Today's Top Tune

Georgia, one of the UK’s premiere producers and songwriters, has collaborated with many artists, including Gorillaz and Shygirl. Having written her last two albums within a ten foot radius of her bedroom, Georgia made a point of seeking out a new physical and emotional space to write her next one. She trekked to Los Angeles to co-produce her album Euphoric with c0-founding Vampire Weekend member Rostam. “Some Things You’ll Never Know” emits bouncy pop feels.

Hailing from London’s creative epicenter, Rozi Plain stitches a cosmic sonic quilt on “Painted The Room.” A member of This Is The Kit, Plain’s fifth album Prize is a January sleeper to check out ASAP.

SoCal-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi instrumentalist Venus pulls inspiration from myriad sounds and is busy tinkering on an upcoming EP in her home studio. Easy and breezy, “Things Change” gently ushers us into a new direction.

Let’s go back to August 1977, when Fleetwood Mac returned to their adopted home of Los Angeles to play three sold-out nights at The Fabulous Forum on the Rumours tour for nearly 50,000 fans. Their chart-topping album was on its way to becoming one of the most successful recordings ever released, and eventually sold over 40 million copies. RUMOURS LIVE, almost 90 minutes long, has been locked up in a vault until now and reflects the energy and excitement of the first night on August 29, 1977. We’re excited to share a live version of their mega-hit “The Chain” with you!

You might not realize that singer Jenny Owen Youngs has written a ton of songs for other people, including Panic! At The Disco, Pitbull, and Brett Dennen, to name a few. Her new album Avalanche dropped last week and includes several collaborators including S. Carey, Madi Diaz, and The Antlers’ Peter Silberman, who helped co-write “It’s Later Than You Think,” which warns about lost time scrolling.

Shoegaze legends Slowdive turn up the lights on their just-released new album, everything is alive. Infectious and drenched in reverb, “alife” showcases the beautiful interplay between Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead’s vocal deliveries.

English chanteuse Corinne Bailey Rae made her world wide live radio debut on MBE when we kicked off 2006 with a week’s worth of broadcasts from the BBC in London, and returned to the big show a few months later when she touched down in Southern California before becoming a superstar. While not prolific, Corinne’s albums are a treat from top to bottom. Her newly-minted fourth album Black Rainbows took years to make and is inspired by the artwork and objects collected by Theaster Gates at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago.

Paris-based Venezuelan singer-songwriter YADAM elegantly blends styles on “Otras Mujeres,” and is an artist to keep an eye on in 2023.

Unstoppable South London native Raye has penned songs for Beyonce and John Legend, opened for Kali Uchis and SZA this summer, and is a part of British Vogue's 'The Vogue 25,” honoring the women defining Britain in 2023. An industry disrupter, Raye’s debut album My 21st Century Blues took a decade to make and is a deeply personal account of her painful experiences in the music industry. “Worth It” is an empowering pop gem.

About 28 years ago, Colombian duo Aterciopelados recorded “Mujer Gala” on the album El Dorado. The song became their first number one hit on national radio and led to their first recording contract. To commemorate the album, they played to a full house in Bogota, joined by Cafe Tacuba’s iconic frontman Rubén Albarrán. Today we share a live version of the song from that night in all its punk glory.

Margaret Glaspy began writing music as a teenager in Northern California and soon began to sculpt songs that were sensitive yet concise. Her third album, Echo The Diamond, strips away at artifice to expose life in real terms instead of looking for a happy ending. We are keen on “Get Back.” “That song speaks to many things that have accumulated over the last few years for me, including grief and loss and finding myself again through all of it,” says Glaspy. “Playing that song sets me free.”

Based in Tokyo, four-girl progressive poppers ATARASHII GAKKO! represent a new generation of young kids pushing traditional boundaries and expressing their individuality. Known for wearing their classic school girl uniform on stage, their live shows are said to be a masterclass in choreography, weaving their way through an energetic mix of Japanese hip-hop, punk, and pop.

Ever wonder what a pilot does when they are not flying? Michael Gold, former keyboardist for Poolside, makes music as Mirror Tree when he’s not in the cockpit of a 737. Teaming up with his former bandmate Filip Nikolic to develop his stylings and Mirror Tree’s debut LP, the result is a sound in the orbit of Supertramp and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. “Let It Go” is a simple yet provocative song featuring voice, piano, and a simple bass line glued together out of loops of cassette tape.

Hakushi Hasegawa has the distinction of being the first Japanese artist signed to Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label. Based in Tokyo, they create what some may say is cohesive cacophony, a wild sonic ride that follows the label’s ethos to seek out artists that operate outside of the confines of pigeonholed genres. Hakushi explains the meaning behind new track “Mouth Flash (Kuchinohanabi)”: “What I feel I should do from now on is to disturb the music with my own body, and to expose the chaos, although it is not coherent,” they say. “I believe that this song is the very beginning of that process. (The body is always subject to the forces of history and categorization, but always seems to be situated between individual narratives, songs, and dances at the same time.)”

Check out singer, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist Allison Russell’s “Stay Right Here,”a disco ball delight accompanied by her Rainbow Coalition ensemble and none other than Wendy & Lisa from Prince’s The Revolution. During the recording session, Wendy surveyed the scene and said, “Lisa and I have been doing this for over 30 years… Never once have we seen a studio full of dames — thank you Allison!” It’s a burner.

“All Through The Night” was originally written as a lullaby for the eldest child of Abigail of The Chapin Sisters but when you take a closer listen, you can hear why it has become an anthem. "We would make up the verses until some of them stuck," Abigail remembers of nights singing it to her daughter. "She would start mimicking me and singing along, which completely defeated the purpose of trying to get her to sleep." RIYL Aimee Mann.

Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens owns his super power of emotionally cutting through the crap to deliver sweeping choral bursts and lyrical poetry over the course of his 25 year career. His forthcoming album Javelin, comprised of ten stunning tracks, is out October 6 and was created by himself in his home studio. “So You Are Tired” is our first glimpse.

Melodic power trio Trousdale met at the USC music program and started creating beautifully crafted songs together. Their latest track, from their forthcoming debut album Out Of My Mind, points to their skilled songwriting as they tell the story of a golden age movie star who is tired of her fame and moves to the state of rolling plains and cornfields on “Smart Iowa.”

Multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Yussef Dayes has a new track out, and it’s a VERY special lullaby. Dayes says, “‘The Light’ celebrates the birth of my daughter Bahia. Born in February 2020, just before the whirlwind of COVID, a beautiful light came into my life. 2020 turned out to be one of the most special times in my life. Becoming a father to my beautiful princess Bahia, being able to take time from touring and nurture my family at home was something I’ll cherish forever.” You’ll be able to hear the rest of the album, Black Classical Music, when it drops tomorrow.

Singer-songwriter and director of her own career, Luiza Lian, has created a place for herself in the music scene of São Paulo. On “Desabriga,” which takes poetic license from the Portuguese for “Don’t Leave Me, Don’t Abandon Me,” the song pulls us in close with its enticing drum beats.