Lighty's Corner: April 30, 2026

By Lighty

originally published: 04/30/2026

The second episode of Lighty’s Corner is live! This is a bi-weekly recorded radio show presenting new rock music from around the globe. Each of the 15 new tracks played were received via email within the last two weeks - a practice I hope to continue each time.

This show has music by artists from America, Canada, England, Finland, and Germany. There’s no theme to the show other than these are new tracks I think deserve to be heard. Most of the artists are indie, but the show does have new tracks by Jesse Malin and Arkells.

The last two weeks brought me a lot of great songs by female artists and bands with a female lead singer. The list includes “Barely Breathin’” by Francesca Fuentes, an artist from West Long Branch, NJ; “Letter to Elon” by Mr. Dinkles - a band from the LA/Seattle area; “Clearly Cursed”, the title track of a new album by Pony; “Ghouls” by Troubles - one of two bands from Helsinki, Finland in the show; “Skin Remembers” by Brain Leak from Manchester, England; and the show closes with the New York based Lauren Minear and her song “Bruise”.

A shout out to some EPs and albums that deserve mention: I really love “Between Us” - the new album by Arkells, a band from Ontario, Canada. I got introduced to them many years ago thanks to the Iceberg station on Sirius radio that I’d listen to on my hour commute to work. “Clearly Cursed” by Pony is an outstanding new album as is “R.I.P.T.” by Mr. Dinkles, which comes out in June. “Nightmares and Broken Dreams” by Dharma Guns from Finland has a lot of excellent tracks. And “The Rest of Me” by Rich Lancia from New Jersey is a terrific EP. It reminds me a bit of the Mr. Reality/Highway 9 vibe of rock and roll with a little country blended in the mix.

Lighty’s Corner uses “Rock is Dead” by Tenacious D as its theme song. It’s a song that makes me laugh and points out exactly what I’m up against - showing that rock and roll music isn’t dead. Throughout my entire lifetime (and probably for those a generation ahead of me as well), I’ve heard that there isn’t any good music being produced anymore. I not only disagree, I couldn’t disagree more.

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

I grew up in the 1980s when only a handful of bands ever had the opportunity or finances to release an album. That was back when getting a record deal meant everything in the world because it led to an actual recording. Just think of all of the artists back then who never got the chance to record their music… I think most artists have at least one good (or even great) song in them. What I’m trying to do with this show is find that song.

Thanks go out to the artists, record labels, and radio promoters who sent the tracks. Some include This Could Be Your Music Label, Obsidian PR and Media, Earshot Media, Presshopper, take this to heart records, and Echo Myron. If you are an artist with new music, feel free to send me a WAV, MP3, or download link to [email protected] for consideration in a future show.

I’m trying to keep the show around one hour each time. Here are a few tracks that just missed the cut that deserve a listen: “Feet Don't Fail Me Now” by The Velvet Room; “Wasted Time” by Mirror Glass; “Overflow feat. Astrology Girl” by Howells; “Hide Away” by Dead Reynolds; and “Nightmare Dreaming” by Thorne.