10) Adrianne Lenker – “Bright Future” (2024)
Known as the vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist for the folk band Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker’s latest solo album, “Bright Future”, has been one of the most played at the station since its release.
Lenker has been releasing music since 2006, when she was only 14 years old, and has made a reputation as one of the most prolific songwriters of the folk music scene. She has a way of bringing the poetry out of some of the rawest human emotions which is why she has been able to amass such a dedicated fanbase since the formation of Big Thief in 2015. “Bright Future” is everything a fan would want from an Adrianne Lenker project: deeply emotional lyricism with ambient instrumentals from an acoustic guitar to accompany it. One notable song on the project is a demo version of the song “Vampire Empire” which was eventually released as a Big Thief track with some intense vocal delivery, drumming, and bells to back it up. The demo on Lenker’s project is a lot more stripped back and offers a different perspective on the track’s subject matter.
Our highlighted track this week is “Vampire Empire”, offering some sadness and solemnity to the gems selections.
9) Rachel Chinouriri – “What A Devastating Turn of Events” (2024)
UK singer/songwriter, Rachel Chinouriri, released her debut album earlier this year. She’s been releasing music on SoundCloud since 2018 but really found her audience after gaining some traction on TikTok. Born in Zimbabwe to parents who didn’t know much about British pop culture, Chinouriri found curiosity in British music as a teenager. She was especially inspired by the music of Daughter and Lily Allen.
After her single, “So My Darling”, the singer gained notoriety for her bubble pop sounds and artistic music videos. With support from other celebrities collaborations with her. One includes the appearance of actress Florence Pugh in the music video for “Never Need Me” which debuted ahead of the release of “What A Devastating Turn of Events”. She also gained a following when it was announced that she would be a supporting leg of the European leg of Sabrina Carpenter’s upcoming “Short n’ Sweet” tour.
The Highlighted track, “It Is What It Is”, offers an interesting between a staccato/spoken word verse and sweet, melodic vocals on the chorus.
8) Pinback – “Blue Screen Life” (2001)
Pinback marks this week’s oldest release on the list with their 2001 album, “Blue Screen Life”. Hailing from San Diego, Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow showcase the beachier side of life. The duo gets its name from Dan O’Bannon’s character in the movie “Dark Star”, a comedic sci-fi from 1974.
This album holds the attention of Pinback fans for being their last project before signing with a record label. A lot of fans appreciate the intimate feel of the band making music as friends and this album draws upon that sound.
Our highlighted track, “Prog” showcases the band’s upbeat guitar riffs and laid-back vocal style.
7) Maggie Rogers – “Don’t Forget Me” (2024)
Hailing from Maryland, Maggie Rogers has been making music since she was a child. As a teenager, she attended a summer program at Berklee College of Music and later attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Here she gained notoriety for her song “Alaska” which received praise from acclaimed artist, Pharell Williams.
After writing more music, Rogers released the album “Heard It in a Past Life” and began building a following. Her vivid songwriting and acoustic instrumentation made it easy for her to find an audience that appreciated her earnest point of view.
The highlighted track “Never Going Home” from the singer/songwriter’s latest album, “Don’t Forget Me” is a sweet ode to confidence.
6) Lizzy McAlpine – “Older” (2024)
Lizzy McAlpine’s latest album, “Older” offers a blend of folk and bedroom pop. The genres of her biggest inspiration that influence her artistry.
McAlpine’s 3rd studio album shows her artistic growth throughout the past year, detailing a lot of her personal struggles with mental health. Notably, the singer collaborated with fellow folk artist, Noah Kahan, on the song “Call Your Mom” ahead of the promotion for this album and its subsequent tour.
The highlighted track, “All Falls Down” has caught the attention of KCSU DJs for its joyous guitars contrasting with some personal lyrics.
