Growing up changes the meaning of a late night. The Mack Brothers seize that feeling on “Sleepless in Seattle,” an indie rock single from Philadelphia brothers John and Matthew Mackara. The title comes from John’s own phrase for those anxious, can’t-switch-off hours, and the song’s stated concern is the friction between the past and the present. That premise hits hard because it is familiar without being...

D.D.R. (Divorced Dad Rock) hits the pavement running on "Blinded By the Blonde: Chapter One", turning the jagged debris of romantic wreckage into pure kinetic energy. The seven-song collection marks the latest outing from Indiana-based novelist and songwriter Stephen Paul, whose philosophy of "universal specificity" treats private heartbreaks as open-source emotional blueprints. Rather than wallowing quietly behind closed doors, Paul channels the soaring melodies...