Today's Top Tune

Leroi Conroy is the alter-ego of Colemine Records' owner, recording artist, and sound designer Terry Cole. And he just dropped a slithering, hypnotic, instrumental called “Panthera Cry,” a piece to whet our appetites for his debut album A Tiger's Tale.  Look out! … For some serious hip-hop drumming, bass dropping, and head-nodding (the latter of which will be your own).

Consummate collaborator Marissa Nadler (Father John Misty, John Cale, Angel Olsen, etc.) will release her tenth studio album New Radiations on Aug. 15 via Sacred Bones Records. The ethereal and haunting title track is just what you need to enjoy a contemplative journey through her dusty, dreamlike soundscapes.

New Jersey-based synth-rock-soul purveyor 54 Ultra slays us with First Work, a six-track EP that contains the Spanglish single “No Tengo Valor.” The song title is open to interpretation: either “I Don't Have Value,” or “I Don't Have The Guts or Valor.” Intense subject matter aside, the song functions as a lighthouse of sonic components as 54 Ultra weaves his Puerto Rican and Dominican roots into a super-catchy (and formidable) Latin Soul number. 

“Mystic” offers a cinematic sneak peak into Other Lives' forthcoming album Volume V (due Oct. 10 via Play It Again Sam). The ten track album marks the latest chapter in the band's saga, and finds them pushing new boundaries with their epic arrangements, melodies, and orchestrations. 

Queens-based artist Juan Wauters' new LP MVD LUV celebrates his hometown of Montevideo, Uruguay. “Manjando Por Pando” (which was world premiered on MBE)  takes its classic songwriting style from candombe, an Afro-Uruguayan musical and dance tradition dating back to the eighteenth century. 

If you're looking for a fight, you found it. Isle of Wight wunderkinds Wet Leg unleash the alluring fury of “catch these fists,” a punchy and frenetic piece from their brand-spanking-new album moisturizer. If you want to catch something other than fists (and why wouldn't you), Wet Leg will be live at The Greek Theatre on Friday, Oct. 17. 

Sometimes a song deserves a simple, straightforward superlative: “gorgeous.” “Le Grand Soleil De Dieu (Psychemagik Remix),” is one of those songs. It's the work of Cameroonian pioneer Francis Bebey, taken from his posthumous album, Trésor Magnétique, and sprinkled with fairy dust… err, remixed by UK-based electronic duo Psychemagik. Dig it, man. 

Grammy-winner Latroit soulfully reimagines the Roy Davis Jr. classic “Gabrielle” … with a little help from Pet Shop Boys' backing vocalist Nick Clow(!). The musical dynamism you'll hear all over the track comes from Latroit's stellar stable of electronic warriors/close collaborators.

The Budos Band have returned with VII, their first new album since 2020's Long In The Tooth. And they're in peak form here; laying down mesmerizing beats against action-packed, big horn grooves that are ready and waiting to transport you to a new realm. Start with the undulating beats and laser focus of “Lair of 1,000 Serpents.” For the fully immersive Budos Band experience, catch ‘em live at the Novo on Friday, Oct. 10. 

Taking their cues from ‘90s shamble-pop greats like Yo La Tengo and The Pastels, the Norwegian trio Twirlies makes a swoon-worthy debut with “Think That I'm In Love.” Classic indiepop sounds for the twenty-first century? Yes please.

Longtime friends FINNEAS and Ashe have a habit of casual collabs that create hits. Think: “Moral of the Story” (2019) and “Till Forever Falls Apart” (2021). Now they've made it official by adopting a new moniker (The Favors) and hitting us with their golden-age-of-Laurel-Canyon-esque new single “The Little Mess You Made.” And that's not all, The Favors have a debut LP set for release on Sept. 19.

KCRW Young Creator's Project alum Raine is back with Backseat, a new EP due in Sept of this year. “To You” is a gentle and open love letter to friendship; a space where Raine explores all of its  pure joys and growing pains. 

You may recognize Tony and Grammy winner Renée Elise Goldsberry from her role as Angelica Schuyler in the filmed version of Hamilton. And while the Broadway musical celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, Goldsberry is stepping out with her own debut album, Who I Really Am. It’s a deeply personal collection of songs that showcase her range as a performer, songwriter, and storyteller. Check out the belting blues of  “Staring” for starters.

You may recognize Tony and Grammy winner Renée Elise Goldsberry from her role as Angelica Schuyler in the filmed version of Hamilton. And while the Broadway musical celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, Goldsberry is stepping out with her own debut album, Who I Really Am. It's a deeply personal collection of songs that showcase her range as a performer, songwriter, and storyteller. Check out the belting blues of  “Staring” for starters.

