Songs of the Week: Nirvana, Strippers, and Lucky Charms


Nirvana, “Territorial Pissings”
Here is a professionally shot and edited video of Nirvana, playing “Territorial Pissings” at a show in Seattle on Halloween of 1991. It comes from the deluxe 20th anniversary reissue of Nevermind that’s out next week. It’s a tight, blistering version, but there’s nothing revelatory about it, and if you already feel inundated by the steady torrent of covers, tributes, and essays that have accompanied the album’s anniversary, we totally understand if you choose not to click. But just know this: You’ll be missing the opportunity to see Dave Grohl wearing white shorts over white long johns.


Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire feat. Das Racist, Despot, Danny Brown, and El-P, “The Last Huzzah”
Ascendant Tumblrap star eXquire rounded up a bunch of similarly minded hip-hop oddballs from past and present for the remix to his mixtape standout “Huzzah,” and the result is possibly the best thing we’ve seen all week. The video cribs from Craig Mack’s “Flava In Ya Ear,” and is NSFW (eXquire practicing his calligraphy on a young lady’s behind) and aggressively goofy (Despot bagging up the highly priced contraband known as Lucky Charms cereal) in equal measure. Self-deprecating Heems, from Das Racist, wins the day: “Skateboard P, Ashanti, ‘Foolish’ / the worst rapper on this track, third coolest.”

Ne-Yo feat. Trey Songz and T-Pain, “The Way You Move”
And now for an all-star collaboration of the more traditional variety, one in which three leading ladies’ men — mannered gentleman Ne-Yo, bare-chested sex-marathoner Trey Songz, and raunch-purveyor T-Pain — fall in love with a stripper. Let the straight-faced ridiculousness — “She’s so incredible / body language, she’s a poet” — wash over you.

Twin Shadow, “Changes”
Over on the band’s website, Twin Shadow’s George Lewis Jr. explains that “Changes” came from discovering the band Bagarerre (“weird italo disco stuff with an asian/english singer”) “like [how I find] most of my favorite bands … I stumble[d] on them accidentally while looking for rare music on YouTube.” Updating their track “Circus Is Gone,” he ended up with this multi-layered bummer of a dance jam. Seeing as our own open-ended YouTube searches usually end in long, uninterrupted hours of lip-dub viewing, we admire the man’s productivity.

Backstreet Boys, “Lost In Space”
More than anything, this is our way of reminding you that the Backstreet Boys are alive and well, and still dropping would-be comeback singles.

Wil Hart feat. Rick Ross, “Here For You”
Whoever told the Delfonic’s Wil Hart to get Rick Ross to rap over his recent “Here For You” — good work! The quotables fall fast and heavy here (“I thank you for every turkey bacon breakfast”), but, as his new action-packed GQ profile proves (remember: “Real n—- don’t send dick flicks”), that’s just what life with the Bawse is like.

9th Wonder feat. Warren G, Murs, and Kendrick Lamar, “Enjoy”
This is a warm, compact, and ultimately forgettable bit of ride-along music from producer’s 9th Wonder’s new album, The Wonder Years. How the hell has 9th Wonder not already released an album called The Wonder Years?

Big K.R.I.T. feat. 8 Ball, MJG, and 2 Chainz, “Money On The Floor”
These guys are talking about strippers, too, but trust — no one’s in any danger of being compared to a poet over here.

Radiohead, “Bloom” (Jamie XX remix)
Jamie xx, the xx’s ubiquitous MPC-man, chops the original “Bloom” into total unrecognizability (goodbye, Thom Yorke’s vocals), and ends up with another hypnotic drone to add to his files. Possibly blasphemous, definitely good for doing drugs to.

Torche, “Exit Flagger”
If you like your remixes and tributes with a bit more fealty, here’s accessible Miami metal dudes Torche taking on Guided by Voice’s “Exit Flagger.” All major elements are present and accounted for, but, unlike the original, Torche’s take does not sound like it was recorded in the back of a bread delivery truck during early morning rounds.

Filed Under: Ne-Yo, Radiohead, Rick Ross, Songs of the Week, Trey Songz, Twin Shadow

Amos Barshad has written for New York Magazine, Spin, GQ, XXL, and the Arkansas Times. He is a staff writer for Grantland.

Archive @ AmosBarshad