Today's Top Tune

The only studio album recorded by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks as a duo is being re-issued for the very first time TODAY. Originally released in 1973 and recorded at Sound City Studios, this record introduced the duo’s incomparable harmonies alongside their individual styles.  The re-issue is sourced from the original analog master tapes and was produced by Keith Olsen.  In 1974, while Mick Fleetwood was scouting for a new studio for Fleetwood Mac’s next album, he visited Sound City Studios where Olsen shared “Frozen Love” to showcase both his production work and the studio’s sound. Soon after, Fleetwood Mac found themselves in need of a new guitarist. Remembering “Frozen Love,” Fleetwood reached out to offer Buckingham the spot, but Buckingham insisted he and Nicks were a package deal. The rest is history.

“Houston” is a brand new song from Irish-born, London-based Country singer Janet Devlin. And if you listen past the stomping good time, honky tonk grit that defines the track, you’ll find that Devlin arrives upon something deeper: A reclamation of solitude as liberation.   

Do you have a young pup who suffers from separation anxiety? If so, we have a real treat to share. “Beautiful Dog” is from Grammy-winning producer Antaeus' groundbreaking new album, Dreaming Dog. Created to soothe anxious canines, this project is a genre-crossing, globe-trotting collection of ambient electronica. 

It’s been a banner year for Dijon: Lending talents to Bon Iver’s SABLE, fABLE, contributing to Justin Bieber’s SWAG, and an upcoming role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Batter After Another. But all of the above takes a backseat to Baby, his long-awaited follow up to 2021’s Absolutely. It’s an album made at home and mostly in isolation (save for contributions from his new family and a few notable musical kindred spirits). Crucially, it retains the deliberate introspection fans have come to expect. “Yamaha” is a highlight from the LP (out now), capturing a slice of quotidian life.

Latin Grammy-winning, Puerto Rican star iLe’s new LP Como Las Canto Yo (How I Sing Them) is due in late October. The album will feature her interpretations of a few favorite boleros. This includes “Un Amor De La Calle” (A Love of the Street), popularized by Boricua Hector Lavoe in 1975. Boleros tend to lean heavily on orchestration, but for this version iLe keeps it gritty and bohemian with streetwise energy.   

Nashville-based pop purveyor Jessie Baylin has shared the stage with artists like Stevie Nicks, The Shins, and Iron & Wine (to name just a few). “Wild Life” was co-written with Daniel Tashian, a two-time Grammy-winning songwriter and producer who has worked with Kasey Musgraves and Burt Bacharach. This track has all the glitter of classic orchestral pop, and evokes a timeless Laurel Canyon sound.

Jazzy vocalist Mae Powell has experienced a major break-up. The kind of major break-up that led her to move to the farm where her mom lives so that she could take the time to process and figure out her next steps. Eventually she wrote “Where Will Love Go?” for her new album Making Room for the Light. Accustomed to devoting all of her attention to that one person that was no longer there, Powell felt overwhelmed by the love and care that she could no longer funnel through. Writing helped her figure things out and led her to realize that she’d need to learn to love herself before she could send that love anywhere else.  

To say we’re excited by the prospect of new music from seminal ‘90s/2000s dreampop band Ivy would be an understatement. Traces Of You, the erstwhile project’s first new release in twelve years has been built from the ground up using demos and fragments which date from 1995 to 2012. After losing founding member Andy Schlesinger to COVID in 2020, surviving bandmates Dominique Durand and Andy Chase thought that Ivy was done forever. But as the pair prepared for back catalog reissues, they discovered a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unfinished songs. They handpicked the best and carved out an album’s worth of goodies for this new collection, complete with contributions from Schlesinger. “Heartbreak” is a 2010 demo that showcases their twinkling magic. 

If you are looking to stargaze, look no further than the all-female, Sydney-based shoegaze band JuliaWhy?. Fans of Cocteau Twins and Slowdive will find plenty to love in “Pale Blue Dot.” The song invites its listeners to turn to the stars and the beauty of the environment as a place for solace.   

LA-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Melina Duterte — best known as Jay Som — recently announced Belong, her first new album in more than six years. It’s also her first album to feature guest vocalists, including heavy-hitters like Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, and Lexi Vega of Mini Trees. Hear the latter adding backing vocals to Duterte’s favorite track on the record “Cards On The Table.”

Jeb Loy Nichols is on a lifelong journey through the roots of Americana, bringing his fresh perspective to the genre all along the way. “Step In” is just what you need to sample his dusty storytelling, it's even got a little Southern Rock thrown in for good measure. Plus, he’s got Cold Diamond & Mink’s swinging soul for back up. This one’s a total knockout.

Producer, songwriter, and DJ HAAi is busy putting the finishing touches on her new album, HUMANiSE (due Oct. 10 via Mute). The album wrestles with what it is to be human in an increasingly digital world. But don’t worry, one thing a computerized world will never have is a sense of mortal connection… especially on the dancefloor. Grab “Hey!” while it’s free as Today’s Top Tune.

