There is a specific kind of quiet you find in the Midwest, and listening to Derby Hill and his self-titled release, "Derby Hill", feels like stumbling into that quiet after a long, noisy shift. It’s not the silence of emptiness; it’s the silence of after. After the argument, after the paycheck clears, after the sun goes down over the Detroit skyline or a Chicago...

Some musicians don't simply make music for the sake of expressing themselves; they also do it to comfort listeners and bring them together. Among the rare breed of artists who can also empathise with their audience is the outstanding Christine Tarquinio. Christine's inventiveness is not limited to her projects; she makes it her duty to educate people about how she creates art. This kind of...