“The Top 10 Songs Spinning at KCSU” is written by the KCSU music directors and describes the top artists that your local 90.5 FM DJs are playing this week. The article is updated weekly on Sundays and discussed on their show, “KCSU’s Weekly Gem Countdown,” which airs every Monday from 11 a.m.-noon. Here, you can learn more about each musician or band before tuning in to the top 10 countdown on Mondays, in which the music directors present to you the latest songs topping the charts and break down each song’s sound and feeling. 

1. Alex Little and the Suspicious Minds — Rock — (Eight spins on “Grave” off 2021’s “Waiting To Get Paid.”) In their own words, “Blunt, emotional honesty is the driving force behind Vancouver’s Alex Little & the Suspicious Minds, whose scorching garage-pop songs squarely face drug addiction, mental health and heartbreak. And yet, despite the heavy subject matter, the group’s soaring choruses and loud guitars make the mood cathartic rather than heavy.” Alex Little started out by drumming for different bands, and in that time she picked up guitar and began to write her own music. 

2. Egg Drop Soup — Punk Rock — (Eight spins on “Tow Jam” off 2020’s “Eat Snacks and Bleed.”) Egg Drop Soup describes itself as “an in-your-face, unapologetic, all-womxn punk trio” based in Los Angeles. Its fiery brand of thrash punk/surfy grunge makes for an unpredictable, intriguing and entrancing sound. Its most recent project, “Eat Snacks and Bleed,” came out in December of 2020. The band consists of Bailey Chapman on drums, Olivia Saperstein on vocals and guitar and Samantha Westervelt on lead vocals and bass. 

3. bathtub cig — Alt/Indie — (Seven spins on “My Friend” off 2021’s “bed.”) In her own words, “Bathtub cig is the intimate depression pop project of Hilary James. Born in a Minneapolis bedroom the spring of 2017, (the project) is an honest attempt at coping with her long struggle with mental health. She is joined by Dave Power on drums, Jordan Bleau on guitar and Adelyn Strei on bass and harmony.” Their newest EP is called “bed,” released in 2021.

4. Cameron Knowler and Eli Winter — Folk — (Seven spins on “Strawberry Milk” off 2021’s “Anticipation.”) In Cameron Knowler’s own words, he “is multi-instrumentalist, educator and recording artist who specializes in jazz, bluegrass and old time music forms.” He is based out of Los Angeles. Eli Winter is a musician and writer based in Chicago. They make music separately but collaborated to produce the album “Anticipation” in 2021. 

5. Doohickey Cubicle — Alt/Indie — (Seven spins on “Hotel Beds” off 2021’s “Don’t Fix Anything ;).”) Based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Alli Deleo and Francis Hooper are the members of alternative indie rock band Doohickey Cubicle. They have toured across North America and Europe under a few different band names, such as their previous name, BootyEP. “Don’t Fix Anything ;)” is their most recent release from March of 2021. 

6. Geena B. Valentine — Pop — (Seven spins on 2021’s single, “Take Me To The Endless Sea”.) Geena B. Valentine has reached beyond her Italian homeland to reach fans globally, including us here at KCSU. Her singing career took her from Italy through Austria to Hamburg, Germany, where she lived for three years. She creates singer/songwriter pop and also has her own hemp-based fashion line. 

7. Luttrell — Electronic — (Seven spins on “Ex Nihilo” off 2021’s “Music For My Memories Pt. 1.”) According to Showbox Presents, “Influenced by everything from his San Francisco hometown to (The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and The Prodigy,) Luttrell’s unique brand” of indie house and techno has gained him fans from remix artists to BBC Radio 1. He has almost 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and is signed to the iconic house-electronic record label Anjunadeep. Luttrell’s most recent release is 2021’s “Music For My Memories Pt. 1” EP.

8. Yeek — Hip Hop/Rap — (Seven spins on “Watch Me” off 2021’s “Valencia.”) Sebastian Carandang, also known by his stage name YEEK, is an LA resident who makes genre-bending music by taking inspiration from pop, hip-hop, rock and more. His Spotify listeners amount to 950,000 a month. He’s released three full-length albums as well as several EPs and singles since his start in 2015, most recently 2021’s “Valencia.”

9. Alex Little and the Suspicious Minds — Rock — (Six spins on “Dead Cold Eyes” off 2021’s “Waiting To Get Paid.”)

10. Brentney — R&B/Soul — (Six spins on “Go Ahead” off 2021’s “Blue Sky No. 9.”) Brentney is a Louisville-based singer/songwriter “hoping to spark inner dialogue through the medium of meaningful, pop-infused R&B- and jazz-influenced melodies.” She says she is inspired by disco, funk and “the sheer feeling of bliss when you’re roller skating on a sunny day and looking up at the fluffy clouds.” With her music she intends to inspire people to deal with the struggles they go through and eventually release them.

The music director can be reached at music@kcsufm.com.