Indie rock hit maker Kurt Vile just dropped Classic Love, a new five-track EP made in collaboration with his Nashville-based pal Luke Roberts. Drawing heavily from their friendship and creative partnership, this EP checks all the best boxes: infectious, raw, and extraordinary. All of which goes double for the title track so grab that free download right now.  

“A Lesson in Leavin’” had an impromptu debut at Stagecoach Festival earlier this year and was simply too good to abandon in the desert. So Sierra Ferrell and Nikki Lane have teamed up once again to record and release their harmony-dripping version of Dottie West’s classic country song. You can (and should) download it now to live forever in your digital library.

What happens when you pair a great guitar player with a badass bassist? You get mind-bending sounds from gifted producer and multi-instrumentalist Blake Mills — known for his work with Alabama Shakes and Bob Dylan — and Grammy-winner Pino Palladino who has reshaped how we hear the bass. See: Palladino’s collaborations with everyone from Erykah Badu to Nine Inch Nails. “Taka” is hard to pin down, but easy to take in. And you can take it in IRL, because Pino Palladino & Blake Mills are hitting The Ford on Friday, Sept. 26.

Men I Trust are winding their way through the USA on their biggest tour yet. It’s happening in the wake of two albums released just a few months apart in 2025: Equus Asinsus and Equus Caballus (Latin for donkey and horse, respectively). Early in the process of writing and recording, they realized they’d written songs with two distinct energies, each equally meaningful to the band. So they decided to put two albums out at (basically) the same time. “Come Back Down” is from Equus Caballus. 

Ozomatli is a band of activists who use music as a weapon for confronting inequity on their new song “Red Line.” “This track is a statement of solidarity,” says founding member Raul Pacheco. “We’re singing for everyone trying to make a life in a system built to hold them back.”  The Grammy-winning ensemble is currently celebrating their thirtieth anniversary as a band with shows all across the country. If you’re reading this in SoCal, you have plenty of opportunity to see the legends in action: Friday, Sept. 12 – Monday, Sept 15 Ozomatli will be part of the Super Legends Cruise (departing from from Long Beach), Friday, Oct. 17 they’ll be at The Venice West, and Saturday, Oct. 18 they hit Warehouse 9 in San Pedro.   

Americana duo Marfa makes music that ties Laurel Canyon to West Texas. Their vibrant sound is a proverbial hay bale of beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping good times. No matter how bad their hearts might be breaking, as you’ll hear on “Little Miss Two Time,” Marfa makes being left high and dry (almost) sound fun.  

Discodelic-funk-punk trio Say She She just dropped “Under The Sun,” a tasty treat from their forthcoming third album Cut & Rewind (out Oct 3). It’s their dreamiest, most sway-ready song to date. Written during the WGA strike in 2023, the song is a summery ode to standing up to the man. Plus, it leaves plenty of room for the cognitive dissonance that comes from living in an idyllic setting… while also struggling under the weight of immense pressure.  

“Until the End of the World,” the first single from electro-wizard John Tejada’s forthcoming album The Watchline, is contemplative yet propulsive. Its shifting rhythms and saturated atmospheres are expertly woven together by Tejada’s steady hands. The result is a piece that’s both deeply felt and ultimately elusive.

Iconic troubadour Grant-Lee Phillips—best known for his songwriting achievements with 1990s band Grant Lee Buffalo—is just weeks away from dropping his 12th solo LP In The Hour of Dust. “She Knows Me,” comes to us from that album and is one of his most personal songs yet; an ode to his longtime partner and an acknowledgement of the fears and insecurities that come knocking in the wee hours of the night.  P.S. In The Hour of Dust has a very cool backstory that was inspired by a visit to the Norton Simon Art Museum in Pasadena. There, Phillips wandered the elegant halls to look at a collection of detailed paintings from India, one of which shares the title to this new record. Read about the insights gleaned from the experience in his own words here. And catch Grant-Lee Phillips for an intimate performance at McCabe’s Guitar Shop on Saturday, Nov. 8.

What do you get when Hermanos Gutiérrez teams up with Leon Bridges? “Elegantly Wasted,” the Ecuadorian-Swiss, guitar wizard brother duo’s first song ever to feature English lyrics. By tapping their recent tourmate Bridges for the project, they’ve treated us to a sonic expansion of each artist's signature sound. The result is undulating rhythms,  silky vocals, and impeccable vibes. P.S. Prepare to swoon, because Hermanos Gutiérrez will be live at The Libbey Bowl in Ojai on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Sofie Royer spent a long time as the opening act for NYC multi-instrumentalists Rebounder. Naturally, they decided to join forces on the sexy new single “Tennis Bracelet.” Pick up this bouncy little number for a signature summer song ready to fulfill all of your playlisting needs.  

Yola hit the music scene hard and fast with her 2019 debut, Walk Through Fire. Lately she’s been showing off her acting chops—as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 Best Picture nominee ELVIS, and Persephone in Hadestown on Broadway. Despite the detours, her songwriting skills are as potent as ever. Check out the high power track “Amazing.” This song, from her new EP My Way, is one she penned while dating stateside and imagining her future partner. Yola says: “I was in a function of actively manifesting those lyrics, and then when I met my person, the lyrics made sense.”

