With the first official day of fall on the immediate horizon (and unofficially already being there sort of, disregarding the summerlike temps still popping up), the mid-to late 2026 release calendar is getting more interesting and exciting all the time. Here’s some choice cuts to keep eyes and ears open for (and one even for early next year!) in this edition of 3 Songs You Have To Hear:
“No One Lives Here Anymore” by Carissa’s Wierd
Many bands of 90’s yore have reemerged over the course of this decade (thanks to resurgent interest from all corners of music fan world, and label work from folks like Numero Group among others), and continuing the trend is AZ/WA slowcore icons Carissa’s Wierd, with their first album in 25 years due next year called Somewhere Further Than Far Away. They haven’t missed a beat at all on the first single “No One Lives Here Anymore”, with the thoughtful arrangements, delicate songcraft, and fantastic harmonies all just as intact and poignant as they were many moons ago. Founding duo Jenn Champion and Mat Brookes have been up to much other business since the group’s original dissolution (and subsequent here-and-there reunions), and the time seems right to finally take getting the band back together to the next level.
“New Government Pyramid Scheme” by Hustle Culture
I don’t know what exactly’s in the air or the water down in Cincinnati that continues to produce top-notch gritty post-punk sounds, but what I know for sure is it’s definitely not in short supply, evidenced by the latest single from Hustle Culture, their first for current-day Queen City institution Feel It Records. Buzz saw guitars, racing drums, and lyrics on red alert all should be ringing alarm bells about not only the governmental horrors contained within, but also the next band to keep on your radar around here.
“Reece” by Josh Johnson
Josh Johnson has felt ubiquitous in modern jazz-and-adjacent world these days, and for good reason – he and many of his Los Angeles cohorts are making some of the most forward-thinking and cross-pollination-heavy jazz records of the day (see Jeff Parker ETA IVtet, SML, and various collaborations between members of both), and are backing up/appearing on records from the likes of Flea, aja monet, Meshell Ndegeocello, and more. In other creative spheres, it’s time once again for Johnson to take center stage with a solo album, with Animative out later this fall on International Anthem. “Reece” is perfectly indicative of Johnson’s signature sound, a “spot it anywhere” effected saxophone making captivating melodic shapes, emotive and virtuosic in equal breaths. You’ve probably heard Johnson play somewhere in the past handful of years whether you know it or not, I’d suggest making it official and setting time aside for this one in some prime fall listening.
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