Today's Top Tune

Is it jazz? Is it psychedelic? Who cares what you call it, it doesn’t need labeling for us to know it's good! A two-piece band out of Sydney, Party Dozen use samplers, percussion, and the mighty saxophone to lay down a sick beat on ‘Fruits of Labour.” RIYL Morphine and The Cramps.

“Leylim Ley” is a classic song of lost love and exile that was written by two of Turkey’s beloved citizens, the late musician, poet, and politician Zülfü Livaneli and the novelist and journalist Sabahattin Ali. Embraced as one of the country’s most well-known songs by Turkish people everywhere, this time reinvented by one of our favorite bands, psych-folk trailblazers Altin Gün.

Ironically, Men I Trust will be making a pit stop at the Hollywood Palladium this Friday to share songs from their fourth album “The Untourable Album.” Created during lockdown, the songs gave them ample opportunity to stretch out without having to think about playing live until now. We eagerly await “Billie Toppy” to come to life on stage.

The myth, the man, the legend that is Robyn Hitchcock returns with his first full-length collection in five years. “Shufflemania” has all the wit, keen insight, and style that lures us in. We are excited to share “The Shuffle Man.”

Check out Robyn Hitchcock’s 1989 KCRW live session with Bent By Nature’s Deirdre O’Donoghue.

Long, solitary drives are a good way to process heartbreak, making “Grapevine,” Weyes Blood’s epic new road song that stretches along Interstate 5, a perfect companion.

Weyes Blood’s Natalie Mering says of the single, “Technology is harvesting our attention away from each other. We all have a ‘Grapevine’ entwined around our past with unresolved wounds and pain. Being in love doesn’t necessarily mean being together. Why else do so many love songs yearn for a connection?”

At 82, Totó la Momposina recently decided to retire from the stage. A cultural treasure in her native Colombia, her record label Real World Records dips into her archives to share “Acompanala,” a song inspired by a moonlit walk on the shores of her village Rio Cedro on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, originally recorded in 1996.

The plight of the Ukrainian people cuts deep for Glen Hansard, so he did what he does best and poured his heart out in a song. “Take Heart” began with a post from Patti Smith asking us to take heart ‘cause things will get better, and landed with help from his “Once” co-star Marketa Irglova and three Ireland-based Ukrainian singers.

LA’s Bangladeshi-American punk rocker Nadu is in love! And ready to share his new song “Good To Me,” celebrating the joys of finally finding and trusting a life partner while also fearing losing them.

Born in Atlanta and based in Los Angeles, Arima Ederra has been writing songs since she was five years old, influenced by the Ethiopian spiritual music called mezmer that was played at her parents’ Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Her lilting vocals and childlike delivery make “Message,” from her album “An Orange Colored Day,” an angelic delight.

We first encountered Genesis Owusu via Global Beat Australia early last year, and by the end his debut album was sprinkled throughout our Best of 2021 . Now, he’s an international star whose poetic punk is indefatigable, showcased both in Anne Litt’s living room earlier this year, and as you’ll hear here on “Get Inspired.”