Take Jack Horton, a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose path to folk-Americana included stops at Japanese law school, Tokyo piano bars, corporate boardrooms, and government offices. His latest EP, "Imperfections," feels like finding someone's private journal set to music. And that someone happens to write really, really well. The five-song collection opens with "Set Me Free," a piano-driven confession that might surprise anyone expecting typical breakup bitterness. Horton...

AC23 is a dynamo on the British music scene, and they came straight out of Newcastle upon Tyne, a lively and throbbing city famed for its rich history and buzzing nightlife. This multi-talented musician blends styles together in a novel way, yet his heart and soul are in hip-hop. AC23 is a musical chameleon, capable of switching between the lyrical finesse of a seasoned poet and...