Hey! Did you know that there’s an entire aspect of KCRW music discovery that you might be missing out on? Fear not, because our 5 Songs to Hear This Week newsletter is now a weekly feature on our website. Watch this space for rundowns of the five songs that you need in your life immediately, curated by KCRW Music staff. Don’t want to wait for your latest taste of fresh tunes? Sign up for the Tuesday newsletter here, and have ‘em delivered directly to your inbox.
Billie Eilish – “LUNCH”
Billie’s back baby, and she’s bringing a whole new flavor sensation for your taste buds. This excellent lead single from the hotly anticipated new album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, has it all: It bounces like pop, gets rough like rock, and positively titillates in the lyrics. And it’s all topped off with Billie’s signature understated 6-inch vocal style and a flirty-for-real music video. We’ll have this track for brekky, lunch, AND dinner, thank you very much. Click play to serve it up.
Elkka – “Right Here”
The warm glow of the dancefloor emanates off of this electronic dance track from Elkka, a DJ out of London who’s carved out a space in the queer nightclub scene across Europe. Featuring full-throated lyrics of devotion, prismatic synths, and a life-affirming dance beat all capped by shimmering magic-wand samples — this single summons the diva-house sounds of the ‘90s. Given all that, it’s no surprise her forthcoming debut album is titled Prism of Pleasure. Find it wherever you get your rekkids on June 7.
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – “Compress/Repress”
LA is an industry town, and all you film-heads know that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are some of the most in-demand composers in the biz. The pair is perhaps best known for scoring the films of David Fincher and now acclaimed auteur Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) has quite literally put them in the mix. Challengers (out now) is taking the world by storm, and its score makes up a lot of the buzz. If you’ve seen it, recapture some of the film’s most heart-thumping moments with this incisive electronic track — if you haven’t, get thee to an AMC!
Beth Gibbons – “Lost Changes”
Moody girls of the world unite under queen mother Beth Gibbons. Best known as the lead singer and lyricist for iconic UK trip-hop act Portishead, Gibbons is finally striking out on her own. On her freshly released LP — Lives Outgrown — she leads with the slow-like-honey style, hushed tones, and minor chords you may already associate with her haunting voice. And don’t sleep on the visuals. In this standout pink-hued video, Gibbons references her own “disappearance” and provokes with karaoke poetry.
Kiefer Trio (Featuring Luke Titus and Pera Krstajic) – “Cute”
Simmer down with this divine instrumental mediation from jazz project Kiefer Trio. This group of LA local all stars is made up of keyboardist Keifer and two regular collaborators: Luke Titus on drums and Pera Krstajic milking the bass. Ultra fun fact: the trio’s album, Something for Real, really is real. The recording comes to us from a live show that Keifer kept secret from the other two players, ensuring its presence, authenticity, and freedom from expectation. And speaking of live performances, be sure to catch their recent Tiny Desk performance.
