1. Pluralone — Alternative/Indie — (nine spins on “Steal Away” off 2020’s “I Don’t Feel Well.”) Pluralone is a solo project by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Josh Klingoffer, best known for his work as a guitarist in the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He chose the name, combining the words Plural and One, because “It seemed to me the story of everything,” he said. “Singular beings trying with different degrees of success to be plural (…) Or (in) all of this plurality, actually being one. The struggle we all have in remembering that we’re all one.” Since 2019, Pluralone has released two full-length albums and five EPs, most recently 2020’s “I Don’t Feel Well.”
2. Sitka Sun — Jazz — (seven spins on “Long Shadow” off 2021’s “All the Way West.”) Based out of Oakland, California, Sitka Sun is helmed by bassist/arranger Patrick Murphy. Its first release, a 2017 self-titled EP, has now been followed up by 2021’s “All The Way West,” which the band describes as “a carefully composed instrumental jazz album and a spaced-out contemplation on the human condition.” The album steps deep into all the wild variety that improvisation offers and seeks to inspire movement and growth in all forms. Sitka Sun recommends its music for long drives, desert landscapes and contemplative days.
3. Petit Biscuit & Diplo — Electronic — (seven spins on “Pick Your Battles” off 2020’s “Parachute.”) Mehdi Benjelloun, also known as Petit Biscuit, is a 21-year-old French DJ and music producer. His style combines elements of vocal manipulation, acoustic sounds and reflective electronica. His genres ranged from tropical house to future bass, a reflection of his eclectic style. Over the course of his career, he has released two EPs and two albums, most recently 2020’s house project called “Parachute.”
4. Petit Biscuit — Electronic — (six spins on “Gwana” off 2020’s “Parachute.”)
5. Sitka Sun — Jazz — (six spins on “Seek to Spare” off 2021’s “All The Way West.”)
6. Tia Gostelow — (six spins on “Always” off 2020’s “Chrysalis.”) Having burst onto the pop scene in 2018 with her debut album, “Thick Skin,” Gostelow has now been dubbed “one of Australia’s most exciting female artists.” Her latest album, 2020’s “Chrysalis,” delivers lush pop landscapes and groovy ’80s influences for a style that is bright, passionate and danceable. She has headlined sold-out shows all around Australia and continues to transform herself as an artist and human being.
7. Camel Power Club — Alt/Indie — (five spins on 2020’s single, “Thundergarou.”) Camel Power Club’s style is an electronic, alternative-indie feeling. Their songs start out sounding subtle before building into something more powerful and pulling. They have about half a million monthly Spotify listeners, and their most recent release is the 2022 single “Hole Digger.”
8. ford. — Electronic — (five spins on “Living, Breathing” off of 2020’s “The Color of Nothing.”) Luc Bradford, also called by his stage name, ford., is a 21-year-old Grammy nominated music producer in the lofi indie and electronic realm. He has released two full-length albums: 2018’s “(The) Evening,” and 2020’s “The Color of Nothing.” He has held performances at Coachella, North Coast Festival and CRSSD Fest and continues to make a name for himself both as a producer and headlining touring artist.
9. ford. — Electronic — (five spins on “Talk” off of 2020’s “The Color of Nothing.”)
10. Fruit Bats — Alt/Indie — (five spins on “Holy Rose” off 2021’s “The Pet Parade.”) Fruit Bats formed in the late 1990s. They take inspiration from the Byrds, the Kinks and Supertramp, with a focus on “warm vocals and melodic sensibility” in their music. The band is led by Eric D. Johnson and otherwise hosts an ever-changing lineup. Their newest album, 2021’s “The Pet Parade,” is the Fruit Bat’s eighth LP since they first formed in 1997 in Chicago. “The Pet Parade” differs from past albums in its poetic tone and simple chords, and Johnson says that it is inspired by the silly and strange community in La Grange, Illinois, where Johnson grew up, specifically an annual parade in which people dressed up themselves and their pets.
The music director can be reached at music@kcsufm.com.