Take Jack Horton, a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose path to folk-Americana included stops at Japanese law school, Tokyo piano bars, corporate boardrooms, and government offices. His latest EP, "Imperfections," feels like finding someone's private journal set to music. And that someone happens to write really, really well. The five-song collection opens with "Set Me Free," a piano-driven confession that might surprise anyone expecting typical breakup bitterness. Horton...

The ascent of Daniel Nwosu Jr., better known by his stage name Dax, from the middle of Wichita, Kansas, to the forefront of the international music scene has been watched by the whole world of music. From the time of his early mixtapes, like as the influential "2pac Reincarnation Vol. 2: The Beginning," to the time of his viral duet "Cash Me Outside" with Danielle...