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".

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 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: Warm Sound Better Days After a string of buzzy standalone singles including KUTX Staff Favorite Song of 2025 Moons Austin duo Warm Sound return to flex some impeccably toned sonic muscles on their third EP, Better Days. The title track, which you can grab as today s free download, showcases the group s signature lush synthscapes and tight-knit harmonies. Click in for a richly textured journey to the depths of auditory emotion. (Obscure-Disk)

Today s Top Tune: Jim James Come Again Jim James returns with Come Again, the first single from his upcoming solo album Wowed Out (out August 28), his first in eight years. Originally written for a film score, the track transforms into a soulful, psychedelic meditation on resilience finding hope and beauty amid uncertainty while reminding us to keep moving forward. (ATO Records)

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: Elvis K. 'Crane' Elvis K. Crane Former FIDLAR guitarist Elvis Kuehn continues his solo journey as Elvis K. with Crane, a dark and cinematic rock track recorded in Austin, Texas. The song channels the brooding spirit of artists like Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Iggy Pop while showcasing Kuehn s evolving songwriting voice. (Independent Release)

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: Ibeyi Aset Ibeyi return with Offering (out June 26), their first album in four years and their first as independent artists. Led by the single Aset, the French-Cuban duo draws on the mythology of the goddess Isis to explore love, sacrifice, and devotion pairing spiritual depth with the soulful, genre-blurring sound that has defined their work. (AWAL Recordings)

Today s Top Tune: Caroline Rose Yip Yip Yow Caroline Rose finally gives an official release to Yip Yip Yow, a longtime fan favorite that s been lighting up live shows for more than a decade. Blending psychobilly, alt-country, rock, and pop, the track channels garage-band energy with sharp lyrics and Rose s unmistakable vocal swagger. (Suck Records)

Today s Top Tune: Thee Sinseers Let s Fall In Love Again East L.A. soul outfit Thee Sinseers return with Let s Fall in Love (Again), (out today!) the latest preview of their forthcoming album Love Stories debuting on Sept 18. Rooted in the rich tradition of sweet soul, the track delivers heartfelt vocals, timeless grooves, and a romantic spirit that showcases the band's modern take on a classic sound. (Colemine Records)

Today s Top Tune: Digitalism Achtung! Optimism German electronic duo Digitalism return with Achtung! Optimism, a driving new single from their album Optimism. Balancing euphoric beats with a touch of early-2000s indie nostalgia, the track explores the tension between hope and uncertainty while celebrating connection, resilience, and finding positivity in a fast-moving world. (Magnetism Recording Co.)

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: Las Robertas All We Need Is Now Costa Rican six-piece Las Robertas return with All We Need Is Now, out June 26. Their first album in three years, the record blends sun-drenched psychedelia, shoegaze, and '90s alternative rock into a lush collection of songs about overcoming fear, embracing the present, and personal growth. Drawing inspiration from bands like Lush, Ride, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, it's a dreamy, expansive celebration of life and transformation. Let s turn to the title track, All You Need Is Now. (Kanine 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: Silvana Estrada pablopablo Antes De Ti Latin Grammy-winning artist Silvana Estrada returns with Antes De Ti, a tender duet with pablopablo from the deluxe edition of Vendr n Suaves Lluvias. Blending intimate songwriting with emotional warmth, the track reflects on love as a grounding force, further cementing Estrada as one of the leading voices in contemporary Spanish-language music. (Glassnote Records)

Today s Top Tune: Seu Jorge Quando Chego (Feat. Marisa Monte)' Seu Jorge unveils The Other Side, an ambitious new album years in the making, produced with Mario Caldato Jr. and featuring orchestral arrangements by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. Blending Brazilian music with jazz, bossa nova, and cinematic orchestration, the record reveals a more contemplative side of the legendary artist expansive, patient, and deeply reflective. The album features several guests including Beck, Zap Mama and Marisa Monte on Quando Chego. (Phonomotor Records)

Today s Top Tune: Carl Craig Meditation Five (Edit) Detroit techno pioneer Carl Craig revisits his ambient masterpiece Meditations, now available digitally for the first time. Originally conceived as a suite of beatless compositions, the album reveals a more expansive side of Craig s sound bridging his techno roots with the cinematic and experimental work that continues to shape his legacy as you ll experience on Meditation Five. (Planet E Communications)

Today s Top Tune: The Austinauts Mother Tongue Today s Top Tune spotlights a new track by Austin collective The Austinauts with Mother Tongue, a warm, groove-driven single that blends analog soul with a retro-futurist spirit. Rooted in the duality of Austin s country traditions and forward-thinking energy, the track sets the tone for a debut album that s funky, cosmic, and unmistakably human. (Round Rock Records)

Today s Top Tune: BLARF Stars Without Light Eric Andr s musical project BLARF returns with Film Scores for Films That Don t Exist. Swapping chaotic sample collages for sweeping orchestral arrangements, the album blurs the line between cinematic grandeur and absurdist performance art channeling everything from Ennio Morricone to free jazz and experimental noise. Here s Stars Without Light. (Stones Throw)