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.
Viagra Boys – “Uno II”
This one’s for the dogs. No, really. Swedish post-punk group Viagra Boys are back with a new single in their usual surrealist storytime style… and this one’s about a dog with dental anxiety. But don’t let that scare you away from pressing play. We assure you there are no drills or forceps here, just plenty of doggos and bandleader Sebastian Murphy’s signature in-your-face cheek. Plus, there’s the groove-able and tension-laden production. — AK
spill tab – “Assis”
We love it when a track just keeps on getting better, bar by bar. Enter this excellent new single from spill tab, an alt-pop artist who we’ve (ahem) been keeping tabs on ever since she hit the scene in the late 2010s. Click play for an undulating percussion-led, electronically-enhanced single — a musical collage with surprises around every corner and cool-girl lyrics en français binding it all together. Spill tab’s hotly anticipated debut album Angie is due on May 16. — AK
Jensen McRae – “Savannah”
Let’s shift gears to folk-pop storytelling in fine form from Jensen McRae, whose innate handling of intense personal narrative couched in rhyme and country stylings belies her SoCal origins. You may recall that we’ve been following McRae’s ascension with interest. See: her intimate performance from Anne Litt’s backyard from 2022(!). — AK
Amanda Mur – “Maithuna”
Go primeval with this haunting composition by avant-garde electronic artist Amanda Mur. Featuring hypnotic vocals, enticing electronic flourishes, and production that points to both physical and metaphysical influences — this track is a force of nature. — AK
Colin Self – “respite for the tulpamancer”
Ethereal composer and choreographer Colin Self creates work which centers “ideas of gender, communication, and consciousness.” It’s heady stuff across the board and a song like “respite for the tulpamancer” is certain to get your wheels spinning with concepts of sentient imaginary friends and lyrics like: “Tie a ribbon to my ghost/always do the most…” Or you could just glide above the loftiness and bliss out to the effervescent melody. — MH
