During the pandemic, Silvana Estrada found herself home alone and broken-hearted. She was also facing some serious insomnia so she picked up her guitar and went to work. “Como Un Pájaro” (“Like A Bird”) is one of the songs that emerged from this period. And now that Estrada is playing live again, it’s become a fan favorite. Get it now as a free download, let it live forever in your digital collection.

AI can’t feel the beat, but Mocky can. That’s why this groovy single uses live instrumentation and analog recording to celebrate the power of the human voice. “Music Will Explain” is the title track from a forthcoming LP which has many songs dedicated to exploring this theme. Grab Music Will Explain (Choir Music Vol. 1) on June 27 (via Stones Throw), and see Mocky and friends do it live at Zebulon on Tuesday, July 1. 

Brooklyn-based artist and producer url just dropped this indie-pop love song that’s built from English and French vocal samples. It’s the sonic equivalent of a developing love story, and it’s just the thing to soundtrack daydreams about your latest crush.

Yaya Bey’s “raisins” is all about the bravery required to pursue a career as an artist; dreaming big and keeping the faith through the more sobering realities of the job. Find this song on Bey’s forthcoming album do it afraid, out this Friday, June 20. Catch Yaya Bey live in LA on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Lodge Room. 

LA band Sparks always delights us with their sophisticated-yet-playful songwriting. The duo of brothers Ron and Russell Mael have been at it since the early 1970s and they just dropped their 28th studio album, MAD!. “Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab” is one of the typically witty offerings from that album, and you can download it for free right now. Also be sure to mark your calendar for their LA show at the Greek on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Earcandy, the debut album by Japanese-British singer and producer Miso Extra, is an infectious mix of K-Pop, UK Garage, tongue-in-cheek sensibility, and sultry, ear-catching textures. Experience this magical combo for yourself by tuning into “Pop.”

Formed in 2010, Baltimore’s Turnstile are a band that always moves forward boldly and collectively — despite what their name might suggest. Their freshly released album LOOK OUT FOR ME is a whirlwind of fourteen genre-defying songs that sounds a good bit like The Police.

“Under The Mandarin Moon,” or as Pearl & The Oysters say “Sous la lune mandarine,” is the latest example of the group’s musical superpower: exploring a difficult subject over a wistful, Bossa-nova-tinged tune. This song is the LA band’s abstract attempt at describing the dreadful night when the Eaton fire broke out… an event which directly affected the band and friends from their tight-knit community. Commune with them in person at Lodge Room on Thursday, Jul. 10.

Grammy Award-winning duo NxWorries (Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge) have returned with the dance floor ready banger “Everybody Get’s Down.” Already a steady presence on KCRW’s Top 30 chart, grab it now as a free download and memorize it before they kick off their North American tour this fall — their final stop is the Hollywood Palladium on Oct. 19.

Genre-hopping Swiss outfit L’Eclair are the sonic equivalent of the pastry they’re named after. And to make things even sweeter, they’re teaming up with their “delightfully weird” labelmate Gelli Haha to tap into some heavy, raw funk on “Run.”