Six songs we listened to this week as we judged Olympic athletes from our couches

Another summer has passed you by. You’ve made and canceled plans, talked about big trips that will never happen, and promised to listen to a bunch of new music you never intended to hear. It’s time to put an end to the stagnation. You deserve to blossom before winter comes and you use it as an excuse to do nothing. Here are six new songs you should probably play on a Bluetooth speaker outside. We’re worried about you.

Opeth ‘§1’

Opeth have announced their 14th album, ‘The Last Will & Testament.’ The album will notably feature several contributions from Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, which is basically the prog-rock equivalent of winning gold in every Olympic event. Along with the announcement, they’ve released a shortened version of album opener ‘§1.’ We’re sure the album version is probably at least 30 minutes long, so we’re glad to have the Cliffs Notes here.

Better Lovers ‘A white horse covered in blood’

Awww shiiiiiiit, y’all. Better Lovers are back, and as if you had to ask, they’re still fucking shredding. Following an EP that nearly killed everyone in our office, the band have announced their debut LP, ‘Highly Irresponsible,’ which we’re certain will get the job done. Their latest single, ‘A White Horse Covered In Blood,’ is such an absolute assault that we’ve been working from home all week out of fear for our well-being.

Evergreen Terrace ‘Jail On Christmas’

If you’ve noticed your Hot Topic shares suddenly skyrocketing, it’s probably because metalcore veterans Evergreen Terrace have released their first single in over a decade. “Jail On Christmas” manages to cram everything you loved about the early 00s—except your shitty ex—into a lucid minute and a half—which we think may also make you think of your shitty ex.

Guided By Voices ‘I Am a Scientist (30th Anniversary Edition)’

Dayton Ohio’s lo-fi DIY legends are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their seminal LP ‘Bee Thousand’ this year, which somehow feels like it came out simultaneously yesterday and at the dawn of time. To mark the occasion, the band have recorded a series of high-resolution versions of two of the album’s most notable tracks. The first, and perhaps one of the band’s best-known, ‘I Am A Scientist’ is out now with a sheen to match the intensity of GBV’s live shows.

Iron & Wine ‘Never Meant (American Football Cover)’

Earlier this month, American Football set the emo world alight by sharing a cryptic soundbite captioned “track one.” While many hoped it was a sign of new music, the band actually shared a snippet of Iron & Wine’s version of “Never Meant.” The cover will be released alongside a slew of other covers celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band’s genre-defying debut LP. While we’re sad that there’s no new AF in our lives, this cover will have to suffice.

Snail mail ‘Tonight, Tonight (Smashing Pumpkins Cover)’

Want to appreciate Billy Corgan’s songwriting prowess without actually having to listen to Billy Corgan? We get it. Luckily, there’s a fresh new way to do that via Snail Mail’s cover of the classic “Tonight, Tonight.” The song has been a staple of her live shows for a while now, but an actual studio version has been created for a cutscene from the indie film sensation “I Saw The TV Glow.” Which is great, because we all know you don’t have the attention span for an entire movie anyway.

Too lazy to make your own playlist? Yeah, we thought so. So we took the time to do it for you. You can find these songs and countless others by clicking hereMake sure to follow or like it or whatever Spotify calls it now so you always have a way to fool your loved ones into thinking you actually have hobbies and interests.