History of Silence (due Sept. 19) is the first new album from Icelandic outfit múm since 2013’s Smilewood. The new LP became something of a puzzle, taking two years to record, deconstruct, and put back together. The title hints at the album’s tone, but even though the songs are delicate, their color and boldness shines through. “Mild At Heart” reveals a carefully handpicked palette of electronic and analog sounds; an intricate introduction to the album. Immerse yourself in múm’s world when they play The Regent Theater on Thursday, Oct. 9.  

Yttling Jazz is the heavy-hitting project of Swedish producer and songwriter Björn Yttling (Peter Bjorn & John). With help from luminescent singer Joshua Idehen, Yttling Jazz’s instrumental  “Illegal Hit” is reimagined into a new shape; a fabulously unpredictable spoken word dance track. 

Arc De Soleil will put you in a trance with his swirling, cinematic sounds. The project is helmed by Sri Lankan-born, Stockholm-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Daniel Kadawatha;  a mastermind who writes, performs, produces, and mixes every track himself. Lucious and with sparkling emotion, “Bina Tifa’ finds us ahead of Arc De Soleil’s debut album, Lumin Rain. Catch them live when they hit the stage at The Fonda on Sunday, Sept. 21. 

Soulful Indonesian trio Thee Marloes are hard at work on their sophomore album for Big Crown records, but they still found the time to treat us to a gorgeous new seven inch single.“I’d Be Lost” is the four on the floor A-side, a sweet song singing the praises of love. 

You likely know British-Canadian R&B artist Rochelle Jordan from “Spit It Out,” her recent collaboration with her friend Kaytranada. But Jordan’s been ahead of the curve for over a decade, redesigning her chosen genre through a sound that binds ‘90s soul with UK garage… using futuristic electronic production as her superglue. Ahead of Jordan’s highly anticipated new album Through the Wall (Sept. 26), we give you the title track. 

Singer-songwriter, author, and transcendent storyteller across all mediums—Neko Case—recently announced her first new music of the decade(!). Neon Grey Midnight Green is set for release on Sept. 26 (via Anti) and is  being touted as her “biggest sounding and most intimate-feeling album yet.” Take a listen to “Wreck,” a song that brilliantly explores the feeling of finding love with a fellow flawed human. And prepare to become an emotional wreck yourself while watching Case perform at The Bellwether on Monday, Nov. 10.

We are so  happy to report that 2000s indie rock darlings Fruit Bats have a new album on the horizon. Baby Man (due Sept. 12 via Merge) finds Fruit Bats’ main man Eric D. Johnson in solo mode. Accompanied by either a guitar, banjo, or piano—his new music is spare and affecting. Start with “Stuck In My Head Again” to experience the full range of Johnson’s voice and his raw emotive powers. Catch Fruit Bats (solo) on Friday, Oct 17 at Pico Union Project.

Peruvian producer Sofia Kourtesis hits us with a shot of sonic adrenaline (aka new single “Canela Pura”). The sensual-yet-energetic love song celebrates connecting to another human in a playful way. And there’s more where that came from, Kourtesis’ new EP Volver drops this Friday (Aug. 1) and pays tribute to the LGBTQ+ community, especially all of the brave trans women she feels so fortunate to have met over the past few years. Feel the love for yourself—Sofia Kourtesis opens for SG Lewis at Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall on Friday, Oct. 10.

Peruvian producer Sofia Kourtesis hits us with a shot of sonic adrenaline (aka new single “Canela Pura”). The sensual-yet-energetic love song celebrates connecting to another human in a playful way. And there's more where that came from, Kourtesis' new EP Volver drops this Friday (Aug. 1) and pays tribute to the LGBTQ+ community, especially all of the brave trans women she feels so fortunate to have met over the past few years. Feel the love for yourself—Sofia Kourtesis opens for SG Lewis at Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall on Friday, Oct. 10.

Multi-instrumentalist Tom Vek celebrates the twentieth anniversary of his cult-classic, debut album We Have Sound with a ten track remix version. We Have Sound Remixed features artists who have been impacted by the original including alt-J, Baths, and Porij. Leading the way is Dave Bayley of Glass Animals, who was so enamored with the original album that he had the poster in his room. Now Bayley's taking the sonic reins, and sharing this joyous update of “C-C (You Set The Fire In Me).”

Elvin Estela is a hero of the LA underground. Most notably as a co-founder of the taste-making club night Low End Theory, and producing boundary-expanding beats as Nobody. Now he's enjoying a vibrant new chapter as ELESTELA as he plunges the depths of the LA house music scene. Need an entry point? Check out the thick bass notes, crunchy beats, and dance-floor readiness of “Bounce Back.”

Composers and multi-instrumentalists Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith are combining their powers as Disinblud. They recently dropped a self-titled debut album that holds a multitude of beatific sounds, including “Give-upping (Feat. Julianna Barwick).” It's a song for tapping into the Buddhist truth of holding onto past experiences as a source of suffering. Download it now; reach new levels in your meditation practice. And for the immersive experience, KCRW Presents: Disinblud at 2220 Arts on Friday, Oct. 24. 

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.