Today's Top Tune

Singer Ella Raphael was weaned on Elvis, Edith Piaf, and (naturally) her namesake Ella Fitzgerald. On the hip-swaying “Tangled Love,” we hear her tempered vocals alongside a dab of nostalgic tropicália, Mediterranean riffs, and a sonic bed of vibraphone and lap-steel guitar. 

Ascending Australian nobility Royel Otis released a fantastic debut album earlier this year — PRATTS & PAIN. This week will give us a deluxe vinyl release of that very record. One of the many tracks we’ve enjoyed sharing is “Velvet,” a powerful and potent 2 minute song. Memorize it now, you will want to shout the lyrics along with them when they make their Morning Becomes Eclectic debut live on Oct. 15. 

Singer-songwriter Daniel Blake followed his heart, literally. As his girlfriend made a move to SoCal from Arizona, Blake came along and began working in construction… thinking he was leaving his musical pursuits behind. But he enjoyed the work, and the long drives provided ample time for melodies to develop and for songs to begin to write themselves. “Dreaming About It” is one of those songs and you’ll likely hear it as he and his full band kick-start School Night at Bardot for the very first show of the season(!).

On the album Tension, Ethiopian jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke settles in with Tel Aviv’s Afro-funk collective the Hoodna Orchestra for seven original compositions that pay tribute to the maestro’s sound. Majestic-yet-gritty, “Major” sounds like a timeless piece swinging out of your speakers. 

Jerry Paper has collaborated with a bunch of artists we love including Weyes Blood and Tyler, The Creator. But after experiencing therapy and the radical growth that came out of it, their namesake Lucas Nathan decided they wanted to be a therapist. 

“Everything Angel” is about that decision. Nathan says: “When I was in my early 20s I told myself that my only skill was music so I had to figure out how to make it work as a career. I spent the past almost-decade actualizing that, without seeing that I’d closed so many doors for my understanding of myself. So this song is about knowing that my life can expand beyond what I told myself it was when I was younger, and that unknowing is the stance to take towards any big journey.”

Last year (2023) was a banner one for Sabrina Teitelbaum, aka Blondshell. Her self-titled debut LP gained new fans and received critical acclaim — one of the songs from that album, “Joiner,” even earned a coveted spot on Barack Obama’s year-end playlist. Her band has been touring extensively, and this summer found them trotting around the globe on the festival circuit while putting together a sophomore album.  

“What’s Fair” is a new pop-punk song that’s been lighting up their live sets as it grapples with the complexities of mother/daughter relationships.  

Five-time Grammy winning music icon Angélique Kidjo is in the spotlight with “Sunlight To My Soul.” It’s a piece written in collaboration with legendary songwriter Diane Warren penning the lyrics and Nigerian afrobeats producer Shizzi crafting African rhythms — and it’s buoyed by the warmth of the Soweto Gospel Choir. 

P.S. Fun fact: Diane Warren has the distinction of being the most nominated songwriter in Oscar history(!) 

Angélique Kidjo on MBE 2016
Angélique Kidjo on MBE 2010
Angélique Kidjo on MBE 2007
Angélique Kidjo on MBE 2004
Angélique Kidjoon MBE 1998

Recorded at their home studio in Los Angeles, New Release is the first studio album from YACHT (Young Americans Challenging High Technology) in five years. The title is funny, appropriate, and on-brand because (in addition to being a literal new music release) it also serves as a personal release due to the fact that it’s the first album they’ve dispensed on their own label, Paris by Night. “Wake Me Up” sounds like they need a nudge from their nap and is the last song on the album. 

You can hear the essence of  great jazz vocalists like Carmen McRae, Nina Simone, and Sarah Vaughan in the sound of NYC’s Afro-Boricuan group duendita. 

Inglewood-based Jean Dawson straddles multiple cultures and gives voice to fans who see themselves in his work. His distinctive sound has been noticed by artists like SZA and A$AP Rocky. Another notable collaborator is Lil Yachty, who you’ll hear on the track “Die For Me,” which will be featured on Dawson’s forthcoming album Glimmer of God out in October.