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5 songs you need to stream this week: Bob Dylan, Mac Demarco, and more

Not sure what new music to listen to? We'll let you know what new tracks and albums dropping this week are worthy of your attention. Up this week: Bob Dylan, Mac Demarco 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.

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 top five songs to stream this week. Also, 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.

Recent Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan is preparing a three-disc album of Frank Sinatra covers called Triplicate for release later this year, and recently put out a breathtaking cover of the ballad I Could Have Told You to whet our collective appetite. A gorgeous blend of pedal steel guitar and upright bass, Dylan’s vocals flow gently over the surface of the track, with the iconic songwriter saving the more gravelly side of his voice until the final refrain.

Canadian songwriter Mac Demarco retains his classic vintage-inspired sound on This Old Dog, a pulsating new single with punchy drums, warm acoustic guitar, and simple vocal hooks. Soft and inviting, it’s a perfect way to relax amid hectic midweek moments, calming your nerves with a sea of supple analog tones.

In the past five years, the hype surrounding thowback ’90s-style hip-hop has tempered, giving way to a slew of younger, trap-influenced sounds. But that news apparently never reached Brooklyn-based duo The Underachievers, whose latest cut Gotham Nights feels like a lost single from Jay Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt. Jazzy samples and a deep boom-bap beat pair so well with the duo’s syncopated vocal rhythms that you’ll have a tough time hiding a huge, nostalgic smile.

This week’s best workout cut comes from Baltimore-based synth pop group Future Islands, who employ a driving blend of acoustic and digital drum sounds to propel you through every step, lift, or push-up. The first single from the band’s upcoming fifth studio album The Far Field, Ran is a show of vulnerability and strength, with punchy tenor vocals and cool ’80s-style synth tones creating an extremely repeatable package.

Poignant songwriter Father John Misty shared a follow-up to last week’s politically-influenced single Pure Comedy with Ballad of the Dying Man, a lyric-driven song that centers on musings about life’s end. Piano and acoustic guitars are eventually joined by gospel choir backgrounds, with somber, investigative lyricism tying a big, black ribbon around the thoughtful funeral dirge.

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

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Let's settle a musical debate: which music streaming platform should you use: Spotify or Pandora?

Both services have their unique strengths and weaknesses. Spotify boasts a more extensive music catalog, robust social features for sharing and discovering music with friends, and a more polished user experience across devices.