Shawn Brown’s EP, "Into the Furious Light," doesn’t slip quietly into the stream of modern indie-folk releases; it instead cups its hands around your soul like you’re a candle in danger of flickering out. The Portland troubadour crafts songs that feel like fragments of conversations—maybe ones you walked in on too late or letters unsent to someone dear but no longer near. You’re never...

Making music is like alchemy; it turns nothing into something, turning feelings into notes. Benjamin David, a musician with a Midas touch who plays many instruments, has perfected this transformational talent. Benjamin has risen to prominence in modern music thanks to his unique style, which can be heard at illustrious places around the country and has left his imprint on a slew of albums and...