Listening to Shotgun Driver’s new EP, “Jester Privileges”, is like finding a glitter bomb in a padded cell. The four songs present a disorienting, strangely compelling contradiction. On the surface, the alt-pop framework pulses with an upbeat, almost defiant energy; this is the slick, rock-tinged anxiety of a Machine Gun Kelly track built for open-road brooding. But beneath it, the narrative, carried by those...

The "Nice To Meet You" EP by Shane Rennison is his most current indie-pop work, and it sounds like something you know. Each page depicts the sights and smells of the Catskill Mountains, a place that has left its mark on Rennison's heart. This artist from the Catskills makes his sound while also channelling the honed elegance of The 1975, the exciting vibes of Passion Pit, and...