Mark Rolfe has released "Compton Bay," an ethereal new instrumental single ahead of his upcoming album "The Isle of Wight." The Nottingham-based composer, academic, and Lorna songwriter handles entirely everything for this project through his DIY label Winnetka Records. You hear him acting as the solitary architect of this ambient universe tracking the guitar, cello, clarinet, piano, and percussion himself, all while handling his...

Empty Pinata – remember LA Rodriguez? – serves up the single "Bonfire," and honestly, the air changes slightly when you play it. It’s less like passively listening and more like discovering a singed diary page fluttering down a quiet street. The music itself is this curious contradiction, wrapping harrowing emotional shrapnel in the comforting gauze of indie-pop, flecked with soft rock warmth. A strangely...