Hey! Did you know that there’s an entire aspect of KCRW music discovery that you might be missing out on? Fear not, because our 5 Songs to Hear This Week newsletter is now a weekly feature on our website. Watch this space for rundowns of the five songs that you need in your life immediately, curated by KCRW Music staff. Don’t want to wait for your latest taste of fresh tunes? Sign up for the Tuesday newsletter here, and have ‘em delivered directly to your inbox.
Elke – “Enchanté”
After three years, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Elke is back with her sophomore album — Divine Urge, due on Oct. 25 via Congrats Records. And this smash n’ grab, performance-art style single is just the thing to lead the way. This track is agile, leaping effortlessly between modalities: from a bass-driven indie-rock backdrop, to the commanding chant of the chorus and back again. Hypnotic, surprising, and theatrical — this spotlight single and its positively moss-ay music vid will demand and hold your attention.
More: FREAKS ONLY Presents: 3 Song Story with Elke
Tasha – “Love’s Changing”
Land soft ‘n’ gentle with this poetic track from Chicago artist Tasha. Establishing itself as a summer Sunday kinda song in the first half, this deeply-felt single changes its tack at the midway point. In short, brace yourself for an intermission/bridge where Tasha lets you know that her artistic intentions extend far beyond soundtracking your picnic. A brief return to form closes the song, with the lyrics pulling back to privilege all internal musings. Click play to hear what we mean, and hear more from Tasha on her forthcoming album All This and So Much More, out Sept. 20 via Bayonet Records.
Rocky Dawuni – “Rise”
Align your inner rhythms and find yourself rising up with this motivating single from Ghanaian singer and activist Rocky Dawuni. Especially now, lyrics like “imagine what we could do if we unify” just hit differently. Case in point, Dawuni calls the song a “call to arms to elevate the energy of hope.” Damn. We needed that. Click play for West African beats, emboldening melodies, and a stunning video featuring dancers and imagery highlighting the cultural heritage of Dawuni’s native Ghana.
Soweto Gospel Choir x Groove Terminator x Latroit – “World Hold On”
You know we love a double-take here at KCRW Music. You’ll recognize this song as one of the most enduring dance tracks of the 2000s, originally released by French DJ Bob Sinclair, featuring a big-time earworm whistle track. This eclectically-minded cover is part of the History of House project — where South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir reimagine the world's greatest dance music classics through a global perspective. Catch collaborator Latroit live on Morning Becomes Eclectic this Friday, September 13th to tell you more about H.O.H. — and do not sleep on your chance to witness him bringing it to life for the grand finale of KCRW’s Summer Nights (with Century Park). RSVP for this FREE show now to ensure you don’t miss out.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Cinnamon Horses”
There’s no medicine in the world that heals quite as effectively as time + music. Australian singer-songwriter/goth-rock pioneer Nick Cave knows this all too well, as he’s endured unspeakable personal devastation in recent years. Ghosteen, his 2019 LP with long-time band The Bad Seeds addressed the pain head-on in the form of dispatches from a well of sorrow. Now, five years later, he’s moved into a new stage of catharsis via his freshly released LP Wild God — a richly layered and heart-rending song cycle which contains equal parts triumph and tragedy.
Wild God is an album in the truest sense of the word, meaning that its best experienced in its entirety over the course of multiple repeat listens. But we’re happy to start you off with a sample, albeit one that will plunge you straight into the deep end. Allow “Cinnamon Horses,” with its still-processing lyrics, stirring strings, and skyscraping choral arrangements to place you directly into any of your own feelings that are in need of some tending. And for further context on how it all came together, buckle in for a lengthy and profound chat between Cave and KCRW DJ Chris Douridas.
More: Nick Cave on ‘Wild God,’ ‘Shrek 2,’ & The Red Hand Files