on CD.

Nintendo has promised that the adventures of Samus Aran won’t end here. As revealed at E3 2017, a brand-new Metroid game for the Nintendo Switch is in development, but won’t see the light of day until 2018.

Metroid: Samus Returns will be available for the Nintendo 3DS on September 15, 2017.

Leave your wallet at home and pay with smiles at this KFC in China

Why it matters to you

Smile to Pay is just another example of China expanding its use of facial recognition software by businesses and government agencies.

You won’t have to worry about having your wallet at this KFC store in Hangzhou, China. All you have to do is pay with a smile … literally. Yum China Holdings Inc, the biggest Chinese fast food chain, has created the “Smile to Pay” facial recognition system at a KFC restaurant located in Hangzhou called KPro. No cash, credit cards, or even smartphones are necessary.

Diners at this establishment will place their order at a kiosk which scans their face, analyzing more than 600 facial features. Once it matches with the image on the photo ID stored in its system, the customer then types in their phone number and just like that, the payment transaction goes through. This type of tech will certainly come in handy if you’re the type to always leave your wallet at home.

The system being used here is based on Alipay, which is a digital payment platform from Ant Financial. Alipay has more than 500 million users across the globe and it lets people to sign into its Chinese app by using facial recognition. Smile to Pay is just another step forward for China when it comes to facial recognition technology being used by businesses and government agencies. Ant Financial, who created the facial recognition software, also wants everyone to know that Smile to Pay is totally secure and safe to use.

“Combined with a 3D camera and liveness detection algorithm, Smile to Pay can effectively block spoofing attempts using other people’s photos or video recordings and ensure account safety,” Jidong Chen, Ant’s director of biometric identification technology, said in a statement.

According to Ant, the KPro in Hangzhou is the first physical store in the entire world that uses facial recognition software to process payments.

The store itself has a menu that offers seasonal produce, made-to-order salads as well as paninis. It serves “roasted” chicken, and drinks on offer include juices that are freshly squeezed, gourmet coffees, and even delicious craft beer.

The president of Yum China, Joey Wat, says that the store was created for “young, tech savvy consumers who are keen to embrace new tastes and innovations.”

Apple’s Watch-Sized iPod Nano is Officially Obsolete

The sixth-generation iPod nano is officially obsolete, meaning Apple will no longer repair or service the portable media player.

Apple added the sixth-generation iPod nano to its internal vintage and obsolete products list on August 30, according to a memo distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers seen by MacRumors.

Apple repairs and services products for up to five years after they are no longer manufactured. The sixth-generation iPod nano was released in September 2010 and discontinued in September 2012.

As required by statute, sixth-generation iPod nano owners in California may still obtain service from Apple Stores or by contacting AppleCare at 1-800-APL-CARE. The extended coverage period will likely end in September 2019.

The sixth-generation iPod nano was notable for its square-shaped design. A number of third-party straps and accessories were released that essentially turned the device into an early, dumbed down version of the Apple Watch.

Unlike the fifth-generation iPod nano, the sixth-generation model lacked a click wheel, video camera, and speaker. Instead, it had a touchscreen and adopted the iPod shuffle’s clip to make it wearable on the go.

Apple returned to a rectangular design for the seventh-generation iPod nano, and added a Home button to the device. The design remained the same until Apple discontinued the entire iPod nano and iPod shuffle lineups in July.

Apple has yet to list the sixth-generation iPod nano on its public vintage and obsolete products list, but the device will likely be added soon.

Tag: vintage and obsolete
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