Today's Top Tune

Toronto's Kazdoura fuse Syrian and Lebanese musical traditions with psych rock, funk, soul and jazz. Vocalist Leen Hamo is a Syrian war refugee, which explains why their songs explore cultural migration, memory and the feeling of being caught between two places. Their Juno-winning debut Ghoyoum features our favorite song Khayal, and it's Today's Top Tune. 

On his fifth solo album, his first in eight years, My Morning Jacket's Jim James builds “Lost Child” around a loop of Maxine Brown’s 1964 take on Gerry Goffin and Carole King’s “Oh No Not My Baby.” Soulful and gently shuffling, the song finds James reflecting on feeling lost in a fractured world and searching for a way back to hope. 

Orchestrator and arranger Arthur Fischl reimagines Carl Stone's glitchy sonic odyssey as an exuberant orchestral work. Created in close collaboration with the composer and performed by the Fischl Fresser Ensemble, the new "Figli" gives us a playful collision of big-band, classical and avant-garde textures, while retaining Stone's inimitable style.

Haruomi Hosono is the last surviving member of the pioneering Japanese ensemble Yellow Magic Orchestra. At 79, his 23rd solo album is out today, his first in seven years. KCRW is proud to present his LA stop at the Greek Theatre on Sunday, September 20th, with support from Toro y Moi. 

Australian psych-surfers Babe Rainbow blend ’60s psychedelia and ’70s surf-pop with folk, funk, dub and global grooves. Formed in Byron Bay in 2015, the trio has built a cult following through their playful, sun-soaked sound. We're loving “Mangoes,” from the new album Acid and Honey, with its lo-fi leanings and funky drive. 

Beloved LA singer-songwriter Dre Babinski, aka Steady Holiday, returns with a breezy meditation on the whiplash of new parenthood. Written after becoming a mother, this new single balances tender hopes for a safe world for her child with the exhaustion and upheaval of letting go of her old self. It's a taste of her new album It's Your Trip, due Nov. 6th. 

The Melbourne instrumental funk collective Karate Boogaloo draws their inspiration from the timeless tunes of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Meters, and the J.B.'s, among others. The quartet's latest single, out today, is Down Home, a sultry mid-tempo, bass-driven excursion and it's Today's Top Tune. 

LA-based Indian-American artist and composer Telemakus turns adversity into invention. After being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder, he learned new ways of creating. The resulting album is a hero's journey called Eight Ring Revival, due Oct. 20, and features Flying Lotus, Sparklmami, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and more.

Australian siblings Angus & Julia Stone have spent two decades creating intimate, dreamy folk-pop. Their seventh album, Karaoke Bar, was inspired by a night out on the Greek island of Hydra, not far from Leonard Cohen’s former home. Written between late-night sessions and days by the water, the title song captures the creative energy of their surroundings. 

This new song from Australia's Gang of Youths is currently in heavy rotation at the station. Reassuring from the first note, "Things Take Time" is a dreamy amalgam of timeless production and soaring vocals that give us Todd Rundgren vibes. It's a feel-good piece full of rich, melodic optimism that makes us swoon, and it's Today's Top Tune. 

Indianapolis five-piece Wishy bring welcome Breeders-style '90s grunge to their shimmering latest single, a banger called "Sensational". Shredding guitars, jubilant vocals, and even a cowbell take the front seat on the way to a very satisfying chorus. It's all just a taste of what's to come from the band's new album, Nature’s Pill - and it's Today's Top Tune.

The Brighton-based folk duo Memorial is Jack Watts and Oliver Spalding. Recorded live in the dead of winter at composer Ólafur Arnalds' studio in the heart of Reykjavík, this gently beautiful piece turns up as the closing track on the band's new album Jera, and is co-written by pianist and KCRW favorite Dustin O’Halloran.

Boston folk-pop trio Tiny Habits formed during COVID-19 while in school at Berklee. Cinya Khan, Maya Rae, and Judah Mayowa's lush three-part harmonies have won cross-generational praise online and from musical icons such as David Crosby, Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams and James Taylor. Today's Top Tune is from their brand new album Keepers.

Wyclef Jean rose to fame in the hip-hop collective Fugees, named for his Haitian refugee background. He's had a wildly successful solo career ever since, and his sound remains forever cool. He's just released his first-ever jazz album, dedicated to Quincy Jones. This track is inspired by the spirit of Brazil’s most iconic favela and it's Today's Top Tune.

