Today's Top Tune

Let’s check out the jazz-leaning, organic sound structures and beautiful arrangements of Apifera.. The quartet’s new work, “Theodor Marmalade,” takes a new approach to delve into and meld psychedelic rock with alternative jazz, and is their first attempt at incorporating lyrics into their sound.

The Past Is Still Alive, is the next phase in Hurray for the Riff Raff’s progression as a raconteur. Born in the Bronx and of Puerto Rican descent, Alynda Segarra molds their lyrics into snapshots that hold memories, process their trauma, and makes sense of loss. The country-tinged “Alibi” comes in the form of a plea, one last effort to get through to someone you know you’re going to lose.

Always centered at night is the next pillar anchoring Moby’s extensive body of work. A constant collaborator, Moby’s next page includes some of his favorite vocalists, including the late Benjamin Zephaniah, serpentwithfeet, Gaidaa, and on “dark days,” the soul-infused, jazz-inflected vocals of Lady Blackbird.

Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist Conor J O’Brien, best known for heading up Villagers, recently announced their sixth studio album, That Golden Time, dropping May 10. It’s an apt title for a warm and romantic recording that extends to his work style. After sketching out and composing the work, Conor invites his band of hand-picked musicians to sprinkle their magic dust. “You Lucky One” delves into the masks we wear.

Today we celebrate the release of LA-based R&B singer (and KCRW’s Breakthrough Artist of 2023) Baby Rose’s new project Slow Burn, produced by the stellar outfit BADBADNOTGOOD. With a wide sonic realm rooted in psych-rock and alternative styles, we turn to a stand-out, “One Last Dance,” a vulnerable country ballad harkening back to the ‘70s.

With her first album in ten years, Vida, Chilean rapper and singer Ana Tijoux unleashes her indestructible spirit and social conviction on the project. A wise friend once told her something that has resonated — that the best revenge against death is life itself. “Vida is also a call to every single creator out there,” Tijoux says. “Singers, writers, sculptors, and performers, dancers, and painters – all of us. Our strength lies in sticking together. The only way to continue marching forward, preserve our sensitivity, and look fear in the eye is to rely on our collective identity.” A collection of 15 tracks, Vida is bejeweled by guest contributions from artists ile, Talib Kweli, and De La Soul’s Plug 1. We gravitate towards the wry distortion of “Niñx.”

Whether they’re your nemesis or closest ally, today is National Sibling Day. In honor of that, we’re getting down with Infinity Song, a band of four brothers and sisters based in NYC. Homeschooled musically and academically by their parents alongside their five other siblings, the band’s folks extended their love to found the Boys & Girls Choirs of Detroit. Jay-Z signed Infinity Song to his Roc Nation label in 2016, and wisely advised them not to conform to the label’s artistic culture and instead have the label catch up to them, which led to their 2020 album debut. Metamorphosis, their new EP, contains the tongue-in-cheek track “Hater’s Anthem.”

The Marías are busy putting the finishing touches on their eagerly-awaited sophomore album Submarine, out at the end of May, exploring solitude and the complexities of our emotions. While we wait, let’s enjoy the amuse bouche that is “Run Your Mouth.” On the release of “Run Your Mouth,” María shares, “This was one of the first songs Josh and I wrote on Submarine. I was conflict avoidant at the time, and whenever someone wanted to talk about something serious, I’d run and hide. I learned that was a protective mechanism and I didn’t have the capacity to open up. There’s no other song on the album like it, hope you dance to this one.”

“Bean Fields,” the latest track from Shannon & The Clams’ forthcoming album The Moon Is In The Wrong Place (out in May), is a celebration of life honoring Shannon Shaw’s fiancé, Joe Haener, who lost his life in a car accident at his family’s farm in Oregon. Their buoyant retro sound reminds us to live every moment to its fullest and cherish those we hold close to our hearts.

Four-time Grammy Award-winning six-string wiz Gary Clark Jr. continues to expand his inventive palette on his first new album in five years, JPEG RAW. An eclectic mix, “Maktub” is rich with flourishes of African highlife and Sahara blues.

