The Canadian-born NYC alt-pop artist Tori Lord  turns a bad act into a sleek, dark pop single with bite, poise, and replay value. "Conman" has the energy of watching someone’s perfect online persona glitch live. One second, the smile is glossy. The next, the lighting is too bright, the story does not add up, and Tori Lord is already two steps ahead. This new single from...

Authenticity in music is a rare currency. In a time of polished productions and carefully constructed personas, an album like Lisa Jo's "Hood Rats" feels like a jolt of unfiltered reality. It is a record born not in a boardroom, but in the crucible of personal tragedy and immense resilience. The result is a collection of songs that are as raw and uncompromising as the life...