Today's Top Tune

This week we celebrate the undiscovered musical talent (under 21) in the greater LA area culled from a couple of hundred submissions to KCRW’s Young Creators Project . We drew five finalists, turning our focus today on Great Big Cow . These guys mainly grew up and went to high school together, meeting in the school’s jazz combo in Los Angeles. Now in college, they say the Valley and Laurel Canyon will always be their home. Laurel Canyon makes sense, since you can hear the influence of ‘70s folk and classic rock in their sound, as you can taste on “Carbondale.”

This week we celebrate the undiscovered musical talent (under 21) in the greater LA area culled from a couple of hundred submissions to KCRW’s Young Creators Project . We narrowed it down to five finalists, from whom we turn the spotlight on 19-year-old jazz pianist, percussionist, and composer Veritus Miller. Based in the Crenshaw District, Miller hails from a musical family and assembled an array of first-rate musicians to showcase some serious chops. A self-proclaimed nerd at heart, he likes to take a breather by watching anime and reading manga. Let’s check out “Days With You Are Beautiful,” an undulating, joyful composition that will make you fall in love with jazz.

This week we celebrate the undiscovered musical talent (under 21) in the greater LA area culled from a couple of hundred submissions to KCRW’s Young Creators Project . We whittled it down to five finalists, and are kicking off the week with Slideshow . This quartet of musicians seem to have it all. They sling a direct hit on abusive relationships with “By The Way,” a provocative yet punchy rocker that a seasoned band would be happy to have in their arsenal.

One of our favorite Finnish crooners, Bobby Oroza declares his love for the ladies who grew up in the Latin barrios, wards, quarters, and districts around the world with “Queen of the Barrio.”

Canadian-born, Kansas-based artist Heidi Lynne Gluck is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a knack for nuance. Known for her ‘70s-style folk rock, Heidi employs the warm glow of a Wurlitzer on “Severance (Remix).”

When you think of sibling harmony, some artists that come to mind include The Bee Gees, First Aid Kit, The Avett Brothers, and The Jacksons. But there’s another factor that we tend to think about less — the non-verbal synergy that’s part of the equation, too. Which brings us to the instrumental duo Hermanos Gutierrez , whose intertwined guitar lines are a trademark of their sound. In the case of “Low Sun,” we get into the darker side of their music.

We’ve got the scoop behind Mt. Joy ’s “Highway Queen” to share with you today. Apparently, frontman Matt Quinn, was on tour when the song came to him — which was great because that allowed the band to work it out in front of an audience and to see the reaction to it.

Today’s Top Tune is thrilled to offer an exclusive that you won’t find on any other platform, anywhere else! It’s from the esteemed composer Laura Karpman , who nabbed an Oscar nod for her score to American Fiction. A recent MBE Guest DJ and guest on The Business , Laura surprised us with a sublime piece.

When The Secret Sisters got their start over a decade ago, Ray LaMontange was the first artist to invite them on tour. That spark turned into a close bond and led to a collaboration. “All The Ways” was recorded near their hometown area of Muscle Shoals, Alabama at the legendary FAME studios — the heartbeat of the Muscle Shoals Sound — and may have inspired a more soulful sound for The Secret Sisters.

On Weird Faith, the latest album from Nashville-based Madi Diaz , you’ll hear “Everything Almost,” on which the artist openly shares her fears and anxieties through an upbeat tone. "The song is about my constant wondering within a relationship,” Diaz explains. “How much should I be saying things out loud, or am I saying too much out loud? What should I keep for myself? What’s mine that could become ours, that should become ours? What dreams are just mine that I could share with you, only to discover they’re your dreams too? It's an investigation of the depth of how far this thing could go."