Today's Top Tune

The strongest link between the members of Melbourne’s Folk Bitch Trio, aside from their lifelong friendship, is music. The three women all knew that they wanted careers in music and joining forces demystified their future. Their debut album Now Would Be A Good Time, centers around being young and feminist in Australia. Absorb the message, download “God’s Got A Different Sword” for free as Today’s Top Tune.  

It’s been roughly ten years since independent artist Rachael Yamagata put out a new studio album(!). Trust us, Starlit Alchemy (due October 3 via Julian Records) is worth the wait. Yamagata calls the forthcoming LP a “deep dive record,” with each song flowing into the next; a map made after the journey that nonetheless tells a cohesive story. “Birds” is a message song in disguise. P.S. If you think you aren’t familiar with Yamagata’s sonic stylings, think again. She’s worked extensively behind the scenes with a wide variety of our favorite artists including Liz Phair, Toots and the Maytals, and Bright Eyes.   

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. 

In just a few days, Big Wild (aka Jackson Stell) will release the vibrant new album Wild Child (Aug. 29). After making 2022’s The Efferusphere, he sought to connect to what originally drew him to music. That journey led him to resume communications with his inner child — his alias “Wild Child” — leading him to a wider, more emotionally resonant sonic palette. “Too Loud” was written by releasing his thinking mind and relying on pure excitement. Plus, it features Phantogram (!). Catch Big Wild at The Wiltern on Oct 4.

LA-based sonic acrobat Gelli Haha takes a running leap into her arthouse theatrics with frisky energy to spare. Her newly released debut album Switcheroo blooms with contrasts: playful, profound, and back and forth between the two modes many times over. If this is your first time in the Gelliverse, “Pluto is not a planet it’s a restaurant” is the perfect entry point.  More: Gelli Haha: KCRW Guest Selector Set  

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.