“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 Wednesday morning and discussed on the show “KCSU Weekly Gem Countdown” which airs every Wednesday from 12-1. During the show, you can tune in to hear the countdown, learn more about each artist behind the songs topping KCSU’s charts, and listen to DJ Fruit-Bat and Lady J break down the sound and feel of each song! This week’s is post DJathon week, where we stream almost constantly, so we have some exciting unexpected features!

1. Chappell Roan – pop – 20 spins – highlighted hit: “Red Wine Supernova” off of the September release “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”
Chappell Roan has been writing and releasing her own music since she got her start on YouTube as a teenager in 2017, an internet-led “dark pop” princess whose word-of-mouth success began with her track, “Pink Pony Club,” going viral on TikTok in 2021. Building a further following from accompanying artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Fletcher on tour, Roan became known for her camp (self-made) outfits and unapologetically glittery pop music.

Her debut record, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” sees Roan really coming into her own sonically and aesthetically, met with praise from critics and fans alike. We’ve featured a number of different Chappell Roan tracks at this point, and our highlighted hit this week is the single “Red Wine Supernova.”

2. Boygenius – alt/indie – 18 spins – Highlighted Hit: “Voyager” off of the March release “the rest”
Formed from indie darlings Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julien Baker, boygenius’s first, self-titled EP came out in 2018. Formed “on accident” after the three became friends, boygenius’s cult status has grown into a devoted fanbase. Their first full-length album, “the record,” came out this year in March, and it was met with acclaim from fans and critics, a critical, commercial, and fan-led success.

Their newest release as boygenius, the four-song “the rest” EP is what came of songs that didn’t make it on the original record, and each track was revealed one-by-one over the course of their tour until the EP was released. Our highlighted track, “Voyager,” is off of the EP.

3. Troye Sivan – pop – 16 spins – highlighted hit: “Got Me Started” off of the October release “Something to Give Each Other”
Another artist who got their start on the internet, Troye Sivan’s story is a particularly compelling one. He started posting YouTube videos as a kid, growing in popularity through his teenage years through his comedy, vlog, and song cover videos. His debut EP, “TRXYE,” came out in 2014, followed by his debut studio album, “Blue Neighborhood,” which came out in 2015.

Sivan’s second album, “Bloom,” was released in 2018, and in the time between that and his third record, “Something to Give Each Other” he’s released a steady stream of singles alongside focusing on acting for a while. Released October 13th, “Something to Give Each Other” has been received with immense praise from fans and critics. Our highlighted track this week, “Got Me Started” is one of many Troye songs that have been getting lots of love from our DJs lately.

4. Jimi Hendrix – rock – 16 spins – highlighted hit: “Red House” off of the 1967 release “Are You Experienced”

Though the rise of Jimi Hendrix as a rock’n’roll superstar was meteoric, his beginning was more humble than it seemed, apprenticing in the r&b circuit as a backup guitarist, where he played for greats like Little Richard. With a tendency to steal the show, Hendrix emerged as a solo act in the mid sixties, creating the Jimi Hendrix Experience. His debut record, “Are You Experienced,” had an immediate impact on music (the ripples of which have yet to go fully still).

Hendrix’s passing is another moment in music history where one of the greatest musicians of all time was lost tragically early, but his music continues to keep his torch burning. Hendrix is probably in the top of our gems this week because of KCSU’s DJ-athon last week, where our spins get a little more exciting! Our very own DJ Webz is a big fan, and it’s likely their influence as well. Our highlighted hit is the closing track of “Are You Experienced,” the track “Red House.”

5. Arctic monkeys – rock – 15 spins – highlighted hit: “Jet Skis on the Moat” off of the 2022 release “The Car”

Though they’ve been making music since 2005, Arctic Monkeys spread through online word-of-mouth primarily in the early 2010s to become the it-band of 2014, where the coolest thing you could be found in was a t-shirt with the cover for their 2013 record “AM.” Fronted by Alex Turner (vocals, guitar) and currently joined by Matt Helders (drums), Jamie Cook (guitar), and Nick O’Malley (bass), the band have been steadily making music since their 2006 debut “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”

Our highlighted track comes from their 2022 record “The Car,” which their Spotify claims was put together in a Suffolk monastery. The record is as smooth and stylish as you can expect from Arctic Monkeys, and our highlighted hit is “Jet Skis on the Moat.”

