Despite the ease of access that streaming has brought to the distribution of music, the volume that's released can make it a daunting task to find unique new stuff every week. In this recurring weekly feature we put together a short list of new songs from the past week that stand out amongst all the noise and deserve a spot in your rotation.
All songs featured in this recurring series can be found in our scrmbl selection 2026 playlist on Apple Music or Spotify.
80kidz feat. Cwondo — “Field”
Patrick: Here, it feels like long-running dance outfit 80kidz is adapting to the vocal peculiarities of upstart Cwondo, not the other way around. That duo has long been flexible in the styles they can play around with, so for “Field” they craft an elastic track featuring string swells alongside the breaks. That leaves ample room for Cwondo to deliver a hushed but ultimately euphoric vocal, less abstract than his recent solo work but still featuring enough experimentation to add a sense of unpredictability to every line. Listen above.
Blooming Bungei — “School Zone”
Ryo: Blooming Bungei’s new single features another set of hopeless characters who can’t seem to act on their feelings — an increasingly familiar trope in their songs at least since 2023’s Innovation EP. And the indie-rock band often sound like spectators themselves in “School Zone.” As vocalist Hal narrates the scenario, she presses on the matter like an outside voice urging the two to speak up. The slashing guitar riffs and the urgent beats from the rhythm section meanwhile do its best to channel what the protagonists fail to put into action.
Cafuneiro — “hisui”
Ryo: Everything in Cafuneiro’s music in their new :01 EP is a touch blown out, like the band toggled the brightness level up slightly overboard while brushing up their emo-tinged indie-rock. The vocal processing lets every sigh sound extra wistful. Their super-compressed guitars get sandblasted into inscrutable fuzz when it hits against the clipped cymbals; it lets out a heated squeal when it indulges in a brief solo. While “hisui” doesn’t play with bit-crushed synths or club beats, these heavy filters hint at a hyperpop sensibility from the band as they capture the sensation of when it all feels a little too much.
lilbesh ramko — “LaLaLa”
Patrick: Even if they try to space out on “LaLaLa,” lilbesh ramko lets more raw feelings bulldoze their way back in. The latest from the Tokyo internet-damaged darling starts almost as a stroll featuring percussive pounds and what sounds like a parade of K.K. Sliders. Between those sounds, ramko starts reserved — even delivering the titular three syllables like trying to distract themselves — but eventually lets frustration pour out in the song's final stretch, those fuzzed-out beats adding oomph. Listen above.
Luminous Cloud — “Soda Days”
Patrick: Songwriting unit Luminous Cloud calls on some friends to make its “Soda Days” really fizz. The duo's second single once again features long-running idol project Sayonara Ponytail providing vocals, this time over a more reserved beat compared to the skippy bossa-nova of its debut. Its new face Pictured Resort, a long-running Kansai indie-pop project capable of locating the heart in a vacation destination, whose guitar playing offers a sunny streak to this and really helps the warm emotion within bubble up. Listen above.
N-FENI — “I hope something good happens”
Ryo: The routine life is getting N-FENI down once again. But they take matters on their own hands in the indie-rocker’s new single, banging out a huge, scuzzy riff straight out of a ’90s Britrock anthem to liven up a little. Even if things aren’t working out too well, they can always play this one loud on the guitar and scream the titular refrain until they basically will the good into existence.
