"O Holy Night," as sung by Kate Stanford, is one of the few Christmas songs that has the emotional weight, spiritual depth, and lasting power that it does. The song gives stillness, respect, and attention from the very first line, and you have to follow through to the very end. It's not just a Christmas song; it's an appeal, a declaration, and a beautiful rendition of...

Ken Woods and the Old Blue Gang kick up some serious dust with their single "Ride the Rails," and listening feels less like tapping your foot and more like watching the ground crack open nearby. It’s got that Bakersfield twang alright, bright and wiry, but tangled up with a nervous psychobilly heartbeat and the kind of scuffed-boot roots rock energy that sounds like it’s...