Ben Gage and "Lookin' For A Devil" arrive at a moment when the American dream feels particularly elusive. The Akron-born songwriter has spent years chronicling the rust belt experience, and his latest single captures something both specific and universal: the peculiar frustration of being too broke even for damnation. Released on July 18, this track emerges from Gage's upcoming album like smoke from a dying campfire....

Miedjia emerges not only as a star but more as a supernova in the expansive musical universe. Miedjia is one of those rare individuals who not only writes, composes, and performs, but also dabbles in sound engineering. Other people may wear one or more of these hats. Because he is the creative director behind his trade, each note and phrase is infused with a purposeful goal,...