Today's Top Tune

Aidan Penn Peterson is the NYC-based, Grammy-nominated producer known as Instupendo. His richly textured electronic pieces always strike a warm balance between the introspective and the transportive. The Philadelphia native's newest single is called "Chance" and features delicate piano, swelling strings and luminous harmonies, and it's Today's Top Tune.

In the late '70s, British duo Richard Haines and David Cowles had a project called 50/50, but their recordings never really saw the light of day. Seattle-based label Light in the Attic is now releasing the band's debut album: a thoughtfully sequenced collection of 12 songs written over the course of their time together, and their debut single is Today's Top Tune.

On T’som, his sixth album, Eritrean-American composer Dexter Story explores fasting as a path to spiritual renewal, weaving Horn of Africa traditions with Middle Eastern sounds and spiritual jazz. “Beh Jeh Xi” offers a window into this expansive vision, where cultural memory, devotion and musical experimentation converge.

Montreal-born, Vancouver-raised, New York-based saxophonist Michael Blake gives Halloween spooks and mischievous melodies a distinctly jazzy makeover. Joined by pianist Gary Versace, bassist Ben Allison and drummer Michael Sarin, Blake transforms familiar themes by John Carpenter, Duke Ellington and Vince Guaraldi into sly, shape-shifting improvisations.

Rochester, New York's Avis Reese is a self-taught keyboardist and composer who grew up in the church. Best known as a frequent co-writer of fellow Rochester native Danielle Ponder, Avis recently moved to LA to pursue her goal of becoming a film composer. Just out is “Solace”, a piece that evokes both tension and tranquility, and it's Today's Top Tune.

The UK collective Payfone—Phil Passera, Jimmy Day and newcomer April Pittman—strike gold with “Pamela,” a standout from their new EP Lunch. A hypnotic, slow-burning groove with an understated sensuality, it evokes the cool, magnetic allure of early ’80s Grace Jones, while staking out a distinctive space all its own.

On Fontaines D.C.’s Dopamine Chamber, guitars hop in the backseat, allowing for a more synth-fueled, arena-sized sound. Produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Geese, Beth Gibbons) and powered by Grian Chatten’s singular lyricism, the Dublin boys channel their fierce, poetic post-punkery and restless ambition into one of rock’s most compelling sounds.

South London seven-piece Fat Dog return with Cancel Me (I’m Tired), a wild sophomore release that expands their electro-punk into rave bangers, bombastic strings, psychedelia and country-tinged detours. “Snakes” captures their unpredictable reinvention, swapping their usual club-fueled frenzy for cool Western whistling kitsch and unexpected tenderness.