Monthly Listening: May 2026

[adevyish]

I’m going to a concert tomorrow that already has some logistical red flags, so wish me the best D:

• Umikaze / Zyokyo (CW: motion sickness, flashing)
  • Summer shoegaze with max fuzziness.
• illiomote / Smiles
  • 90s bass-driven, minor-key tune that picks up a bit of psychedelic influences.
• Tokyo Shoegazer / Pulse (CW: mild horror)
  • Season-(in)appropriate dark pop?
• Regallily / Smile’s Tears
  • This feels very different from their previous work — lots of strings lending to a 2000s j-rock power ballad sound.
• kurayamisaka / sagittarius ★
  • I’m still on a kurayamisaka bender, so I’m very happy to throw more cathartic headbanging at it.
• Spinning Plums / Monochrome Syndrome
  • The countermelody is very cute and fits with EP name, Spinning Hours.
• Dé Dé Mouse / Chotto Dake Majo (feat. Nagase Yuka) ★
  • City pop revival done well, with a gorgeous amp-heavy breakdown.
• Negicco / Ghosts
  • Producer Cuushe brings her uneasy electronic explorations to this track.
• Annabel / magnolia city
  • I always enjoy some skittering piano jazz jpop.

Bonus

• Sirup / Not AI
  • I’ve seen a few bands I like take ad money to do AI-generated music videos, which is disappointing. So it’s nice to see a musician expressing the opposite sentiment, even if I think the song itself is a little trite.
• Chotokkyu / Gachi Muchi
  • Finally CTQ are back to being as stupid as possible.