Born and bred in Western Kentucky, S.G. Goodman is an old soul of a storyteller whose work points to ancient traditions and lost ways of life. Her new album, Planting by the Signs, is her first in three years — and most likely her best work yet. Over eleven songs, Goodman puts forth the notion that the only way forward for any of us is together. Her devotion to the natural world comes to the fore on songs like “Snapping Turtle.”

London’s Night Tapes are set to release their hotly-anticipated debut album,  portals//polarities, on September 26. While we wait, they’ve given us “Pacifico,” a trip hop-flavored number inspired by a friend’s journey to Oaxaca. It’s a state of mind that we all need to reach. (Crate-diggers may also recognize the Billy Cobham sample from Souls of Mischief’s “93 ’Til Infinity.”)

Colombian chanteuse Lido Pimienta broke out in 2020 with her third album, Miss Colombia. And now she’s returned with a masterful new release, La Belleza, which ups the creative ante even further. Pimienta co-produced the album with Owen Pallett, who arranged the album’s nine movements for a 60-piece orchestra. Check out “¿Quién Tiene La Luz? (El Perdón)”, which Pimienta sings from beneath a veil of heartbreak and loss, with an opening section that brings to mind a Gregorian chant.

Erick The Architect is a man with a résumé: his recent collaborators include Jungle, L’Imperatrice, George Clinton, James Blake, and Channel Tres, among many others. But now he’s stepped out on his own again with the third installment of his ARCSTRUMENTALS series. The  EP has a perfect top-down summertime sound, flavored with house and R&B influences, including the tasty “All That I Need” (feat. Haile Supreme).

During the pandemic, Silvana Estrada found herself home alone and broken-hearted. She was also facing some serious insomnia so she picked up her guitar and went to work. “Como Un Pájaro” (“Like A Bird”) is one of the songs that emerged from this period. And now that Estrada is playing live again, it’s become a fan favorite. Get it now as a free download, let it live forever in your digital collection.

AI can’t feel the beat, but Mocky can. That’s why this groovy single uses live instrumentation and analog recording to celebrate the power of the human voice. “Music Will Explain” is the title track from a forthcoming LP which has many songs dedicated to exploring this theme. Grab Music Will Explain (Choir Music Vol. 1) on June 27 (via Stones Throw), and see Mocky and friends do it live at Zebulon on Tuesday, July 1.   

Brooklyn-based artist and producer url just dropped this indie-pop love song that’s built from English and French vocal samples. It’s the sonic equivalent of a developing love story, and it’s just the thing to soundtrack daydreams about your latest crush.

Yaya Bey’s “raisins” is all about the bravery required to pursue a career as an artist; dreaming big and keeping the faith through the more sobering realities of the job. Find this song on Bey’s forthcoming album do it afraid, out this Friday, June 20. Catch Yaya Bey live in LA on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Lodge Room. 

LA band Sparks always delights us with their sophisticated-yet-playful songwriting. The duo of brothers Ron and Russell Mael have been at it since the early 1970s and they just dropped their 28th studio album, MAD!. “Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab” is one of the typically witty offerings from that album, and you can download it for free right now. Also be sure to mark your calendar for their LA show at the Greek on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Formed in 2010, Baltimore’s Turnstile are a band that always moves forward boldly and collectively — despite what their name might suggest. Their freshly released album LOOK OUT FOR ME is a whirlwind of fourteen genre-defying songs that sounds a good bit like The Police.  

“Under The Mandarin Moon,” or as Pearl & The Oysters say “Sous la lune mandarine,” is the latest example of the group’s musical superpower: exploring a difficult subject over a wistful, Bossa-nova-tinged tune. This song is the LA band’s abstract attempt at describing the dreadful night when the Eaton fire broke out… an event which directly affected the band and friends from their tight-knit community. Commune with them in person at Lodge Room on Thursday, Jul. 10.

Grammy Award-winning duo NxWorries (Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge) have returned with the dance floor ready banger “Everybody Get’s Down.” Already a steady presence on KCRW’s Top 30 chart, grab it now as a free download and memorize it before they kick off their North American tour this fall — their final stop is the Hollywood Palladium on Oct. 19.

Genre-hopping Swiss outfit L’Eclair are the sonic equivalent of the pastry they’re named after. And to make things even sweeter, they’re teaming up with their “delightfully weird” labelmate Gelli Haha to tap into some heavy, raw funk on “Run.”  

