“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.-12 p.m. 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.
2. The Deathray Davies — Rock —(Six spins on “False Alarm” off 2021’s “Time Well Wasted.”) The Deathray Davies have been together since 1999 when they formed in Dallas, Texas. Over the course of their 22-year career, they’ve released six albums. They’ve been described as a cross between indie and garage rock. It started as a side project for musician John Dufilho, who recruited friends and went through lineup changes until he came upon the six-man lineup that makes up the Davies today. They take much inspiration from the Kinks and the Seeds, and several members have experience playing “60’s fuzz pop” to bring to the Davies’ overall sound.
3. 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 2021 single “Hole Digger.”
4. 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.
5. Mamalarky — Alt/Indie — (Five spins off “Almighty Heat” on 2020’s self-titled “Mamalarky.”) Mamalarky describes its sound as “doe-eyed” and its keys as “cerebral,” and its projects are undeniably indie rock. Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, the band released several singles and EPs before its debut album, the self-titled “Mamalarky,” in 2020, which was well received by critics like “Pitchfork” and “Paste.” The band has about 25 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify.
6. Petit Biscuit — Electronic — (Five spins on “Gwana” 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 range 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.”
7. Sitka Sun — Jazz — (Five spins on “92 Roses” 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 2018 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.
8. Cher Strauberry — Pop — (Four spins on “I’ll Be Waiting” off 2021’s “Chering is Caring.”) Not only a musician but also a professional skateboarder, Cher Strauberry released her first album in 2021. It’s a solo punk rock album about the challenges of coming out as a transgender woman, especially in the male-dominated spaces she occupies, since she started skating at age seven. She draws a lot of inspiration from Bikini Kill, who she and her friend drove to see in concert over three days, a trip which is chronicled in the album.
9. Chico Amor — Pop — (Four spins on the 2020 single “Ven Dame La Mano”) — “Ven Dame La Mano” is the top song of three singles released by Latin pop band Chico Amor, consisting of duo Neil Niño de Guzman and Stephen Taylor. The other two songs are called “Otra Vez” and “Esta Noche”. The band describes itself as “an eclectic mix of bossa nova, soul, Latin rock and pop.”
10. Fruit Bats — Alt/Indie — (Four spins on “The Balcony” 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.