The best new music, brought to you weekly by the RNZ Music team. Host Kirsten Johnstone and fellow music obsessives offer a handpicked selection of what's good from Aoteraoa and abroad.
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RNZ is unable to publish any content with commercially-released music to podcast platforms, but Song Crush is available on our website at rnz.co.nz/song-crush
Ballads for the end of the world, torch songs for broken hearts, political missives for everyone, and a glimmer of hope in them all. It’s Song Crush’s 2019 wrap of the (international) songs they’ve loved the most.
It was another strong year for music in Aotearoa, from the internationally acclaimed Aldous Harding and Tiny Ruins, to the grass roots DIY acts just bubbling up. The Song Crush team play some of their favourites.
Art-pop from Moses Sumney and FKA Twigs, a techno soundtrack from Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, an afrobeat banger, some sad-boy-soul, and some Scottish minimalist dream-pop feature on Song Crush this week.
All year the Song Crush team have introduced you to new songs they're loving, but this week host Kirsten Johnstone threw the call out to you the listeners, for your favourite tune of 2019. Here's a handful of the answers we got.
French For Rabbits find a new banging synth sound, British-Ghanaian rapper Kojey Radical shows his smooth side, and Wye Oak just keep on evolving - these songs and more on Song Crush this week.
Doom folk, te reo Maori electronica, sample based soul and Jeff Goldblum's lounge album are some of the things discussed in Song Crush this week, but beware of tangents everywhere.
Kanye goes gospel - but is he just cashing in on the Christian dollar? Plus a woozy missive from Frank Ocean, a powerful message from Onehunga's SWIDT, and more.
Some dreamy new local releases, thirsty soul, desert blues and Tibetan meditation music feature on Song Crush this week.
Homegrown guitar fuzz, classic New York hip-hop beats, dancehall riddims from France, and noisy Nashville country-rock are a few of the sounds you’ll hear on Song Crush this week.
Nick Cave is at peace with his ghosts, Björk is cut up by The Knife, and New York indie-rockers Vivian Girls are back in business. Kirsten Johnstone and the Song Crush team are back with new songs to love.
Schools out and the kids take over! Teenage music fans Oscar Horner and Benny Lindsay Williams explain the listening habits of the young and share their new favourite songs. Honorary adolescent Mark Cubey introduces us to the modern phenomenon that is Post Malone.
There's music for driving, running, dancing, and dreaming this week in Song Crush: A 96 year old Ethiopian nun, some techno legends, a Tongan finding his groove in Berlin, and a lo-fi bedroom producer are all in there.
The song crush team have sonic whiplash this week, veering from orchestral bombast to old-school hip-hop to scandi-avant-techno to Chinese opera meets Jamaican rocksteady.
Septuagenarian Iggy Pop has a new set of jazz inflected songs - some silly, some profound; Octogenarian bluesman Bobby Rush gets frisky with 'Sweet Lizzy', SiR fills some sweet 'boudoir RnB' with the voice of Jill Scott and Kentucky folk singer Joan Shelley creates an oasis of calm.
Lana Del Rey releases her strongest songs ever five albums in, Lizzo hits the top of the charts with a song released two years ago, King Princess is riding a big gay wave of queer pop - here's the latest crop of song crushes from the RNZ Music team.
Nashville to K-Pop to K-Rd to DC Hardcore - Song Crush spans the global gamut this week. Hold on tight, it’s a bumpy ride.
Songs of love lost, frustration, and oxygen particles feature in Song Crush this week.
Some veterans of music are back in fine form, and The Song Crush team are here for it.
Why is Chance The Rapper’s album getting such terrible reviews? We find out, and hear some new goth-pop from Angel Olsen, a banger from newcomer Georgia, something special from Race Banyon and more.
Song Crush this week has songs about self-empowerment and drowning in sorrow, in equal measure.
The Song Crush team play remedies for your mid-winter maladies, including songs from Thelma Plum, Bob Dylan and David Kilgour.
The Song Crush team this week play some tracks you should listen to instead of the new Ed Sheeran record
On this week's Song Crush we dabble in disco, flirt with funk, and indulge in some capital 'P' pop.
Some songs can articulate an experience so well that it feels as if the writers have actually read your mind. The Song Crush team this week have a couple of those songs, from rapper NF, Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Yola and more.
Make a cuppa, pull up the blankies, Kirsten Johnstone and the Song Crush team serve up toasty new tunes to warm you up. This week's show includes The Comet is Coming, Iron & Wine and Calexico and Jordan Rakei amongst others.
The Song Crush team this week has new music ranging from scandipop to jazz. Host Kirsten Johnstone is joined by RNZ Afternoons producer Emile Donovan, Inside Out host Nick Tipping, and RNZ Music’s Tony Stamp.
It’s almost the middle of the year so we’ve got a large handful of our regular selectors in the studio to pick our favourite songs of the year so far - or at least, eight of them.
The Song Crush team this week listens to Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker's evolution, new songs from Sleater-Kinney, Purple Pilgrims, Lower Dens and more. Host Kirsten Johnstone is joined by Tony Stamp and Jana Whitta.
The Song Crush team have comebacks from alt-rock greats Sebadoh and Bill Callahan, an educational jam from Jamila Woods, and more fresh musical treats.
Is Tyler the Creator the Brian Wilson of this generation? The Song Crush Team consider his new album Igor, and rave about new music from Kelsey Lu, SJD, and more.
The Song Crush team listen to the feminine flecked new songs from indie-rock veterans The National, and a minimalist cover of Cher’s 1998 hit ‘Believe’ amongst other great new releases.
The Song Crush team this week play a song created by AI, an old ghost song, a fiery love poem, and some trade-aid jazz.
The Song Crush team this week have songs to make you bounce in your chair, others to make you weep. Host Kirsten Johnstone is joined by Tony Stamp and Brad ‘Sticky’ Warrington for new tunes by Jess B, Soaked Oats, Scott Mannion and more.
On this week's Song Crush we delve into UK hip hop, doom rock, alt-country and plenty in between, with help from Wallace Chapman and Leilani Momoisea
The Song Crush squad gets swept away by Weyes Blood, celebrates staying home with Hybrid Rose and Fanfickk, and samples Meer's aural cuisine.
We warm up for the release of Cuz I Love You, the third album from booty-shaking self-loving flute-tooting star Lizzo, get tantric with Rosie Lowe, swept away by the charms of Argentinian trio Fémina, and bewitched by folk-rockers Big Thief.
The Song Crush team this week listen to new releases ranging from homegrown, colloquial hip-hop to grown-up love songs, Japanese indie pop to British Brexit music.
Californian pop prodigy Billie Eilish has just released her debut LP, When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? 11-13 year olds Tahu, Sophie, Honey and Grace take a first listen.
Pop prodigy Billie Eilish's long awaited debut LP is out, and who better to give it a first listen than a group of 11-13 year old young women? Plus we have new music from Flume, Lafawndah, SOAK and Mdou Moctar.
Songs with a contemplative feel dominate the Song Crush selections this week, with songs from The Cinematic Orchestra, Neneh Cherry, Scott Mulvahill and Koffee.
It's a jumbo edition of Song Crush this week as seven of RNZ Music's regular song-crushers choose their best track of the summer.
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