Today's Top Tune

The UK collective Payfone – Phil Passera and April Pittman – strike gold with “Pamela,” a standout from their new EP Lunch, featuring vocalist Barbara Alcindor. A hypnotic, slow-burning groove with an understated sensuality, it evokes the cool, magnetic allure of early ’80s Grace Jones, while staking out a distinctive space all its own.

On Fontaines D.C.’s Dopamine Chamber, guitars hop in the backseat, allowing for a more synth-fueled, arena-sized sound. Produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Geese, Beth Gibbons) and powered by Grian Chatten’s singular lyricism, the Dublin boys channel their fierce, poetic post-punkery and restless ambition into one of rock’s most compelling sounds.

South London seven-piece Fat Dog return with Cancel Me (I’m Tired), a wild sophomore release that expands their electro-punk into rave bangers, bombastic strings, psychedelia and country-tinged detours. “Snakes” captures their unpredictable reinvention, swapping their usual club-fueled frenzy for cool Western whistling kitsch and unexpected tenderness.

In 2022, at the age of 40, Danielle Ponder left her longtime job as a public defender to pursue a career in music. For her debut album, Some Of Us Are Brave, she poured her passion for social justice into her songs. The album established Danielle as one of the most commanding voices in contemporary music. Today, we spotlight a song from her new album.

Ferdi is a French saxophonist and music producer now based in Brussels. On his new album, The Sound of Art, he reimagines jazz as a contemporary, free-flowing dialogue between musical traditions and other art forms. Blending jazz and classical training with adventurous collaborators, he pushes beyond convention while keeping the form alive with discovery.

This LA-based experimental artist, producer and DJ redefines electronic music through live coding. DJ_Dave treats code as a creative instrument, bypassing traditional DAWs and MIDI controllers, manipulating musical patterns directly through code to trigger every sound and instrument in real time. Her latest is "Hard Refresh" and it's Today's Top Tune.

Mexico's Silvana Estrada is one of the most celebrated voices in Latin American music. Her song “Todo Baila”, written during the pandemic, is a luminous celebration of dancing through life’s joys and sorrows. Featuring M. Ward on vocals and guitar, the song embraces the beauty of moving forward without leaving any part of ourselves behind.

Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf is one of the greatest songwriters of his generation. His quietly devastating masterpiece album The Party gets a 10th Anniversary Edition treatment that's out today. An intricate portrait of socially awkward partygoers, the album is now expanded with nine bonus tracks bundled together as an EP called "the afterparty". 

Formed just three years ago, the Salt Lake City band The Kilans close their debut album with a song called “Oh, Lucy,” a haunting meditation on death and the potential of eternal love. The band's lead singer and primary songwriter Jack Ongman sings about a lost love, moving between his younger self and future self, contemplating a reunion beyond this life. 

Fronted by newcomer Joseph Ritchie, Brisbane, Australia's tickertape just dropped their debut EP, a 6-song collection exploring the highs and lows of navigating young adulthood. Our favorite is "Crocodile Song", a jazzy, sunshine-soaked look at love-in-the-works, inspired by Brooklyn's Big Thief and Portuguese songwriter Bruno Pernadas.