Berlin-based British producer Blossom Hill’s new mini-LP Growing Pains is a meditation on the inevitability of change. Written with longtime collaborator Wilson Bradbury during a seven-day retreat in the Polish mountains, the infectious track "Dancing With the Unknown" declares there is something liberating about uncertainty, and it's Today's Top Tune.

Growing up in Warwick, New York, Gus Dapperton turned his childhood obsession with music, characters and self-expression into a singular artistic world. Early excursions into hip-hop gave way to the more dreamy, pop-leaning sound that became his signature. His latest, “Take Me Out To The Disco,” will move you to the dance floor, and it's Today's Top Tune.

Welsh singer Aisha Vaughan grew up in a strict household that banned music. She now writes and records her own songs as a form of catharsis and healing, integrating sounds of nature, ethereal vocals and her love of Celtic harp. Today's Top Tune is a brand new remix of her ambient piece "The Water" from iconic UK DJ/producer Sasha of Sasha and Digweed fame.

Anish Kumar grew up in the North of England loving Bollywood hits and the edgy UK club scene. His rise from DIY producer to acclaimed DJ happened while still in school, fueled by his super eclectic dance tunes that blended cool jazz, vintage country and Spaghetti Western cues. His latest, AK CUTS Vol. 4, features "Bounty Hunter", and it's Today's Top Tune.

Years ago, the band Pigs on Corn covered Steve Wynn's song “Something to Remember Me By”, but it never came out because the masters were thought to be lost - until now. Recovered and restored, the song was just released as a tribute to the late KCRW DJ Deirdre O'Donoghue, who was a big champion of Wynn and his band Dream Syndicate, and it's Today's Top Tune. 

California native Ryan Beatty first gained attention from his YouTube covers before reinventing himself with the intimate, genre-blurring sound of 2018’s Boy in Jeans - a powerful exploration of youth and sexual identity. On his latest album, Sweet Fortune, the songs are again brazenly honest and deeply personal. Today's Top Tune is "White Lightning".

NYC quintet Bodega is having a great year, buoyed by the stellar singles we've heard from their upcoming album All Inside Aquarium. Often associated with post-punk, the band, led by Ben Hozie and Nikki Belfiglio, has evolved toward a warmer, more melodic sound that still rocks. "Weather Me" is the best one yet, produced by Matt Peel of Yard Act fame, and it's Today's Top Tune. 

Hometown favorite Phoebe Bridgers' much-anticipated third solo album, Lost Weekend, is her first in six years. Dedicated to her late father, the album features stellar guest collaborators including Tony Berg, Blake Mills, Ethan Gruska, Jack Antonoff, members of boygenius and Nickel Creek. One of our favorites is "I Can't Wait" and it's Today's Top Tune.

Chicago's Andrew Sa, aka Lonesome Andrew, blends classic country crooner leanings with sincere queer storytelling. His debut album American Rough takes inspiration from the writings of Walt Whitman and Quentin Crisp. Andrew is on the bill for the next School Night, Thursday, August 20th at The Airliner, Los Angeles, and his song "Your Whisper" is Today's Top Tune.

My Precious Bunny is the solo project of Lily Wolter of the brother sister indie rock duo Penelope Isles. Originally from The Isle of Man, an island situated midway between the Irish and English coasts, Wolter delivers a debut album that exhilarates - caught between joy and melancholy. Our favorite is "I Go Up, You Go Down" and it's Today's Top Tune.

Angela Autumn grew up in the Appalachian hills of Western Pennsylvania. Her distinctive half yodel, half hillbilly growl graces her latest single, a surefooted banjo stomp of goodness. The song heralds the coming of her sophomore release, Believer, due on 9/11. It's called Mountain Stream and it's Today's Top Tune.

Tomoyuki Katsurada is a founding member of the now defunct Japanese rock band Kikagaku Moyo His latest is a dreamy collaboration with Scottish guitarist Jonny Nash, founder of Melody as Truth, an Amsterdam based record label that specializes in ambient projects. Today's Top Tune is one from their stellar new album At the Emerald Pool, and it's Today's Top Tune.

KCRW favorite Uche Yara is Austrian born, and Berlin-based. Her electrifying new single explores the constant tension between control and surrender, between dominance and submissiveness. BODYSCANNER thrives on that duality and it's Today's Top Tune.

Born in North Carolina, and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Jordan Patterson conjures the emotional intensity and conversational tone of 90s Ani Difranco. Her voice commands an audience, and her song "Cinderella" is Today's Top Tune.

