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.
Have you ever wished you could walk on water? Ride a train to another dimension while calmly sipping tea with a cartoon Stephen Malkmus? Transport yourself into the body of a Latin American balada star of the late 1960s? Or just find a truly elevated, ten-hour playlist of laid back beats to soothe your mind and body?
We’ve got you covered on all of those wildly varied fronts this week, so read and listen on for the eclectic adventure you’ve been craving.
Follow us on Spotify to keep up with 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.
Trevor Hall x Merieme - “2 Oceans”
Ready to walk on water? According to this inspiring new track from good vibes singer-songwriter Trevor Hall, nirvana is in view if you only look inward. Featuring layers of gently building instrumentation and praiseworthy contribution by Senegalese-American songstress Marieme, this glittering track is the perfect score for your “I think I can” self-improvement montage.
Superorganism - “It’s Raining (Feat. Stephen Malkmus & Dylan Cartlidge)”
The internet’s favorite crew of indie-pop innovators are back in action with a fresh single and a new album, “WORLD WIDE POP,” due out this summer. Click quick for a funky, digitally-minded beat layered with the group’s signature mix of esoteric samples, video game-inspired sonic cues, multilingual features, and laid-back verses. Top it all off with a bullet train ride worthy of the Saturday morning tube, and don’t forget your umbrella!
The Beths - “A Real Thing”
Lord, bless us with a classic four-piece that rocks. And lo, whence came The Beths. This crew of IRL pals from New Zealand are simply impossible not to like. With a driven beat, chef’s-kiss pop rock flourishes, and an irresistibly sharp approach made just weird enough with some wild electric warbling, here’s a jammy single to get your springtime off to a great start.
Adrian Quesada - “Mentiras Con Cariño" (Feat. iLe)”
Ready for your closeup? This track is simply begging for a lip sync session, preferably dressed up and prancing for an audience of no one. Exquisitely vintage, fabulously confident, and expertly constructed, this track from Black Pumas member and producer Adrian Quesada featuring Puerto Rican singer iLe is a performance-worthy confidence booster.
Shrimpnose - “Smoke Blanket (Feat. quickly, quickly & Somni)”
Lo-fi beats to study and chill to… but make it art. Shrimpnose is here to fill the gaping void in music we hadn’t yet noticed with his experimental, layered electronic beats. Anybody who spent the early ‘10s wrapped up in thinky-feely tracks by the likes of Shlomo, Clams Casino, and Four Tet will fall instantly in love with this gem from the LA/Minneapolis producer and his labelmate collaborators. And there’s plenty more — the new album “Under Fire!” is out now.