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...

Vienna-born electronic composer and producer John Tejada has had his hand in many projects — most notably with Reggie Watts as Wajatta — and has queued up a newer one with vocalist-songwriter March Adstrum as the duo Optometry . To honor their late art director, Simone Ling, they named their new EP (dropping March 22) in her memory, Parallel Distortion. Kicking off the EP is “Wrong Thing,” capturing their guitar prowess.

Christine and the Queens has the distinction of being the first-ever duet on an MGMT album. “Dancing In Babylon” is a power ballad of epic scope and signals an unexpected sound for MGMT as well. Chris shares a peek into how it came together, saying, “When they reached out for this power ballad, I was honored and also excited to dive into their dream, because I have the same all-encompassing approach with my work. I loved the backstory of the lyrics as well, and I work my lower register here...

Somewhere between Beth Gibbons, Billie Holiday, and Hope Sandoval lies the voice of NYC-based School Night alum Odetta Hartman — well, at least she does on “Dr. No,” a transformative re-working of “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child,” originally made famous by her iconic namesake Odetta. But check out the rest of her album, Swansongs, which will feature a range of sound when it drops on March 22.

Belgium-Japanese electro-pop duo Aili recently dropped their debut LP Nandakke? to the delight of KCRW DJ Travis Holcombe, who has been sprinkling different tracks on FREAKS ONLY . One that really caught the ears of food lovers (like us) is the playful and bouncy “ Takoyaki ,” about a delectable Japanese dish.

Exactly one week ago, MBE was awarded the distinction of world premiering of The Undercover Dream Lovers ’ latest track, “Run Away.” The psychedelic indie rock project from Matt Koenig and his four-piece band take us on a romantic uplifting journey.

We are counting down the days to the new album Hyperdrama from Justice , dropping April 26. Their brand of dark techno has flashes of disco/funk and electronica with sweeping cinematic arrangement, exemplified to the max on “Generator.” We’ll see how it plays in real life when they take it to Coachella!

Taking their name from the Asian ointment Tiger Balm, Balming Tiger are an alternative K-pop collective made up of rappers, singers, writers, producers, and directors formed in Seoul in 2018 and who just released their debut album late last year. Their aim is to reflect and represent the younger generation, and that’s exactly what they do when you experience “Buriburi!”

Here’s an anthem that is so personal, it pulls the curtain on a desire or a premonition of making it big. Born and bred in the Los Angeles basin, Loren Kramar writes and sings about what it would be like to receive a star for his work on the iconic “ Hollywood Blvd .”

In honor of leap year today, let’s turn to a new project from old friends who believe that the best collaborations take time. The Icelandic duo Paddan are lifelong friends since childhood and survivors of the post-punk scene in Reykjavik in the early ‘80s. Paddan’s debut EP, Fluid Time, is inspired by the perception of time and space, with compositions that fill the ether with inspiration from free-form jazz and the punk aesthetics of their youth. Let’s check out the percussive krautrock...

Ok, before we listen to Today’s Top Tune, I’d like you to relax your shoulders, take a deep breath, let it out, another deep breath, and out again. Now you are ready to take in the mystical, magical sound of South Asian vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer ganavya doraiswamy , who has worked with a host of luminaries including Quincy Jones, Wayne Shorter, and Esperanza Spalding. With a studio album pending, let’s dig into her ethereal sound on “el kebda, let it go.”

Confessional songwriter Cordelia has a background in theater as well as music, handy skills which taught her how to create magic on stage. The title track from her EP, Little Life is written in a similar style as a journal entry. “This might not be something I would release but this just happened,” Cordelia explains. “Capturing these moments in time, sometimes they’re incredibly fleeting. Then you perform them and you’re put back in that headspace, going back in time. It’s like life flashing...

Shoegazers Slowdive stopped by KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio late in 2023 to perform a career-spanning set and had an insightful conversation with our own Andrea Domanick about life, death, technology, and going viral on TikTok . We are excited to share a live version of “Kisses” from their album everything is alive, a recording that ranked No. 3 on KCRW’s Best Albums of 2023 .

Faye Webster definitely has a signature sound and her ears are pretty big too, as she has enjoyed watching the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra . "Going to the symphony was almost like therapy for me," she says. "I was quite literally underdressed at the symphony because I would just decide at the last moment that that's what I wanted to do." Hence the title of her new album, Underdressed at the Symphony. Recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas with her longtime band, “But Not Kiss” is simply...

Jeffrey Cain wears many hats: He’s a founding member of the iconic rock band Remy Zero , a writer and multi-instrumentalist for Australian psych legends The Church , and has his own debut solo project in the wings under the moniker Iris Doe. Backed by former bandmates, Cain digs into new but familiar territory and gives us a sneak preview of the work on the first song we hear from his new album,“Tears Ignite Again,” which Cain refers to as “a meditation on modern existence, its chaos and the...

Citing her debut album, Goose, singer-songwriter Mol Sullivan perceives it as a “long exposure photograph” that spotlights the different songwriting styles she’s cultivated over the past 15 years. The Cincinnati-based musician also reflects on her own sobriety and wrestles with unlearning patterns of behavior that no longer serve her, sketched out on the title track “Goose.”

Inspired by their travels, the pulse of nightlife, and building a community, Cakes Da Killa ’s forthcoming (March 22) new album, Black Sheep, sees the underground powerhouse reuniting with longtime collaborator Sam Katz. Their labor of love is divided by Cakes writing every bar and Katz handling beats.“Cakewalk”packs a punch in a very short time.

Today is an auspicious day: It marks the 84th revolution around the sun for the Motown living legend, Rock & Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame iconic singer-songwriter, the legendary Smokey Robinson , who wrote so many enduring hits (about 4,000). Robinson is back with his first solo album in five years, and his 26th full-length to date. Let’s celebrate his 60+ year storied career with his gift to us, the title track from GASMS. Long may you wave, Smokey Robinson!

Let’s tune in to an exciting new indie rock trio, Friko , who channel their raw energy into a frenzy on “Get Numb To It!” Garnering the distinction of being among Pitchfork’s 50 Most Anticipated Albums in 2024 , their debut full-length Where we’ve been, Where we go from here is out now, they are a welcome addition to Chicago’s long lineage of innovative sound.

Sunna Margrét first started making music when she collaborated with renowned composer Ólafur Arnalds, who was a guiding force on her electro-pop path. An Icelandic musician and visual artist now based in Switzerland, Margrét makes music to quench her love of dancing. “Come With Me” is drenched in synth-pop inspired by the likes of New Order and Depeche Mode.