The Seattle based duo Chinese American Bear is Lingbo Ann Tong and Bryce Barsten. Lingbo is Chinese by birth, and Bryce grew up on a llama farm. Together, they build Mandarin and English lyrics into their kaleidoscopic brand of alt pop. We're loving this hypnotic piece from their latest album Dim Sum & Then Some. It's called Chant and it's Today's Top Tune.

Allie Teilz' origin story starts in Phoenix, Arizona, where she worked at a record store at 13, and booked local shows with her favorite artists by the age of 15. A celebrated career as a DJ followed, and now, with her own music, she continues to explore her fondness for disco and glam rock. Her whole history is evident on her new single "17" and it's Today's Top Tune. Teilz on KCRW.

Poolside is Jeffrey Paradise, who over the past 15 years - four albums and dozens of collaborations later - has defined a sound that has launched a genre: Daytime Disco. Poolside's latest is a big swing called "Bedroom Eyes," and it features the voice of UK singer-songwriter, and platinum-selling artist Stevie Appleton. This shimmering Summer single explores the depth of a single look that could be love at first sight, and it's Today's Top Tune.

KCRW has a long tradition of championing the best music from around the world, especially new hybrids, exhilarating blends of old + new, genre-hopping, culture bending experiments that reveal musical epiphanies. Today's Top Tune is a stellar example. South African singer-songwriter Bongeziwe Mabandla joins Cameroonian artist Blick Bassy on the song Ndinje, a song that states proudly, "This is Who I Am".

London based trio mary in the junkyard first came to our attention as part of last year's Richard Russell project Everything is Recorded. The band's inventive writing centers on the distinctive voice of Clari Freeman-Taylor, all beautifully framed on their track "New Muscles", a song you might never guess was originally composed on accordion. It's Today's Top Tune. "New Muscles" from mary in the junkyard on KCRW.

Storefront Church is the moniker for Lukas Frank's visceral, vibrant musical universe. The LA based artist claims his latest project puts "his worst impulses on display, alone in a spotlight, singing at gunpoint". His new full length, Blue Movie, is out September 18th, but for now we have "Tendency For Violence" and it's Today's Top Tune.

Our featured artist today is Rahill. Born in Michigan of Iranian heritage, and currently based in New York, she brings us a very cool cover of a 1973 Iranian psychedelic classic from Kourosh Yaghmaei. This modern take reflects a glimmer of hope in the lyrics. “My days are getting light from your eyes,” she sings, “as sorrow dies in the darkness”. Today's Top Tune is from Rahill on KCRW.

The team behind Germany's Milky Chance have sent us their latest signings, moonvine - a brother and sister duo, Dennis and Selina, born in South Africa and raised in Germany. The duo is currently Berlin based and killing it right out of the gate with their debut single, "cherry spice", and it's Today's Top Tune.

The young Brazilian singer / songwriter Nina Maia has already collaborated on the soundtracks for six Brazilian feature films, including a feature with KCRW favorite Liniker. But her debut solo album draws as much from Billie Eilish or Rosalía, as it does Milton Nascimento. Though rich in Brazilian heritage, Nina also channels the trip hop goodness of Portishead and Massive Attack. Today's Top Tune is AMARGO from Nina Maia on KCRW.

Summer is the time for road trips! Appropriately, Today's Top Tune comes from Lord Fascinator & Spiral Drive, whose joint project is a concept album designed around travel. In fact, the duo recorded the project in Mannheim, Germany, the actual birthplace of both the bicycle and the automobile. Their forthcoming album is called REISE (RISE-uh), which translates to journey in German, and they'll be dropping a track each month. The first of those tracks is Today's Top Tune and it's called "AUTO".

The LA band EELS has a long history with KCRW. Their first airplay, their first ever live radio performance, all happened at KCRW back in 1995 when the band was still unsigned. So naturally, we get excited whenever a new EELS album is announced - and they've just announced their 16th, called COOKIE HAPPENED, due in October. Speaking about the album title, E says: "Well, all of this will be forgotten. Every joy, accomplishment and hardship will one day become so irrelevant it will be as if none of it occurred. But as the great philosopher of our times, Cookie Monster once said: 'Me no cry because cookie is finished. Me smile because cookie happened.' The first single from EELS' new album is Cap in Hand, and it's Today's Top Tune.

