1. Natalie Bergmen
Anyone who listens to "the gallery" with DJ Iris and me knows that we became big fans of Natalie Bergman’s music last semester when her album My Home Is Not In This World was added to our rotation list. I was immediately obsessed and soon enough her songs “Looking For You”, “Lonely Road”, “Dance” and others were scattered throughout my Spotify playlists. Her music, very '60s-esque, is perfect for road trips and has the perfect tracks for the summer days to come. While she is no longer in our rotation, her songs still make an appearance in our show here and there!
2. Del Water Gap
This one-man band, begun by singer-songwriter S. Holden Jaffe, is currently in our rotation for the spring semester. On one of our first shows early this semester, DJ Iris and I stumbled across his album Chasing the Chimera in our new rotation and randomly found “Marigolds” to play that morning. That was a good move because he and this album quickly became one of my favorites from this season's rotation, with a very catchy indie-rock sound. Specifically, the song “Small Town Joan of Arc” has found a home in playlists of my own.
3. Steven Bamidele
Also one of our rotation artists this semester, Steven Bamidele, and his album THE CRASH! have been fun to explore this year. I first chose his song “Truman” for a setlist in late January and not long into the song, I was hooked! Throughout the album, Bamidele features other artists in certain songs, making this album a nice mix of musical styles and sounds. He will definitely make more appearances on "the gallery" as well as in my own headphones.
4. Hatchie
Last semester, I had the chance to dive into Hatchie’s discography and her album Liquorice from our rotation. I immediately heard similarities between her and other artists I enjoy, specifically Japanese Breakfast and Cocteau Twins. This dreamy pop album holds so many fun listens, and while having a consistent vibe, each is uniquely their own. “Lose It Again” and “Wonder” particularly stuck out to me and have since been favorites in playlists of mine. Hatchie 100% deserves a listen!
5. Ellur
Ellur is also a new addition in the WUSC rotation and when beginning this article, I knew I wanted to include her. The album At Home In My Mind is a collection of gorgeous songs that DJ Iris and I randomly stumbled across when picking music one morning. Her songs “Missing Kid” and “Dream of Mine” have already made an appearance on our show and are both my favorites from the album. I can’t wait to see what more Ellur may release in the future.
6. Chelsea Days
As I am in a pattern of switching between current rotation and past rotation, I am here to shine light on Chelsea Days and their album Superette, one of last winter's rotation features. This EP of only five songs, all following an indie-rock vibe, quickly became a favorite for the semester's chilly mornings. “Two Seater” was the first song of theirs that I was introduced to last November, which led me to find “Magazine”, my top pick from the EP. This song could have easily blended into a playlist of mine back in 2022 or 2023. Now you can definitely find it in my current playlists, along with the other great tracks from this album.
7. This is Lorelei
For the seventh and final mention, I wanted to talk about This Is Lorelei, specifically his song “I Can’t Fall” from his album Holo Boy. This song stuck in my head right after hearing it play for the first time, with a catchy tune and amusing instrumentals. Now it has already been played three times on "the gallery" and will most likely be played again before the end of the semester. Until then, I will be playing this song over and over again.