Listening to Arnold J.’s new single, "Muddy Waters," isn't quite like anything else swirling around right now. It arrives with the gentle insistence of incoming tide, pulling you into its specific gravity. Arnold J., Ghanaian-born and now Canada-based, weaves a sound tagged as alt-country and folk, but those labels feel thin, like trying to contain smoke. There’s earthiness, sure, but his soulful vocal lines...

The rest of the world knows Karina Morin as Kärma Sounds. She is currently working on a story that is both up-to-date and soulfully nostalgic while living in the heart of Vancouver's bustling music scene. There is something about her music that makes it feel both new and oddly familiar at the same time. This artist's newest song, "Mysterious," is an outstanding representation of her...