Maverick Smith’s “We Make Fire, They Make Smoke” lands not with a thud, but with the distinct, satisfying crackle of something catching alight. It’s a title that carries the grit of the Ohio Valley in its consonants, a resolute statement from a band – Paige Bosic on commanding vocals and rhythm guitar, Sean Boynes sculpting soundscapes on guitar, Jim Courtney’s intricate drumming, Charlie Kovach’s...

Some names behave like locked doors. They sit in a lyric, plain enough to read, yet private enough to resist the curious hand. Emilia, in Yacovelli's new single, carries that strange power. She is named, pursued, teased, and protected, as if the song has placed her under stage light only to turn the bulb toward the crowd. For a band rooted in the scuffed romance...