We’re back from break! It was a long and quiet month off from the hectic campus life – but the only place still making noise was KCSU! We were very happy to see many DJs stick with their shows over the holidays and into the new semester. 
KCSU’s Weekly Gems Countdown” is written by the KCSU Music Directors and describes the top artists that your local 90.5 FM DJs are playing this week! This article is posted weekly on Sundays and discussed on their show “KCSU Weekly Gem Countdown” which airs every Monday from 11-noon. During the show, you can learn more about each musician or band before tuning in to the top 10 countdowns on Monday from 11-noon, in which the music directors present to you the latest songs topping the charts and breaking down each song’s sound and feel.

*=brand new to the charts this week!

1. cavetown – alt/indie – (10 spins of “1994” off of the 2022 album “worm food”) Cavetown, real name Robin Skinner, has “emerged as one of the preeminent voices in the DIY bedroom pop scene, with more than 1 billion global streams to date, including nearly 8 million monthly Spotify listeners and over 2 million YouTube subscribers.”

“1994” is the fifth track off the album. We see them “attempting to make peace with their younger self through a journey of self-worth, resentment, and self-love.” In an interview with Warner Records about the album, Cavetown notes “That song is about trying to allow yourself the same compassion and forgiveness you’d have for a little kid if they’d made some kind of mistake, instead of beating yourself up over it.”

2. *Ethel Cain – alt/indie – (8 spins of “American Teenager” off of the 2022 album “Preacher’s Daughter”) Ethel Cain is an alternative rock-pop singer from Florida who is most known for songs that reflect the feelings on religion. Cain’s lyrics focus on nostalgic and southern Gothic themes, such as poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence, death and transgenerational trauma. “Preacher’s Daughter” is a concept album “centered around the character Ethel Cain, who runs away from home only to meet a gruesome end at the hands of a cannibalistic psychopath,” according to Cain.

“American Teenager” was the third and final single off the debut album. “Growing up I was surrounded by visions of NASCAR, rock ’n ’roll, and being the one who would change everything,” Cain said in a statement. “They make you think it’s all achievable and that if nothing else, you should at least die trying. What they don’t tell you is that you need your neighbor more than your country needs you. I wrote this song as an expression of my frustration with all the things the ‘American Teenager’ is supposed to be but never had any real chance of becoming.”

3. *Suki Waterhouse – alt/indie – (8 spins of “Johanna” off of the 2022 EP “Milk Teeth”) Suki Waterhouse is an actress and new singer from London with a debut album coming out early in 2022. According to her Spotify, Waterhouse “catalogs the most intimate, formative, and significant moments of her life through songs.”

“Milk Teeth” was an EP that came out in late 2022 that was a collection of her most popular singles with two new ones. “Johanna” was initially released in 2019 and follows a mysterious person who we all want to know – Johanna.

4. *Coco & Clair Clair – pop – (6 spins of “Cherub” off of the 2022 album “Sexy”) Coco & Clair Clair are a duo from Atlanta who, according to Hometown Talent, are “pioneers of ‘demon glam rock,’ their unapologetic & unmistakably hip-hop-influenced sound breathes new life into the lo-fi bedroom pop genre.”

The duo’s debut album “Sexy” is self released and has critics going crazy. “Cherub” is the opening track off the album, with Pitchfork describing it as the “pop song whose lyrics you mutter to yourself as you prepare for a party, as opposed to the one you scream along to when you get there.”

5. *BROCKHAMPTON – hip hop/rap – (5 spins of “Southside” off of the 2022 album, “The Family”) BROCKHAMPTON is a boy band that originated in Texas, but soon moved to South LA in the beginning of their career. With over 10 members in the group, it reminisces Odd Future – a very popular hip hop collective that was BROCKHAMPTON’s inspiration. The group has been making music since 2015, but earlier this year announced that “The Family” would be their last album as the group.

Kevin Abstract, front man, then announced their would be a follow up album released the same day as “The Family” titled “TM”. Unlike “The Family,” “TM” had songs with the whole group – not just Abstract. “Southside” is the eighth track off the first last album and has west coast mixtape vibes with Abstract talking about what it was like to live with the band in Southside LA before they found fame.

6. *Dazy – alt/indie – (5 spins of “Inside Voice” off of the 2022 album “OUTOFBODY”) Dazy is an artist with much mystery surrounding them. Wanting to just be known for their music, they don’t share any personal information online to find. “Inside Voice” is the 11th track off the album and is heavy in the acoustic guitar with a nice bridge and hook to make it get stuck in your head.

7. *Deftones – rock – (4 spins of “Pink Maggit” off of the 2000 album “White Pony”) Deftones is one of the most recognizable names in alternative rock from the early 2000s. They recently reissued their album, “White Pony” with a re-release late 2020 for their 20th anniversary.

“Pink Maggit” is the 12th track on the album with lead vocalist Chino Moreno explaining that this was song was about the first day of school. But these lyrics hint that maybe there’s something more to them.

8. *SZA – r&b – (4 spins of  “Low” off of the 2022 album “SOS”) SZA, real name being Solána Imani Rowe, is one of the most influential R&B singers right now. SZA’s Spotify explains that she “has set herself apart with a vulnerable and casually poetic songwriting style and a voice conveying a multitude of emotions with subtle twists and turns. She established herself with a trio of spaced-out EPs and collaborations with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. She continued her ascent with Ctrl (2017), a Top Ten album that resulted in five Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist.”

“Low” is the fourth track off of SZA’s new album that features Travis Scott and we get to see her rapping side. On “Low,” SZA literally lowers her voice and “keep(s) it quiet,” while Travis Scott provides some ad-libs, which is fitting given the dark instrumental sound of the track that fits Scott’s style.

9. Mia Gladstone – hip hop/rap – (4 spins of “WHEN I THINK TOO MUCH I GET SICK TO MY STOMACH” off of the 2022 album “LOOPY”)  Mia Gladstone “fearlessly challenges the norms of society, making music that is as empowering as it is relatable,” according to OutLoud Culture. Gladstone explains that, “ever since I can remember, music has been at the forefront of my daily life and it’s been my greatest joy. I’ve always loved listening to music, singing, writing, playing, and it was just like this natural evolution that my parents really empowered growing up.”

“WHEN I THINK TOO MUCH I GET STICK TO MY STOMACH,” is the ninth track off of the sophomore album, and describes remembering an old love – and how awful it was.

10. *Yeah Yeah Yeahs – alt/indie – (3 spins of “Fleez” off of the 2022 album “Cool it Down”) Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an alternative rock band from New York that consists of Karen O, Nick Zinner, & Brain Chase. “Their fifth studio album is an eight-track collection, and an expert distillation of their best gifts that impels you to move, and cry, and listen closely and is bound to be a landmark in their catalog.”

“Fleez” is the fourth track on the album and was performed live for the first time at the Teragram Ballroom on May 30, 2022.

Top Adds from this Week:

1. The Album (3 singles) by Boygenius (alt/rock)
2.mole by poolblood (bedroom pop)
3.Moonlight Sunrise (Single) by TWICE (k-pop)

The Music Directors can be reached at music@kcsufm.com