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...

When one immerses oneself in the world of musical creativity, it is not unusual to sometimes come across a spectacular composition that induces a short pause and a sensation of amazement in the listener. An excellent example of creative production can be found in the song "Glock" by Love Ghost, which features the Mexican rapper Dan Garcia. The piece in question goes well beyond the bounds...