Today's Top Tune

LA artist and producer Roman Ariel boosts his confidence and builds his groove with “Got It.” The track features his friend XOOL, whom he coaxed into stepping out of his comfort zone and picking up the mic. Together, they tackle their battles against fear in the pursuit of their dreams. 

Dancer, choreographer, and a founding member of LA’s Syncopated Ladies Melinda Sullivan uses her feet to make music. On a new album aptly titled Big Foot, she teams up with famed pianist Larry Goldings and dances in her socks, sand, and even sneakers for a nuanced tone. Punctuating Goldings’ compositions with Sullivan’s tap dancing, “Do You Like” features the voice of Anna Goldings and makeshift percussion by legendary drummer Steve Gadd. 

Grit-rock five piece Been Stellar hit hard with their debut album (which doubles as a nod to their city) Scream from New York — a scathing, white-knuckled ride from start to finish. Let’s take the pressure off with the frenzy of  “Passing Judgment.” 

Melbourne’s Bananagun play their music in an unfettered, unrestrained, and bold way — harnessing the energy that abounds around them. Complex and beautiful, we share “Free Energy.” 

When introducing multi-instrumentalist Nate Mercereau from the stage every night on his New Blue Sun live tour,  André 3000 would say: "I call him a Magician, he plays guitar, but it almost never sounds like a guitar.” This statement can easily be applied to Mercereau’s forthcoming album Excellent Traveller, a sonic journal where everything you hear has come through the guitar — a palette of recordings made either live or in the studio — with Nate’s fingerprints all over.

Year of the Banana is art-pop duo Rubblebucket’s seventh studio album coming down the pike in mid-October. Today, we’re sharing the hip-moving, calorie-burning fun early single they call  “Moving Without Touching.” 

Afro-Appalachian folk artist Mon Rovîa wrote the song “crooked the road.” as a reminder to make a clear distinction between pain and his own identity. I was in love with my suffering, it became who I knew myself as,” explains Mon Rovîa. “Because of this I couldn’t see the hands that had been extended to lift me out. Ones that were longing to see me become who I was meant to be. For the listener I hope they find freedom, I hope they find strength to pull away from what brings [them] down. The song is for all of us who thought in our darkest moments, ‘this is who I am’.”

While working in the studio and writing new music, Lucius started discussing the loops they get stuck in, the rabbit holes the mind goes down, and the voices (usually not their own) that reaffirm where they fall short. They leaned into that theme, but wanted the track to have drive and uplift us so they turned to their friend Adam Granduciel (The War on Drugs) to rev up the song “Old Tape.” 

Best known as a founding member of Sonic Youth, it’s hard to believe that Thurston Moore has released his ninth solo album, Flow Critical Lucidity, out later this month. And if you are hunting for Easter eggs, you’ll be happy to know that the title of the album is pulled from the song “Sans Limites,” featuring the indelible voice of Lætitia Sadier of Stereolab. 

KCRW SoCal favorites Chicano Batman recently graced our studios with a career-spanning set at HQ. While they already released a new album this year, Notebook Fantasy, the band found the time to write and record a new song.