1.CMAT — Pop — (8 spins of “I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!” off of the 2022 album release “If My Wife New I’d Be Dead”)

CMAT claims a spot again! CMAT, short for Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson is an Irish country/pop singer and songwriter. During an interview with NME Magazine, CMAT explains her style as “Dolly Parton meets Weird Al Yankovic, mixed with Katy Perry.” NME goes on to explain that “her velvety vocals and earworming beats compliment Katy J Pearson’s ’70s-Americana bops, while her multifaceted lyricism mirrors that of country greats such as Patsy Cline and Skeeter Davis.”

CMAT’s third single, “I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!” describes the feeling of having no control over your life. CMAT explains to Genius, that the song is “mainly about urban isolation — about having all the freedom and resources to do whatever you want but still choosing to do nothing out of deeply-embedded social anxiety and detachment from your own emotions.”

2.Hippo Campus — Alt/Indie — (7 spins of “Boys” off of the 2022 album release “LP3”)

Hippo Campus formed in 2013, with members that include Jake Luppen, Nathan Stocker, DeCarlo Jackson, Zach Sutton and Whistler Allen. Originally from Minnesota, the indie-rock band emerged to the scene with its EP “Bashful Creatures.” According to their Spotify, “although the five-piece has been friends since middle school and put out a number of studio releases since its inception, it’s the new record, “LP3,” that’s the most honest portrait of who Hippo Campus is.”

3.*Angel Du$t — Alt/Indie — (6 spins of “Cool Faith” off of the 2021 album release “Yak: A Collection of Truck Songs”)

Angel Du$t is an American rock group from Baltimore, with Justice Tripp on vocals and guitar. According to the group’s Spotify, “Angel Du$t are neither hardcore nor a supergroup: just a revolving lineup of like-minded peers and ride-or-die friends, making guitar music, rocking … on forever.” Tripp explains that, “People get really married to the idea of making a record that sounds like the same band. … If one song to the next doesn’t sound like it’s coming from the same band, I’m ok with that.” The band has over 100,000 listeners on Spotify.

4.*Beach House — Alt/Indie — (6 spins of “Runaway” off of the 2022 album release “Once Twice Melody”)

Beach House is an alternative psychedelic rock duo consisting of Victoria Legrand and and Alex Scally. According to AllMusic, the duo “met in Baltimore’s indie rock scene and formed Beach House in 2004.” In August of 2006, the duo released its self-titled debut album and “earned favorable reviews as well as comparisons to Nico and Mazzy Star.” According to SubPop, “Once Twice Melody was produced entirely by Beach House, a first for the band.”

According to Genius, “Runaway” is about “an ambiguous, bittersweet and possibly platonic relationship that is fleeting — or is already gone.” The duo currently has over 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

5.Briana Dinsdale — Country — (5 spins of “I’ll Run To You” off of the 2021 album release, “beginnings”)

At only 18 years old, Briana Dinsdale is a country singer/songwriter from Brisbane, Australia. According to her Spotify, Dinsdale “tells stories about her personal life experiences through unique lyrics combined with a melody making every song she writes different to another, appealing to a wide range of listeners.”

Dinsdale is still emerging in the scene, only having around 500 monthly listeners on Spotify, but she was awarded the Bronze Award in the International Singer-Songwriter Association for International Female Emerging Artist and the Keith Urban Scholarship to the Country Music Association of Australia Academy of Country Music, according to her website.

6.*Dancing On Tables — Alt/Indie — (4 spins of “Twenty” off of the 2021 album release, “Play Play Play”)

The Scotland-based pop-indie-rock band consists of Robbie, Callum, Gregor, Hamish and Reece. According to their Spotify, they all met in school and have grown “from playing friend’s parties and school halls, to supporting Catfish and the Bottlemen as part of their UK arena tour.” The band has over 20,000 listeners on Spotify and continue to grow their career to this day.

7. Mitski — Alt/Indie — (4 spins of “Should’ve Been Me” off of the 2022 album release, “Laurel Hell”)

In a statement to RollingStone, Mitski explained that “The Only Heartbreaker” is about, “the person always messing up in the relationship, the designated Bad Guy who gets the blame. It could simply be about that, but I also wanted to depict something sadder beneath the surface, that maybe the reason you’re always the one making mistakes is because you’re the only one trying.”

8.Mitski – Alt/Indie – (4 spins of “The Only Heartbreaker” off of the 2022 album release, “Laurel Hell”)

Mitski is on our charts twice again! Mitski is an indie rock singer and songwriter who was born in Japan and moved around to several countries before she finally settled in New York for college. NPR describes Mitski’s writing as “confessional and funny, boastful and self-deprecating, poetic and profane all at once.”

Her first project, “Bury Me at Makeout Creek,” was released in 2014, and this was actually the first time Mitski ever picked up a guitar. However, on her latest release, “Laurel Hell,” Mitski, “opted for sleeker surfaces reminiscent of ’80s pop,” according to AllMusic.

According to Genius, “Should’ve Been Me,” “describes one of Mitski’s relationships and the isolation she felt as a consequence of poor communication on the part of her partner. However, through the song, she also repeatedly apologizes for being emotionally unavailable and detached from her partner.” The track also explores the themes of “grief, loneliness and isolation.”

9.*Moonchild — R&B — (3 spins of “Too Good” off of the 2022 album release, “Starfruit”) 

Moonchild is an LA based alternative R&B trio that consists of Amber Navran, Max Bryk and Andris Mattson. According to AllMusic, “their lush, understated sound and synthesis of electronic and organic instruments evolved over the course of several records, as they toured with big-name stars and established a healthy following of their own.”

On AZ Lyrics, Navran explains that “‘Too Good’ is about being wrapped up in the high of love, and yet fighting off that sneaking suspicion that something terrible is around the corner, waiting to take it all away.” The trio has over 600,000 listeners on Spotify.

10.*ADOY — Alt/Indie — (2 spins of “Antihero” off of the 2021 album release, “her”)

ADOY is an alternative band that consists of Juhwan on vocals and guitar, Zee on synths, Dayoung on bass and vocals, and Geunchang on drums. According to the group’s Spotify, “ADOY formed in mid 2016, when [they all] met within the Seoul indie music community.”

According to Korean Indie, “‘Antihero’ is grounded in its production and effects but has this dreamy aura around itself. The band blooms on this rock-infused track, showing a great palette of genres for an electronic pop band. ‘Antihero’ is rooted in an illusion and the pursuit of happiness, referencing Hollywood and admitting that the life you’re idolizing is a movie in your head.”

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