KCRW's 23 Best Albums of 2023 and Favorite Songs of 2023 are live! In the spirit of the season, welcome to week two of the highlight reel from our Favorite Songs list. Up first this time around, KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox presents the enduring prismatic pop of the New Pornographers.
The New Pornographers – "Cat and Mouse With the Light”
"I don't mean to be the last one standing / only meant to be the next best thing" are the damn-near-perfect opening lines to The New Pornographers' "Cat and Mouse With the Light," a simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking vignette of a relationship not meant to be. Neko Case takes the lead on this prismatic pop gem, and by the time she gets to the chorus with "I can't stand that you love me," you'll also fall hopelessly head-over-heels. — Dan Wilcox (KCRW DJ)
Car Colors – “Old Death”
“Old Death” is a seven minute odyssey/autobiography disguised as a pop song, in which Charles Bissell (of indie rock heavyweights The Wrens) reflects on the opportunity cost of two decades spent perfecting, yet never releasing, the sequel to The Wrens’ near-mythologically revered 2003 album The Meadowlands. The ensuing years brought a battle with cancer, mental health struggles, the breakup of a band of brothers, and the underestimation of Father Time. Bissell released some music during that time, but promised a lot more. "Old Death" is worth the wait.
Like any great protagonist, our hero is relatable, vulnerable, courageous, broken, whole, and lovable. And like all great epics, the parable of “Old Death” is one I’ll keep close to heart. I’ll sing this song from the top of my lungs, I’ll remember to put away my futile devices, and I’ll hold my kids tight while they’re still young. — Nassir Nassirzadeh (KCRW DJ)
Jerry Garcia – “Deal (LP Giobbi & Le Chev Remix)”
Although 2023 was the year we said “fare thee well” to Dead & Company, the music never stops. In fact, it transforms and evolves with new characters and players, like an ever-evolving folk story. Among the cast of a new generation carrying the tale forward is LP Giobbi, a producer, DJ, pianist, activist, and rising star in electronic music. Since The Dead’s original music feels too pure to touch, an electronic remix of a classic Jerry Garcia song is something I never imagined could exist correctly. But Giobbi and Le Chev’s remix of 1972’s “Deal” indeed moves the plot forward, marrying my twin loves of the Dead and house music together in one euphoric explosion. Not only did Giobbi have the courage (and the blessing of the Garcia estate) to carry the torch, but she did so with the pure joy a task like remixing the Dead requires. That joy is her secret sauce across all of her work, brightening every one of her productions into a kaleidoscope of love. — Tyler Boudreaux (KCRW DJ)
Quinn Oulton – “If You Could See Me Now”
Quinn Oulton picks up where James Blake left off. This gem is all about celebrating your growth and the parting of one-time loved ones. The production is top-notch, which is something Oulton is known for in his UK circles. His cadence is butter-smooth in juxtaposition with an optimistic soul sample. Combined, the song is balanced in a way that can soothe your heartbreak — or make you two-step in celebration. — Anthony Valadez (Morning Becomes Eclectic co-host)
Lucky Lo – “Through the Eyes of a Woman”
Swedish singer/songwriter Lo Ersare, based in Denmark, had been thinking she wanted to write a song about being a woman. But she wanted it to be a song that everyone could listen to, a song that didn't point fingers. One day, while riding her bike, the words "Through the eyes of a woman" came to her, along with a short melody. But the verses and the rest of the song had yet to follow. Months later, she remembered a scene from her favorite TV series, Fleabag, where an older woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) tells Fleabag (Phoebe Waller Bridge), "Women are born with pain built in." This was the clue for Lo that led to finishing this song — one that not only talks about awful pain, but also pain that leads to life. — Chris Douridas (KCRW DJ)