6. Olivia Rodrigo – pop – 14 spins – highlighted hit: “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” off of the September release, “GUTS”
No longer just an up-and-comer in the world of pop music, Olivia Rodrigo is the world of modern pop music, a leading figure in shaping the sounds and aesthetics of modern pop music. Her debut record “SOUR,” was a massive pop-cultural moment, the fastest album in history to have all of its songs certified RIAA Platinum for higher. Rodrigo got her start as an actress, featuring on shows like “Bizaardvark” and “High School Musical: The Musical: The Show,” but her passion for music led her to the career she has now.

Rodrigo’s second release, “GUTS,” came out in September to more praise and hype, currently putting her at the spot of the 22nd most-streamed artist in the entire world on Spotify. The album has a pop-rock/pop-punk inspired approach, edgier and more honest than Rodrigo was able to be on “SOUR.” Our highlighted hit this week is “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,” another angsty, autobiographical Olivia classic.

7. Animal collective – alt/indie – 13 spins – highlighted hit: “Genie’s Open” off of the September release “Isn’t It Now?”
Animal Collective are considered one of the most prolific and idiosyncratic acts making music, which they’ve been doing since the early 2000s. Formed from a group of friends in Baltimore, the band currently consists of Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (Brian Weitz), and Deakin (Josh Dibb). It feels a disservice to AnCo to try and define them by any genre, but they’ve been described as experimental pop/rock, freak-folk, electronica, psych, and more.

Every release is different, taking the band in new and unexpected directions. Their most acclaimed record is 2009’s “Merriweather Post Pavilion,” considered a classic in the world of indie music. Their most recent release, September’s “Isn’t It Now?” is formed from songs they started working on remotely in 2019, and ended up as their longest record to date. They’ve been pretty popular following their most recent release, and this week’s highlighted track for Anco is “Genies Open.”

8. Cautious Clay – Jazz – 12 spins – highlighted hit: “The Tide Is My Witness” off of the August release “Karpeh”
Cautious Clay is a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer based in New York. He got his start working on mixing beats for friends, heavily influenced by hip-hop and electronic music. Most of his music is more rooted in r&b and production-focused songwriting, but his August record and Blue Note debut, “Karpeh” is a departure for him; “Karpeh” is leap into the world of jazz that, judging by his level of passion and ability, seems to have been an easy transition for him.

“Karpeh” is a labor of love, with Cautious playing on over 8 different instruments and collaborating heavily with other unexpected artists. He describes the record as “equating my life’s journey to an amalgamation of my family’s past life experiences, an exploration of my present, and how those pieces will influence the future.”

Our highlighted track this week, “The Tide is my Witness,” is a favorite of our DJ Lady J, and for good reason!

9. Cherry Glazerr – alt/indie – 11 spins – highlighted hit: “I Don’t Want You Anymore” off of the September release “I Don’t Want You Anymore”
Cherry Glazerr formed in Los Angeles in 2013, fronted by Clementine Creevy, the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. They’ve moved from their initial grungy output to lighter, indier tracks on their most recent record, “I Don’t Want You Anymore,” but their garage influences still shine through on every track.
Creevy describes the process of making “I Don’t Want You Anymore” as a period of intense, raw self-reflection, quoted on Spotify as saying “I’ve spent these years taking a hard look at myself, at my relationships, and writing about it. I guess I’m coming to terms with a lot of my bullshit.”
Our highlighted track, “I Don’t Want You Anymore,” is the single the record takes its name from!

10. Jeff Buckley – rock – 10 spins – highlighted hit: “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” off of the 1994 release “Grace”

Another artist who we likely have DJ-athon to thank for making it into our gems, Jeff Buckley is a particularly popular artist around the KCSU station and a favorite of our very own DJ Daze. As the son of folk artist Tim Buckley, it isn’t a surprise that Jeff Buckley inherited his father’s songwriting prowess. Immediately popular following his 1994 debut “Grace,” Buckley had a cult following in the 90s alternative music scene, known for his ethereal stage presence, sweeping vocals, and one-of-a-kind songwriting. His cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” was particularly instrumental in developing his notoriety.

Buckley only released a few records before his untimely passing in 1997, elevating his cult status and cementing him into music history as another singular talent lost tragically early. Our highlighted hit is one of his most popular tracks (and an incredible heartbreak anthem): “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over.”