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.
cat meows — “you distorted”
Ryo: While cat meows themselves shared the breezy “yellow” as a preview of the indie-rock band’s new full-length, reverth, I’ll go ahead and recommend the aptly titled “you distorted” from the album. “Distorted” as a descriptor nails the song’s evocative scene-setting sound: a roaring, blizzard-like guitar riff like My Bloody Valentine’s woozy shoegaze outfitted for an emo-punk band. Gauzy as the guitars are, the vocals of guitarist-singer Karin Yoshida ring crystal-clear as she sings about tainted dreams and a flood of sadness. Her call for help doesn’t seem to reach anyone in particular, but the outpour of “you distorted” feels cathartic.
It's US!!!! — “FUJI”
Patrick: Tokyo collective It's US!!!! has thus far in its existence focused on living it up and making the most of time spent in the capital. Latest single “FUJI” takes a step back for something more bleary-eyed, keeping the energy up but turning it into something more reflective while maintaining a youthful edge. Ushered in by skipping samples, the group still drops lines like “smoke then we greet / repeat with no sleep” to remind of young-adult abandon, but the rest finds them taking a wider-screen look at life (“no need to rush / take your time”). It's clarity for the club set without sacrificing the fun. Listen above.
MON/KU — “SO MANY CATS”
Patrick: The idea of lots of cats is one fascinating to people. I'm not sure if it's still getting as much online, but “cat island” was once a point of intrigue and I get it...so much fluff in one place! Yet it's also kind of unnerving if you think about it, adding a sense of overwhelm to what should be such a cuddly situation. This same tension has played out in music — see the cozy but melancholy 25,000 Kittens — and now producer MON/KU conjures up a claustrophobic electronic song that makes me imagine being buried under felines with “SO MANY CATS.” Beyond that pet-store-gone-awry imagery, it's a fine piece of production where sounds textural elements become central. Listen above.
Negicco — “Ghost”
Ryo: “Ghost” captures Negicco being more exhausted than enthusiastic about their days for their new song as a group in three years. Their change in mood calls for a different sound than the typical one for the idol group, something other than their usual cheery pop accentuated with soft jazz. The trio lands on the wispy dream-pop of Cuushe, where their gossamer arrangements catch the idols in a half-awaken state: “My life is starting to melt,” they sigh, and you believe it that they’re going to actually dissolve from how tenuous the music sounds. After more than 20 years as a group, there are still new sides of Negicco to discover.
ohayoumadayarou, Moto Kawabe and PARKGOLF — “Gu No Nai Men”
Patrick: A meeting of disparate sonic approaches resulting in an ennui-dappled tune. Former chelmico member Rachel's ohayoumadayarou project links up with singer-songwriter Moto Kawabe and often-frantic electronic tinkerer PARKGOLF for a stroll of a song featuring touches of what makes each player special. Kawabe adds guitar while PARKGOLF develops a beat marked by moments disrupting the melody. Rachel handles vocals, exploring the mundane and finding the mixed emotions within. That's heartfelt, but the real charm of “Gu No Nai Me” is how three distinct approaches to music work together. Listen above.
safmusic — “Slide and Escape”
Ryo: safmusic’s new tracks from the Slide and Escape EP continue to instigate this question about the singer-songwriter: is he an electropop producer sampling the sounds and attitudes of indie rock, or is he a one-man band assembling his version of indie rock on a DAW? The title track initially suggests his music to be based on more of the latter idea with a prickly math-rock riff that sounds picked out from a fifth-wave emo mixtape. Yet his slick vocal melodies, delivered like an electropop singer’s impression of a pop-punk singer, come from a different realm, where there’s no distinction between SoundCloud rap and band rock—emo in spirit rather than sound. Traditional genres don’t neatly sum up the pop of “Slide and Escape,” and it feels incredibly modern for that.
