An original piece of art has been made by Maria Deirisarri, who lives in Atlanta. With her most recent album, "In the Beginning," she skillfully takes listeners through an array of contexts while also talking about her creative process. Even though her young age might make it seem like she doesn't have much experience, Deirisarri's music is overflowing with timeless knowledge. Her record has a...

Robin James Hurt’s “A Song, A Story Told” arrives with a sound you can almost run a thumb over, like worn corduroy. In an age of sterile, diamond-polished productions, this album is a defiantly handmade thing, tracked onto vintage cassette machines. The result is not a flaw, but an ingredient. A faint, persistent hiss breathes alongside the instruments, a ghost in the machine who...