Today's Top Tune

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.

Ready for your Tuesday banger? Let’s go with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs & Moullinex and the new wave synths, ‘80s New Beat drums, and delicate vocal line that is “So Alive.” Get your post-Labor Day week kick-started with this dynamic track.

LA LOM, an acronym for “The Los Angeles League Of Musicians,” offer an original take on classic cumbia, American roots, and Afro-Cuban jazz centered around percussionist Nicholas Baker, whose grandmother fed him a steady diet of Latin music and who grew up in a family of musicians from Durango, Mexico. Let’s discover their sound together on the cinematic “Angel’s Point.”

DJ and producer TOKiMONSTA is back with an elevated sound that includes labelmate Rochelle Jordan. This bold combo tackles the fragility of now, providing somber lyrics masked by dance floor beats to create magic on “Eats The Tail” (Feat. Rochelle Jordan).

This year, Death Cab for Cutie celebrates the 20th anniversary of their album Transatlanticism, as well as Ben Gibbard’s supergroup The Postal Service’s Give Up, with a co-headlining US tour kicking off this fall. As a bonus, Death Cab floats out a new track, “An Arrow in the Wall,” that calls out society’s decay in their typical upbeat fashion.

Three-time Grammy winner, author, and powerhouse Lucinda Williams shows her grit on “Rock N Roll Heart.” In the last three years, Lucinda has lived through a tornado that damaged her home in Nashville, COVID lockdown, and a stroke that left her having to learn to walk again and that took away the ability to play guitar. But in 2023, Lucinda has turned 70, released her album Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart, and revealed herself in her new memoir, Don’t Tell Anybody The Secrets I Told You. You can hear the strength and power Lucinda takes from making music on “Rock N Roll Heart.” Delight in The Boss a.k.a. Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa on backing vocals.

The dream pop project of New York-based artist Patrick J. Smith, best known as A Beacon School, tutors us in the dream pop realm on “KITM.”

While Clementine Creevy, a.k.a. Cherry Glazerr, puts on the finishing touches to her newest rock album, I Don’t Want You Anymore, out Sept. 29, we have a little ditty we think you’ll love.