(Clockwise) photos by: Laura Moreau, Agustin Ginesta, Aurelie Scouarnec, Tom Jackson, and Tonje Thilesen. Graphic by KCRW
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.
PULP! The legendary Britpop-rock band are back with a new album(!) — More due June 6 via Rough Trade Records — and this thinky single. Unsurprisingly, “Spike Island” is as jubilant in sound as it is provocative in lyricism. “I was born to perform… I exist to do this,” sings frontman Jarvis Cocker, whose voice (to many) is synonymous with a very special musical corner of the 1990s. Plus, you get to enjoy the track set against an AI-assisted video that also serves as commentary about the technology’s impact on art and expression… ultimately offering high praise for Human Intelligence. Indeed!
You already know Bardo, the LA artist who led KCRW-favorite Chicano Batman. Now he’s striking out as a solo artist. Well, solo yes, but not alone. For this smash single, “Renacer” (translation: rebirth), he tapped the talents of Combo Chimbita, a psychedelic jam band cranking Colombian style music out of Brooklyn. An irresistible bassline and cheeky bongos round out high-vibes production on this collaborative groover.
LA is key to the origin of Baths, a musician blurring the lines between sound, instrumentation, electronics, and voice to create a unique musical vision. This latest single showcases his poetic lyrics and couches them in thoughtful, layered production that sparkles with hints of late 2000s, rip-your-heart-out pop rock. Plus, there’s the performance art friendly video. LA folks, catch Baths live at the Echo this Sunday.
In this self-harmonizing single, Juan Pablo Wauters brings the sincerity of a campfire sing-along to a New York hipster tale. Join Juan as he escapes his ho-hum job in favor of impractical (but romantic) musical escape — told with touches of campy humor and social commentary. Click play to enjoy a bippity-bop of acoustic strums, playful bongos, and tinkly piano keys. Allover, this one’s a charmer.
Slow down for this contemplative piano track from icon of composition, Yann Tiersen. Known for his work scoring films — including Amélie — this composition is spare-yet-highly-emotive… especially when paired with the human-centric video. Click play for an enhanced empathy session that could move you to tears.
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