Near Death Experience's single, "Shake," arrived not so much as music, but as a sudden, urgent insistence. It’s London psych-rock-soul alright, but brewed with something fiercely immediate, demanding attention like a ringing telephone in an empty room. The core quartet – Ian Whiteling guiding the trip with vocals and guitar fuzz, Joshua Van Ness laying down a heartbeat that feels both frantic and locked-in,...

From the sun-kissed lanes of Athens emerges Mama Blue, a songstress whose voice seems to harness the very essence of nightfall. Her voice, a sultry echo reminiscent of Twilight's embrace, is on full, mesmerizing display in her latest single, "Mother of the Night." Few songs possess the power to transport, to ensnare; this is one of them. While many young artists seek the latest trends, Mama...