Steve Young’s latest release, the heavily autobiographical EP "Riffin For A Livin", arrives with the sudden, exhaling relief of a man pulling off a heavy, borrowed uniform. For three decades, the British frontman, main songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist has existed as the dependable anchor in the background. He’s played alongside stars like Darren Hayes and Lionel Richie, and he’s dutifully grinded through an estimated...

Matthew Phillips, the two-time San Diego Music Award-winning independent artist, takes up arms against our modern era's disposable romance on his new single, "Battlefield of Love." We live in an age where discarding people is terrifyingly easy. Phillips rejects that entirely. Writing, playing guitar, and performing with a fierce sense of defiance, he blends alternative rock urgency with sprawling cinematic textures to build a...