Sam Beam, the heart and soul behind Iron & Wine, wrote a shiny new song that hearkens back to the call-and-response duets of the past made famous by artists like Johnny and June, George and Tammy, Dolly and Kenny — and now, Sam and Fiona on “All In Good Time.”

Portland-based Blitzen Trapper created a new album with the help of bandleader Eric Earley’s innermost thoughts: his dreams. “In 2022 I kept a dream journal for about seven months, in which I chronicled my nocturnal journeys; this song is the result. Each verse is from a different dream that I recorded during that period,” explains Earley. “Like all dreams, they present as riddles, both personal and cosmic, from teenage preachers to the devil himself, digital avatars and heaven's janitor–and a big old ‘Hello!’ to them all.”

From the moment you hear that signature baritone, you know you are about to enter the realm of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. While prepping for the release of their 18th studio album due in August, we share the title track “Wild God.”

Welcome to a new week. We’re kicking it off with an optimistic, meditative instrumental moody piece by Melbourne’s four-piece Mildlife. These cats don’t have a designated leader; instead they band together via their love of ‘70s psychedelic and cosmic sounds. Let’s blast off with nine minutes of bliss via the title track to their third studio album, Chorus.

This week we celebrate the undiscovered musical talent (under 21) in the greater LA area culled from a couple of hundred submissions to KCRW’s Young Creators Project. We drew five finalists, and Yorba Linda’s Kaiden Surti may be the youngest of the group. Kaiden, now in 8th grade, began playing the tabla at 5 years old, inspired by his grandparents. Kaiden says: “I love expressing my Indian voice through tabla and American voice through violin. I combine these with keyboard, guitar, piano, and midi to create a unique perspective through the universal language of music.” While he enjoys outdoor activities, you can hear the time spent whittling his craft. Get ready to levitate with “We Beat Together.”

This week we celebrate the undiscovered musical talent (under 21) in the greater LA area culled from a couple of hundred submissions to KCRW’s Young Creators Project. We whittled it down to five finalists, and if we told you that this song was written and performed by older, seasoned artists, you’d agree. But we’re talking about The Lemonfrogs, an outfit from the Valley who were actually thrown together by the “Join the Band” program at school. It’s kismet! An indie/pop rock outfit made up of guitars, bass, and drums, these four teenage girls create gorgeous harmonies and have a keen sense when it comes to lyrics. Here’s the song they submitted, called “Naive.”

This week we celebrate the undiscovered musical talent (under 21) in the greater LA area culled from a couple of hundred submissions to KCRW’s Young Creators Project. We drew five finalists, turning our focus today on Great Big Cow. These guys mainly grew up and went to high school together, meeting in the school’s jazz combo in Los Angeles. Now in college, they say the Valley and Laurel Canyon will always be their home. Laurel Canyon makes sense, since you can hear the influence of ‘70s folk and classic rock in their sound, as you can taste on “Carbondale.”

This week we celebrate the undiscovered musical talent (under 21) in the greater LA area culled from a couple of hundred submissions to KCRW’s Young Creators Project. We narrowed it down to five finalists, from whom we turn the spotlight on 19-year-old jazz pianist, percussionist, and composer Veritus Miller. Based in the Crenshaw District, Miller hails from a musical family and assembled an array of first-rate musicians to showcase some serious chops. A self-proclaimed nerd at heart, he likes to take a breather by watching anime and reading manga. Let’s check out “Days With You Are Beautiful,” an undulating, joyful composition that will make you fall in love with jazz.

This week we celebrate the undiscovered musical talent (under 21) in the greater LA area culled from a couple of hundred submissions to KCRW’s Young Creators Project. We whittled it down to five finalists, and are kicking off the week with Slideshow. This quartet of musicians seem to have it all. They sling a direct hit on abusive relationships with “By The Way,” a provocative yet punchy rocker that a seasoned band would be happy to have in their arsenal.

One of our favorite Finnish crooners, Bobby Oroza declares his love for the ladies who grew up in the Latin barrios, wards, quarters, and districts around the world with “Queen of the Barrio.”