The first listen of Haus of Sound’s new single, “Mirage,” is like walking into a room where a beautifully ornate vase has just been shattered against a wall. There's a jagged, crystalline energy here, a collision of theatrical drama and raw, modern discontent. Evolving from their 2000s tribute roots, the Everett band has synthesized the best of that era’s angst—the coiled tension of early...

To listen to Vicious Clay’s `"bleecker street revisited"` is to stumble upon a cartographer’s personal diary, one filled with maps of places that no longer exist and sketches of emotional territories still being charted. This is the latest work from Vinny Silva’s musical project, and it feels less like a collection of songs and more like a core sample, drilled deep into the bedrock...