Two KCRW heavy-hitters releasing albums on the same day made this week’s top five an easy guessing game, while still allowing space for a nice surprise or two. The Chemical Brothers’ For That Beautiful Feeling was a shoo-in for number one, but James Blake’s Playing Robots Into Heaven trailing Slowdive’s latest shoegaze opus — everything is alive — in a photo finish is the kind of shake-up we live for around these parts.
New and notable: CCFX’s Mary Jane Dunphe has charted before with her chilled-to-perfection new LP Stage Of Love, but watching it return to the list is cause for celebration. And don’t sleep on soul man Aaron Frazer’s latest heart-quaking ballad “Bring You a Ring.” It may be low on the list now, but expect a rapid climb. It’s all at your beck and click thanks to our nifty Top 30 Spotify playlist.
Top 30 Albums (9.12.2023)
| 1 | The Chemical Brothers | For That Beautiful Feeling |
| 2 | Jungle | Volcano |
| 3 | Slowdive | everything is alive |
| 4 | James Blake | Playing Robots Into Heaven |
| 5 | Wajatta | Waiting For The Get Down |
| 6 | Romy | Mid Air |
| 7 | Yussef Dayes | Black Classical Music |
| 8 | Black Pumas | Chronicles of a Diamond |
| 9 | Toro y Moi | Sandhills |
| 10 | Pachyman | Switched-On |
| 11 | Little Dragon | Slugs of Love |
| 12 | Genesis Owusu | STRUGGLER |
| 13 | MUNYA | JARDIN |
| 14 | Sampha | LAHAI |
| 15 | Gabriels | Angels & Queens |
| 16 | Mitski | The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We |
| 17 | Sirens of Lesbos | Peace |
| 18 | Jalen Ngonda | Come Around and Love Me |
| 19 | Mary Jane Dunphe | Stage Of Love |
| 20 | Khruangbin & Men I Trust | Live at RBC Echo Beach |
| 21 | Say She She | Silver |
| 22 | Panda Bear & Sonic Boom | Reset In Dub |
| 23 | Girl Ray | Prestige |
| 24 | Noname | Sundial |
| 25 | Devendra Banhart | Flying Wig |
| 26 | Kiefer | It’s Ok, B U |
| 27 | CARRTOONS | Saturday Night |
| 28 | Cherry Glazerr | I Don’t Want You Anymore |
| 29 | Turnstile & BADBADNOTGOOD | New Heart Designs |
| 30 | Aaron Frazer | Bring You a Ring [Single] |