KCRW’s Top 30 chart: Sept. 11 – 17, 2023

Written by

James Blake, king of the KCRW airwaves. Photo by Josh Stadlen.

It’s undeniable, everything’s coming up James Blake this week at KCRW. From new fan-favorite “Fire The Editor” leading off this week’s 5 Songs To Hear, to his freshly-released LP Playing Robots Into Heaven finally topping the chart, it’s all happening for the smoldering king of UK post-dubstep.

New and notable: Aussie psych-heroes Mildlife have been circling the list for weeks thanks to early spins of the brain-tingling, sprawling delights of new single “Return To Centaurus.” Now that it officially exists, with a new LP — Chorus — announced for 2024, expect an extended residency. Plus, get witchy with El Búho x Li Saumet’s collab from Búho’s forthcoming album Strata, and let it ride with Karen y Los Remedios’ Silencio. Find all of the vibes on our Top 30 Spotify playlist.  

More: 5 Songs to Hear This Week: James Blake, Cleo Sol, Ashnikko

Top 30 Albums (9.19.2023)


1 James Blake Playing Robots Into Heaven
2 The Chemical Brothers For That Beautiful Feeling
3 Cleo Sol Heaven
4 Yussef Dayes Black Classical Music
5 Nation Of Language Strange Disciple
6 Jungle Volcano
7 Romy Mid Air
8 Sampha LAHAI
9 Jalen Ngonda Come Around and Love Me
10 Sufjan Stevens Javelin
11 Tinashe BB/ANG3L
12 Corinne Bailey Rae Black Rainbows
13 Wajatta Waiting For The Get Down
14 Say She She Silver
15 Devendra Banhart Flying Wig
16 Mildlife Chorus
17 Allison Russell The Returner
18 Roosevelt Embrace
19 Slowdive everything is alive
20 Black Pumas Chronicles of a Diamond
21 Genesis Owusu STRUGGLER
22 Gabriels Angels & Queens
23 Noname Sundial
24 Kiefer It’s Ok, B U
25 Animal Collective Isn’t It Now?
26 Art Feynman Be Good the Crazy Boys
27 Tentendo Morning Light
28 Steven Bamidele Summing Up
29 Karen Y Los Remedios Silencio
30 El Búho Strata