Enjoy the ebullient title track from NYC-based producer Yuno’s debut album, Blest. Honing his skills in his Floridian childhood bedroom eventually led to broader platforms. This includes his experience soundtracking series for Netflix and HBO, as well as supporting artists like Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Superorganism. You’ll feel that collaborative spirit along with some serious warmth on “Blest.”

Prepare to feel all the feels when you tune into this silky-smooth new jam from SOFI TUKKER. “Bread (butter version)” melds Brazilian music and culture with jazz to create this delicious track from butter — the freshly released companion album to SOFI TUKKER’S acclaimed 2024 LP BREAD. The album is a labor of love featuring stellar collaborators including MC Bola, Channel Tres, and — providing today’s slice of perfection — Seu Jorge.

Brooklyn-based trio Nation of Language has an ardent-and-ever-expanding international audience for their danceable take on new wave, post-punk, and shoegaze. Expect new music from Nation of Language — now signed to Sub Pop(!) — throughout 2025. It begins with the exuberant “Inept Apollo.”  

Three-time Grammy-winner Ben Harper has amassed an international audience with his genre-defying work. He’s also revered for his many musical collaborations and the wide array of artists he’s worked with as a producer. “Before The Rain Dried” is the first single from a forthcoming album — an emotional reflection on loss dedicated to his longtime guitarist, Michael Ward. Catch Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals when they cap off their fifteen-city tour on Sunday, Aug. 24 at The Orpheum in LA.

Chi-town indie artist Kai Slater records their quirky, nostalgic, lo-fi ditties under the moniker Sharp Pins. They also produce a rad ‘zine called HALLOGALLO. If you’re a Connie Converse or Big Star fan, download “Sycophant” immediately.

Grammy-winners, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and big time hit-makers The Doobie Brothers have still got it. On June 6, they will release their 16th studio album Walk This Road. It’s the foursome’s first new record in over forty years, and it was produced right here in Los Angeles. Written by frontman Michael McDonald (as all of the songs on the new LP are), “Learn To Let Go” radiates the band’s core essence through that signature sound that we all know and love.

Eighty four year-old Irma Thomas is the “Soul Queen of New Orleans.” Galactic is a band that’s spent the last three decades generating uncompromising funk music. Now, these cornerstones of the Crescent City are sharing a new collaboration — Audience With The Queen. Stewards of sonic heart that they are, Galactic fits perfectly alongside Thomas’ incomparable voice. And we expect “Where I Belong” will become a setlist staple for both artists.

After their surprise Coachella sets last month, Grammy-winning production/songwriting duo Bob Moses decided to let the hits keep coming. “Time of Your Life,” their first new music since their 2022 album The Silence In Between, is a sweet first taste of what they’ll be serving up later this year… 

Bewitching vocals, luscious lyrics, classic jazz with a folk twist — all this and more is what you’ll hear in Annahstasia’s “Be Kind.” We’re so eager to experience her forthcoming debut album Tether when it drops on  June 13. But in the meantime we can all enjoy this nuanced, schooled, and  gentle sound from this powerful performer. 

Disco innovator and disability rights activist Cola Boyy’s posthumous sophomore album, Quit To Play Chess, serves as a soundtrack against ableism and inequality. It also continues his plight to bring the community together, focusing on the things that we have in common instead of what divides us. “Walk Again” is a delirious, funk-infused standout track with shiny trumpets and a reggae-style guitar loop. 

Chilean synthpop trio Chicarica (Rich Girl) give us an enticing lead in to their sophomore album Invierno en la playa, due May 30th. “Parará”  finds the Santiago-based group veering into higher BPMs while staying true to their psychedelic roots. 

We first caught up with Fitz & The Tantrums back in 2009 when they played live on Morning Becomes Eclectic around the release of their debut album Songs For A Breakup: Volume 1.  Now a multi-platinum (many times over) band, their first new music of  2025 continues to showcase their humor and dance floor-ready tunes. 

It’s hard to believe that My Morning Jacket is celebrating the release of their tenth studio album in 2025, 20 years after making their radio debut on Morning Becomes Eclectic in 2005.  Their first full-length collection in three years — titled is — has all the bells and whistles that make My Morning Jacket an epic band whether you see them live, or simply listen to their music on the go. 

Native Texan Danny Lee Blackwell makes music under the moniker Night Beats, and has explored the connective tissue between myriad genres. “Behind The Green Door” is a song Blackwell initially recorded as a lone star instrumental and you can hear it in the pacing and rhythm.  The lyrics, which came as the cherry on top at the very end of the process, are drawn from unwavering love and transcendence.

Rising Spanish star Judeline racked up co-signs from fellow artists (and fans) like Rosalia and Bad Bunny early on in her career, and she just made her US debut at Coachella to rave reviews.