Today's Top Tune

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.

Earcandy, the debut album by Japanese-British singer and producer Miso Extra, is an infectious mix of K-Pop, UK Garage, tongue-in-cheek sensibility, and sultry, ear-catching textures. Experience this magical combo for yourself by tuning into “Pop.”

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.”

Visionary artist Rochelle Jordan has a clear role in the design of future R&B. “Crave” is a dance floor-ready gem about passion and love that’ll keep you looking forward. And it’s even more exciting since this is the first new music from the British-Canadian player since her 2021 release Play With The Changes.

Canadian soul star Tanika Charles has done a lot of mending in her life. And one big marker of her personal evolution is the new album Reasons To Stay, a collection of songs inspired by unfulfilled promises and growing up in a broken home. Each track plays like a letter that belongs in a series of letters: to family members, to herself, and to us — her listeners. “How Long Will It Take” is an upbeat reflection on what it takes to heal.

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.

Alison Krauss might be best known for rocking out with Robert Plant, but she’s plenty accomplished in her own right. Fun fact: with 27 statues to her name, Krauss is among the most awarded artists in the history of the Grammy awards. Arcadia, Alison Krauss & Union Station’s first album in fourteen years, finds the beloved roots singer in a stunning cycle of bluegrass, country, and folk music. Let’s check out “Richmond On The James” — the story of a soldier, told from a young woman’s point of view.

Soul-siren Natalie Bergman returns with her sophomore LP My Home Is Not In This World (due July 18 via Third Man Records). The LA-based singer-songwriter-producer sets a stellar tone for the full record with the early single “Gunslinger.”

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.”