Well, Ricky Leroy Brown has gone and done it, presenting us with "SEXUAL MANUAL FOR EXPERTS," and I confess, the title alone sent my mind skittering off like a startled cat at a séance. This solo Madrileño, who conjures entire soundscapes from his own hands and instruments, is clearly still communing with the spirit of Prince, all slinky guitars and a rhythm section that...

British singer-songwriter Daisy Howard brilliantly captures the dizzying, maddening loop of an addictive relationship on her abrasive new grunge-pop single, "On and On". Trading her background in polished YouTube covers for a semi-nomadic life currently rooted in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Howard pivots into deeply personal territory. She leans heavily into alternative rock dripping with dry humor and exhausted self-awareness. Instead of romantically weeping over...