What We're Listening To: Currently Spinning on the Cream's Turntables and Playlists

Every so often, your humble Scene music scribes like to let you in on the songs and albums (and cassettes, and MP3s, and streams) that we're listening to on our own time. It's a great way for us all to stay connected to what's happening beyond the week or two on either side of us.

Regardless of what the calendar says, summer's here. It is hot. Bonnaroo is next week. CMA Fest is next week. In this edition of What We're Listening To, we're looking at summer jams and pre-fest finds, from the brand-spanking-new to old favorites. We've got Shamir, Kacey Musgraves and Shamir covering Kasey Musgraves. We've got hip-hop, we've got rock, we've got dance music, we even have dance music that rocks. Whatever your pleasure, we have plenty of it to keep you going through the weekend. Read on after the jump to see what your dedicated staffers and freelancers have been spinning lately.

What's blowing up your stereo right now? Tell us in the comments!

D. Patrick Rodgers, managing editor

In poring over the list of artists who will be playing Bonnaroo next week, I revisited Benjamin Booker's self-titled debut from last year — particularly the lead-off track, "Violent Shiver." It's out-of-this-world, frenetic blues-based rock 'n' roll, and the kid — he's 25 years old — has this gravelly howl that's hardened beyond its years and adds a pretty unique dimension to the tunes. Really looking forward to catching his set.

Even more than I dig into one particular artist or record, I oftentimes really get hooked on specific songs, and the ones doing it for me lately are as follows. The gut-wrenching ballad "Many Rivers Too Cross" (both the Jimmy Cliff version and the Lennon/Nilsson version) is as haunting and evocative as any ballad I can think of at the moment. Retro garage rocker Fletcher C. Johnson's "Send Me Your Love" is playful and terribly catchy (is that a vibraphone solo I hear?). "Could You" and "Ride" from TV on the Radio's most recent record are just straight-up enjoyable doses of art pop, and thanks to recently coming across this photo again, I've had Bjork's delightful "It's Oh So Quiet" stuck in my head for a day. Best music video.

But even more than any of those, I've been obsessed with Lee Moses' 1971 single "Bad Girl" ever since I heard it for the first time a few weeks ago. I can't figure out what it is about this tune — whether it's Moses' fervid delivery, or the killer arrangement, or the sentiment, or some combination of all of that — but it guts me every time I hear it. I love it when a song drops out of the sky and elicits a visceral, emotional reaction, the way this one does for me.

Megan Seling, culture editor

I'm not gonna lie to you. I've been listening to New Kids on the Block. Some of it doesn't hold up well at all (the production and instrumentation is oh so ’80s), but I swear "Step by Step" is still a hit. And did you know that Jordan is wearing a Bauhaus T-shirt in the "You Got It (the Right Stuff)" video? GOTH KID ALERT.

In my re-appreciation for the New Kids, I also discovered that I don't dislike one of their more recent songs. I'd never listened to anything beyond Face the Music (released in 1994 and not good), so I never heard their 2013 single "Remix (I Like The)" until they played it

. And it's not terrible! It's kind of fun, even! I mean, it's kind of terrible in that it's all about how a nerdy girl reinvented herself to be a totally hot woman and at one point Donnie (I think it's Donnie) yells "Guitar!" right before a guitar solo, but whatever. It's a fun summer jam. (It's not THE summer jam, however. I still haven't decided on which summer jam will be THE summer jam. I have until the Fourth of July.)

Laura Hutson, arts editor

MY JAM:

Jewly Hight, contributor

I've been listening to a little bit of Sade, a little bit of Tab Benoit, the Kingston Springs Suite and the new ones by Jason Isbell, Joy Williams, Shamir and Kacey Musgraves. Oh, and also Shamir covering Kacey Musgraves.

I think it'd be premature for me to say I've found my summer song. But maybe this is it ...

Haley Georgia, "Ridiculous"

Sean Maloney, contributor

Rich White Ladies, "No Bad Vibez"

I'm trying to make this the song of the summer. Is it working? Maybe. Is it awesome. Definitely.

Jason Derulo, "Want to Want Me"

Mr. WiggleWiggleWiggle manages to combine "Heart of Glass," Whitney Houston and dash of Kenny Loggins for a carefree groove of outsized proportions. A much more likely candidate for song of the summer.

Shamir, "Call It Off"

This is my outsider pick for pop jam of the summer. The buoyant acid-synth and infectious hook — not to mention the oh-so-zeitgeisty line "just can't make a thot a wife" — are going to make it a dance-floor destroyer for sure.

Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment, Surf

DUDES!!! This is one of those under-the-radar releases that could — and should! — change the hip-hop game. Trumpet runs with Chance the Rapper and Frank Ocean and put together an album full of next-level hip-hop and jazz mutations. Fans of the new Kendrick and the new Kamasi Washington records should definitely get on this one quick.

Ecstatic Vision, Sonic Praise (Relapse, June 30)

Ecstatic Vision is basically King Crimson's cover of Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has a Master Plan" turned into living, breathing thing of evil. Deep, dirty psych the Baphomet intended.

Sasha Siem, "See Through"

I'm a huge fan of Siem's new record Most of the Boys (out June 30) and its intense orchestral pop. The U.K. composer uses the symphony to its fullest — and often weirdest — degree to create utterly captivating and oddly catchy tunes. I like to imagine this is what a PJ Harvey-Spike Jones collaboration might sound like. Anyway, this "See Through" video is dope ...

... And totally makes up for the fact the I sorta love:

Pitbull feat. Chris Brown, "Fun"

Yeah, whatever. I'm a terrible person. I know.

Stephen Trageser, listings editor

One of the up-and-comers I'm looking forward to catching at Bonnaroo next week is Kandace Springs, a Nashville native now living in New York. Prince digs her, and that's good enough for me, but lemme let her work speak for itself. Here's Springs' network debut during Letterman's final season:

She also dropped a pretty outstanding cover of Little Big Town's "Girl Crush" a couple weeks back:

I can't let the upcoming Rolling Stones show go by without a shout-out. Their Nashville stop on the 2002 Forty Licks tour was my first arena show. Spontaneous? Not so much. Energetic? Yes. They made a highly choreographed rock show interesting. For me, Let It Bleed is the Stones at their best. It's got a little bit of everything that's great about them.

I am 100 percent on board with Shamir. Ratchet gives me a little of just about everything I love in music, combined in weird and creative ways. Except guitars! Not much guitar on that album. There's plenty of guitar on Paul Butterfield Blues Band's sophomore record East-West. The instrumental title track is the group at their psychedelic best, stirring around jazz and blues idioms, ideas from Indian music, even a little bit of rumba. In the bargain, it's a workout for the late, great guitar wizard Mike Bloomfield, who's interesting even when you can't be sure which direction he's going in. Tune in, turn on, etc.: