“Ahhhh, jangle pop. The balm for the soul.” That’s the first thought I had during the first 30 seconds of Candy kisses’ debut EP, Truth we avoided. There is not a lot of information available about the band, except the EP has been released on Indonesian label forfun.cookies. I suspect the band members are from Indonesia as well. There are four members: Dita (vocals), Wahyu (vocals/bass), Dimas (ucup lead?), and Tama (drums). That’s all the info I have.
Truth we avoided is 12-plus minutes of pure, jangle, twee, indie pop gold. It’s a promising start to 2026. I can’t wait for more.
Truth we avoided is out right now on forfun.cookies Bandcamp page, and I highly recommend it. Enjoy.
Known initially as Spooky Black, now Corbin, Corbin Smidzik has been making bleak, desolate lo-fi hip-hop that accumulated a cult following that’s only been growing since his break-out release Leaving in 2014. Now earlier this year Corbin released his latest record Crisis Kid and in my opinion – it’s debatedly his best yet.
The record opens with Cry Out In Pain, the track features a spacey almost vacant instrumental that carries a steady pace courtesy of strong guitar work as well as Corbin’s vocal delivery. Lyrics such as, “Die in our sleep, calling out for a hero / Watching us bleed, I’m counting the zeroes / Power and greed, more of attrition / Slaughter the sheep, more superstition / The dollar is weak, we’re close to ignition any day” speak to feelings of depression, hopelessness, and lacking the power, ability or means to change one’s own course are supported by the songs chorus, an echoed chant saying, “Cry out in pain / Climb out the window / Try to escape / What are we here for anyway?”
Carbon Monoxide is my personal favorite from the record. It opens with a groovy and atmospheric beat with more smooth lead guitar that’s again elevated by Corbin’s capable and forward vocals. Vocal layering, and this steady drum beat that work to progress the track simultaneously heighten lyrics from the verses, “Counting up every sin again / Guilty as charged, I’m not innocent / Drowning in the memories, sink or swim / Every time you had to see me like this” as well as the tracks chorus, “You can see all the walls I put up caving in / Slowly creep in your lungs, you’re my carcinogen / Fall asleep to your carbon monoxide again.” Corbin speaks on the difficulty of opening up and being vulnerable, holding oneself accountable – maybe even overly so – all while in what might be or is a toxic environment.
The record’s closing track Another Day In Hell genuinely sounds like it could’ve been a B-Side from one of The Weeknd’s latest releases with the synth leads that start the track off before Corbin’s lyrics join, and these balanced drums again work to move the track forward as it progresses into this almost angelic instrumental that showcases the ethereal vocals Corbin delivers as the tracks final stanzas echo, growing progressively more distant as the album concludes.
On Crisis Kid, Corbin has continued pushing himself lyrically, sonically, and personally and the result is a cohesive, fulfilling and honest expression of where Smidzik has been, is now, and where he’s going.
Wednesday was originally formed as a solo project of lead singer Karly Hartzman, blending shoegaze inspired fuzzy guitars and country-twanged vocals that touched on the struggles and traumas of small-town Southern living. This year the now five-piece released what I firmly believe to be the groups best work with their latest record Bleeds.
Bleeds opens with the one, two punch of Reality TV Argument Bleeds and Townies – Reality TV Argument Bleeds acts almost like a sonic black hole, bringing everything around into the mix, creating an all consuming, attention demanding, and layered soundscape before Hartzman’s vocals break through with the first of many Southern-twinged expressions of stories and the people they involve. The track has personal lyrical highlights of, “When I don’t feel like bein’ comforted / Melting outward like a movie burning from the screen / You and your broke dick sincerity.”
The stories continue on Townies, a track that explores the dramas of small town life where word travels fast. The opening lyrics are literally, “Catchin’ up with the townies / Some have gone but most are still around / The ghosts of them surround me / They hang on tight until they drown.” Hartzman’s spins a harsh and emotive tale of marijuana, shared nudes, death, and leaf blowers in the best and most unexpected way.
The last track I’ll highlight here is my personal favorite from the record, track 7 The Way Love Goes. As I understand it, it’s an expression of some of the feelings after the end of the long term relationship between members Karly Hartzman and MJ Lenderman. It’s short, heart wrenching, and a perfect example of how less is more. It serves as a sort of break in the record with its slower, acoustic sound that’s light on the effects and it truly shows how strong of a performer Hartzman is. The track closing with a self reference saying, “I know it’s not been easy / And I know it can’t always be / and that’s the way love goes.” I mean, c’mon – tearing my heart out and stomping on it would probably cause me less pain than feeling the relatability of those lyrics.
This album to me is almost like a play where each of the albums 12 tracks functions like acts; each containing its own setting, characters and story while the thing connecting them all together, thus creating the play, is Hartzman’s perspective and the way that she and the rest of Wednesday have laid these stories to tape. Not very many records from bands I’ve heard have successfully turned me from a listener into a fan, but Bleeds accomplished exactly that. And I couldn’t be more excited to see what’s next.
You can get Bleeds from us here or via Wednesday’s Bandcamp page.
Cabin In The Sky – A fitting love letter to Dave (Trugoy the Dove)
De La Soul releasing their first album in nine years would be newsworthy by itself, but Cabin In The Sky arrives under an even heavier weight: it is their first project since the tragic 2023 loss of founding member David Jolicoeur, AKA Trugoy the Dove. It is also their first new release since settling the decades long dispute that kept much of their discography off streaming platforms, a victory Dave unfortunately never got to witness. Trying to combine a decade of built-up creative energy with the grief of losing a musical brother is a tall order. In short, they pulled it off.
Full disclosure: De La Soul is my favorite group of all time. Discovering 3 Feet High and Rising as a teenager changed my life. I studied every skit, every joke, every tangent. They were the smartest and funniest things I had ever heard on a record. (I still quote “I wanna win all the money, see ya!) De La has always been an industry enigma, never fitting neatly into any single lane. Their best albums work both as laid-back party records and as sharp social commentary if you choose to listen closely. Cabin In The Sky lives up to that tradition while offering a generous amount of fan service and, most of all, a beautiful love letter to Dave.
The album announces its thesis right away. The opening track revives the classic De La roll call skit, this time delivered by actor Giancarlo Esposito (Buggin’ Out from Do the Right Thing). He announces each featured artist, including Nas, Killer Mike, DJ Premier, Common, Black Thought, and others, and each replies that they are present. He then calls out the members of De La one by one. When he gets to Dave, the lack of response looms large. Dave’s presence and absence echo through the album in a mix of grief, melancholy, and celebration. His memory and influence also serve as an engine, pushing the group forward. “If y’all stop, then Dave stops,” as declared on YUHDONTSTOP.
Cabin In The Sky is dense at more than 70 minutes. It is not perfect. A critic could say it rambles at times. But it is a perfect De La album. It captures everything they have always been: generous, funny, thoughtful, warm, and unafraid to challenge listeners while still making them feel welcome. Their albums have always been works of art in their entirety, and this one is no exception. The production is strong, and Posdnuos and Maseo each bare their souls with their usual effortless wordplay and intricately layered beats.
If you are already a fan, you will likely love it. If you are new to the De La universe, this album is full of enough love and nostalgia to pull you in if you give it a chance. De La has always brought art, humor, intelligence, and heart. They have also quietly remained some of the most important voices in music for more than three decades. I am grateful they still have things to say. And like the rest of the De La family, I am still missing Dave too.
Notable tracks: YUHDONTSTOP, Sunny Storms, and the very affecting Different World featuring spoken word by poet Gina Loring.
You can pre-order all variations of Cabin In The Sky from the 3hive Record Lounge here.
It’s not often that I listen to a shoegaze record, save it to my library, and then proceed to stream it again and again; offering whatever additional focus I can muster into subsequent listens trying to glean as much as I possibly can. I’d even go so far to say that this may have never happened before with shoegaze but I’m grateful to have undergone this experience – all credit goes to the Texas based ‘dirtgaze’ group Shallowater and their sophomore record God’s Gonna Give You a Million Dollars.
Shallowater is a three-piece band of Blake Skipper, Ryan Faulkenberry, and Tristan Kelly who originally hail from West Texas but find themselves now based out of Houston. I hadn’t heard of the group before having God’s Gonna Give You a Millions Dollars recommended to me by a few friends earlier this year, but since giving it a listen I’ve become a fan not just of its deep and emotive performances, the simple but meaningful writing, or the fact that no track ever felt as long as they are but the reality that this album contains all of the above and more in spades and is such a rewarding listen.
The title track and subsequent “Sadie” begin and continue to tell a story of grief, loss, and the long and unique process of adapting to life without someone. From Sadie, lyrics such as “I’ve been writing down / Every word / You said to me / ‘Cause I like the way they look” touch on how unique loss is as well as how hard letting go can be.
A personal highlight of the album follows up “Sadie” in “Untitled Cowboy”. The almost 8 and a half minute long epic that I feel touches on regret, complacency and cycles that can haunt a person and their endeavors, relationships, etc. Lyrics like “Don’t you know I feel like / All that time we wasted / Sittin’ with each other / Would’ve been a whole lot better spent alone?” Lead singer Blake Skipper’s delivery, and the supporting ensemble create a sonic palette that hits like a truck and leaves you as the victim of a hit & run.
In summary, Shallowater has created a harmonious, precise, and rare project with God’s Gonna Give You a Million Dollars that feels to me like equal parts Chat Pile’s debut record God’s County and MJ Lenderman’s incredible 2024 record Manning Fireworks while also representing itself well and staying original.
Scottish two-piece sister band The Cords have taken over my world with their debut self-titled album, and I’m here to convince you to let them take over your world too.
Proudly wearing their hearts and influences (C86) on their sleeves, Grace and Eva have not only honored those bands that came before, but they have also crafted a generational pop album that will stand the test of time and influence the next generation of “straight from the heart” pop bands.
Their album is out now via legendary labels Slumberland and Skep Wax. You can spin my favorite track (right now), “Yes It’s True” (below), for a taste. You must own this album! ENJOY.
From “Once or Twice, I prayed to Jesus…” to “…she said she knows what Jesus knows, idiot in the park”, Nourished By Time (AKA Marcus Elliot Brown) naturally evokes existential questions in a nonchalant manner. The beauty of Marcus’ lyrics are further highlighted by his unique approach to instrumentation. On The Passionate Ones, his newest release on XL Recordings, that instrumentation is put on full display. There are many artists that flirt with nostalgic tones, but very few that can consistently generate those feelings with every. Single. Instrument. On. Every. Single. Track.
It feels effortless. Each track has multiple synth leads, guitar tones, and chord pads that provide beautiful context to the post-capitalist, post-religion and also post-confusion world that Marcus presents clearly.
“Maybe I’m afraid of the future
Demons on their way to confuse you
Maybe it’s the comfort I’m?used?to”
The coolest part? Almost every posed question is resolved by a simple answer. “If?I’m gonna go?insane, at least?I’m loved by you
If my heart should burst or break, it was overdue
If I’m gonna go insane”
It’s all about the love, baby! Get lost in a soundscape of dystopian rhythms, R&B bass lines and sweet lyrics about longingly loving the experience.
New Jersey band lightheaded are back with their incredible new power-pop album, Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming!, and listed below are 5 things (the low-hanging fruit) I love about this record.
It is packed with infectious, marvelous, and charming vocal harmonies.
The album sounds current and classic at the same time.
They love Amelia Fletcher—who doesn’t?
The album is 28 minutes long. There is no fluff. They get in and get out with 10 jangle-pop heaters.
The album was mastered by Mikey Young—no brainer!
Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming! is out now via the almighty Slumberland Records and the equally almighty Skep Wax Records. This is one of my favorite albums of the year so far. You need to listen to it right now!
Marissa Nadler just dropped “Hatchet Man,” her second single from her new album, New Radiations, out on August 5 via Sacred Bones. “Hatchet Man” is a lush and haunting murder ballad “…about a sinister character bringing a woman home—not for romance, but to murder her—while the narrator, his partner, is made to witness it unfold.”
New Radiations is Nadler’s tenth full length album, and sixth with Sacred Bones. Enjoy the single below.
Massachusetts’ Jeanines are back with their latest (and greatest) album, How Long Can It Last. This album is a true pop gem. The songs explore heavy themes, yet they’re delivered with such charming and “heavenly” melodies that they trick the brain. And with all the turmoil that surrounds all of us, whose brain doesn’t need to be tricked?
In a short exchange between myself and Slumberland’s Mike Schulman, he wrote (about the new Jeanines LP), “…things are so crap right now, I need some beauty and light!” That sentence could have just been my review.
How Long Can It Last is out on Friday (06/27) via Slumberland and Skep Wax Records. You can stream the fantastic singles below. This album belongs in any pop music fan’s collection.
