TJ Howlett has officially ushered in the heavy, introspective season with his new release, "Easy Street". The Melbourne singer, songwriter, and early-90s grunge veteran bypasses modern polish altogether, choosing instead to steep himself in sultry, slow blues-rock that carries the weight of a smoke-filled room and deep-seated regret. https://open.spotify.com/album/6wLvX4vix5YygVOuQ7039p?si=aasK_0XHSAmhDNLFrh-aUw The title track maps out the murky topography of a rundown dive bar. We are observing melancholic...

Cassandra Maze, "Superstars". Two words. Say them out loud and they already feel like a declaration. The Vancouver singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist released this self-produced single and it carries the kind of quiet authority that only comes from an artist who has spent years earning it. No label machinery. No outside producers. Just one woman, her home studio, and a message she clearly needed to put...