Some songs are like a time machine. You press play, and suddenly you’re somewhere else, some other time. Maybe it’s a smoky bar in the 1970s, a sweaty punk club in the 80s, or, in the case of “Oh Denise,” the new single from Ken Woods and The Old Blue Gang, a dusty dancehall on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, sometime in the not-too-distant past. The...

J. Matthews is a distinctive force in the world of modern pop music. He has created a one-of-a-kind aural environment that speaks to listeners from all different walks of life. His music creates a tapestry of disconnected but united rhapsodies, with each story developing via unique chapters and surprising turns. His music is like a tapestry. J. Matthews, who is a poet and singer at heart,...