With the release of the single "Play Me A Christmas Song", Stephen Dowd manages to bottle the very specific, blue-hued silence that falls over a living room once the wrapping paper has been cleared away. It is a curious thing, really, how a melody can act less like a sound wave and more like the smell of a candle that was blown out five...

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...