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...

Marina's voice, which is strong and unadulterated, ushers in a story that is at once ancient and contemporary. She was born under the great sky of Ukraine. Her early memories are filled with choirs and juvenile competitions; as a result, she is more than simply a singer; she is an image of endurance. Marina's career has taken off like a shooting star because she has been...