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 Friday newsletter here, and always be the first to know.
It has been way too long since we’ve received new music from our pal Chaz Bear aka Toro y Moi, but two new singles ahead of a forthcoming full length album due in April certainly helps to make up for lost time. It’s also been a minute since we’ve gotten a collab from Breakbot & Irfane. Their new single “Remedy” will likely call this classic gem to the front of your mind.
Rounding out this week’s slate are fresh tracks from the Coachella approved Denzel Curry, endlessly cool song-crafter Mattiel, and fiery London-based girl group Los Bitchos.
Follow us on Spotify to keep up with all of our current obsessions, including 5 Songs to Hear This Week, Global Beat Australia, and our weekly sampler of KCRW’s Top 30 most played records.
Toro y Moi - “Postman”
Everybody on the beat, now: Chaz! Bear! Chaz! Bear! The inventive indie music hero known to the world as Toro y Moi is back with a fresh track from a forthcoming album, a deeply funky bassline, and a whole new attitude. Click now to enjoy the instantaneous effect of toe-tappin’, spine-slithering grooves, and peep the video for some playful That Dude energy. Yowww!
Denzel Curry - “Walkin”
Pull up a chair. Denzel Curry mixes all the essential flavors from the rap pantry into this powerful multi-course meal of a track. Each verse expertly builds on the last, infused with key styles from decades of rap history, all while utterly devoted to the beat. Curry makes rhyming look easy, blending steady bars with passionate asides and call-outs to show love where it’s due… and warn away the rest.
Breakbot & Irfane - “Remedy”
Hope you’ve got some plans tonight, because Disco DJ extraordinaire Breakbot just released a big-big track to ensure that your week achieves lift-off. Infused with the French producer’s signature fun n’ funky perspective and topped by Irfane’s layered vocals, this hand-clapping treat is the hopeful track we need in the January thaw. Throw it on loop!
Mattiel - “Lighthouse”
Atlanta’s harbingers of cool Mattiel have made a song inviting spring to start early. Feeling like the score for a you-can-do-it montage, this soaring track features glittering chimes, layered horns, and a chorus you can’t help but belt out loud. By the time it reaches its epic crescendo, you’ll be feeling all better about whatever’s got you down. Come on now!
Los Bitchos - “Pista (Fresh Start)”
What’s that you say? Spicy instrumental cumbia from four gals straight out of London? Where do we sign up? The eclecticism embodied by Los Bitchos, not to mention the sassy joy of saying that name out loud, is right up KCRW’s alley. Perhaps yours too? Take this one with a shot of your favorite tequila.