Before listening to a single note of Suris’ new album, “Pertinax”, I spent a few minutes just looking at the word. Pertinax. It has the distinct ring of a Stoic philosopher’s last defiant utterance or maybe a type of beetle known for its unusually stubborn shell. What a curious flag to fly for a collection of songs in an age of fleeting distraction. But...

Folk music has always had a special relationship with social commentary. From Woody Guthrie's dust bowl ballads to Bob Dylan's protest anthems, the genre has given voice to the voiceless and held a mirror up to society's failings. It's a tradition that Swiss singer-songwriter Dave Curl continues with his powerful new single, "Zueri." A song written thirty years ago and finally released in February 2026, it's...