  Today’s Top Tune: Mollie Elizabeth ‘Run Rabbit’    Rising pop artist Mollie Elizabeth shares “Run Rabbit,” a hauntingly whimsical single that pairs cinematic melodies with deeply personal storytelling. Inspired by the lasting impact of an unstable childhood, the song explores trauma, resilience, and the complicated question of whether our coping mechanisms define us.   (Neon Gold Records)  

  Today’s Top Tune: Sofie Royer ‘Sesquicentennial’ Austrian based artist Sofie Royer returns with “Sesquicentennial,” the first glimpse of her forthcoming album before/after (out Sept. 4). Blending sophisticated pop with philosophical reflection, the track explores the cycles we repeat throughout our lives—capturing that fleeting moment between who we've been and who we're becoming. “The idea for the song came to me in the Texas heat after a SXSW show when I read the word on the back of a bumper sticker. It means every one hundred and fifty years; which I remember my sunstroked self finding both silly and thrilling, and made me think about all that’s cyclical in our own lifetimes; what we’re fated to repeat.”   (Stones Throw)  

  Today’s Top Tune: Vincent Taeger ‘O Santo do Nome’  French drummer, composer, and producer Vincent Taeger explores Brazilian musical traditions on “O Santo do Nome.” Blending rich percussion, jazz influences, and contemporary arrangements, the track reflects Taeger’s knack for creating deeply rhythmic, globally minded music that feels both timeless and adventurous.   (Flee Project)

  Today’s Top Tune:  Panda Bear & Sonic Boom ‘A? of When’ (Ultimate Drive Time Mix)   Panda Bear and Sonic Boom reunite for A ? of WHEN, their eagerly anticipated follow-up to 2022’s Reset. Blending playful loops, pedal steel, harp, and even mariachi flourishes, the album pairs its bright, adventurous sound with reflections on modern anxieties, from online burnout to environmental uncertainty. The title track captures that contrast perfectly: an irresistibly buoyant tune that turns concern for the future into something unexpectedly joyful. We hit play on the Ultimate Drive Time Remix.    (Domino)  

  Today’s Top Tune: Little Barrie ‘Luggin’ Hurt’  UK psych-rock veterans Little Barrie return with “Luggin’ Hurt,” a fuzzed-out groove from their new album Gravity Freeze. Blending deep soul rhythms, sharp hooks, and vintage rock swagger, the track showcases the trio’s enduring chemistry as they continue a new chapter following the loss of longtime drummer Virgil Howe. (Easy Eye Sound)  

    Today’s Top Tune:  Genesis Owusu ‘Stampede’   Genesis Owusu returns with REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, a bold and deeply personal album that grapples with the chaos of modern life. Blending experimental sounds with raw emotion, the Ghanaian-Australian artist explores identity, uncertainty, and resilience, as you’ll hear on the unsettling sound of “Stampede,” creating a record that feels both intensely intimate and strikingly universal.   (Ourness)  

  Today’s Top Tune: Josh da Costa ‘Proving Me Right’   Josh da Costa steps out on his own with New Wave Graveyard (out July 24), a highly anticipated solo debut inspired by the glam, synth-pop, and post-punk sounds of artists like Japan, Sparks, and ELO. Led by the single “Proving Me Right,” the album plays like a collection of lost classics from an alternate universe—blending da Costa’s eclectic musical obsessions into a colorful, genre-hopping statement.   (Stones Throw)  

Today’s Top Tune: Okonski ‘Axes (Feat. Rachel Kitchlew)   Okonski—the jazz trio featuring Durand Jones & The Indications members Steve Okonski, Aaron Frazer, and Michael Montgomery, return with “Axes,” a new single featuring harpist Rachel Kitchlew. Blending soulful improvisation with rich, cinematic textures, the track highlights the group’s knack for creating meditative, deeply expressive instrumental music.   (Colemine Records)  

  Today’s Top Tune: Shakey Graves ‘When The Love Is New’    Shakey Graves explores matters of the heart on “When the Love Is New,” a standout from his new album Fondness, Etc. Driven by a propulsive Tulsa-style groove and brooding alt-rock energy, the song reflects on the uncertainty and exhilaration of new love while showcasing the intimate, home-recorded spirit of the album.   (Dualtone)  

    Today’s Top Tune: Bedouine ‘Always On Time’   LA-based musician Bedouine returns with “Always on Time,” a warm, reflective single from her new album Neon Summer Skin. Built around a gentle piano melody with lush strings and synths, the track leans into themes of patience and self-acceptance—embracing life’s timing rather than rushing it.   (Thirty Tigers)  

    Today’s Top Tune: duendita ‘super sad!’ (Clean)   duendita’s album existential thottie is led by the single “super sad!” Blending jazz, soul, and R&B with raw, diary-like honesty, the project dives into themes of identity, love, and survival. Fully self-produced, it’s duendita’s most personal work yet—balancing vulnerability, humor, and a commitment to healing.   (10k)