5) CZARFACE – “CZARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE” (2023)
Hip-hop legends work together to create Czarface, and their latest album, “Czartificial Intelligence”. Duo, 7L & Esoteric, team up with legendary member of Wu-Tang Clan, Inspectah Deck, to form this rap supergroup.
With their name as a reference to the classic movie “Scarface” the group embraces puns on many track titles. Some of our favorite examples include “Czarchimedes’ Death Ray”, in reference to philosopher and mathematician Archimedes, and “Live From Czarnegie Hall” referencing the legendary music venue.
The highlighted track is a fun moment both lyrically and instrumentally, we especially appreciate the Joe Frazier lyric, a reference to the legendary Wu-Tang track, “Protect Ya Neck”.
4) Childish Gambino – “Atavista” (2024)
Childish Gambino, aka Donald Glover, got his musical career started in 2011 with his album “Camp”. Before he was known widely as a comedian, who got his start as a writer for “30 Rock” before becoming an actor. Both of us on the music team were big fans of his work in the show “Community” as Troy Barnes.
His comedy background and musical inclination explain the silly nature of his earlier work. When Gambino shifted into a more serious tone while maintaining his whimsy, is when he really began to shine as a musician. A good example from this album is the track “Psilocybae”, a quirky chronicle of his first time trying magic mushrooms.
This week’s highlighted track, “Sweet Thang”, features R&B singer Summer Walker to depict adoration for the object of the artists’ affection.
3) Beyoncé – “COWBOY CARTER”
Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” was released as the second installment of a three-part project with 2022’s “Renaissance” being the first. The album is Beyoncé combining country with gospel for an all-American record. The singer/songwriter is no stranger to either genre, but the country sound on this album was particularly highlighted due to the artist being overlooked in the past. Beyoncé’s song, “Daddy Lessons”, off the 2017 album “Lemonade” was an unmistakable country ballad detailing the Texas singer’s coming of age. The singer even performed the song at the Country Music Awards with The Chicks, yet was overlooked from any nominations.
With something to prove, Beyoncé threads this album with a lot of introspection about growing up in the south, and shows her appreciation for country music in both the references she chooses and the featured artists. Notably, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Miley Cyrus all make an appearance.
The highlighted track, “BODYGUARD” is a smooth and flirty moment on the project.
2) Charli XCX – “BRAT” (2024)
This summer, neon green and Arial font were inescapable due to hyperpop sensation Charli XCX’s latest full-length album, “brat”. The UK singer teamed up with many of her longtime collaborators to produce one of the freshest batches of dance tracks in recent memory.
The singles for this album, “Von dutch”, “B2b”, “Club classics”, and “360” garnered lots of hype for the album to be full of upbeat party tracks. The song “Von dutch” even had a remix with TikToker Addison Rae released before the album was dropped. Despite all of the party girl energy exuded, there are also some tracks that offer introspection. One such song is “So I”, in which Charli reflects on her friendship with late hyperpop pioneer SOPHIE. Another is “Girl, so confusing” where she details her sometimes fraught relationship with fellow singer, Lorde. This track gave rise to a remix with Lorde herself. The latest notable remix was for a song from the deluxe edition of the album “Guess”, which was produced by The Dare and featured Billie Eilish for a guest verse.
The highlighted track this week is “Girl, so confusing”, the original version that doesn’t feature Lorde, from before they “work it out on the remix”.
1) Good Morning – “Good Morning Seven” (2024)
Good Morning is a duo hailing from Australia and their fifth album, “Good Morning Seven” came out in the spring earlier this year. The band gained lots of recognition when their song “Don’t Come Home Today” was sampled by A$AP Rocky on the song “Kids Turned Out Fine”. This gave the duo lots of momentum preceding the release of their album “Basketball Breakups” and their North American tour.
This latest album has been the group’s largest release to date, and actually aided them in embarking on their latest North American tour with Waxahatchee.
Our highlighted track is “Monster Of The Week” an upbeat song about a tumultuous relationship.