Listening to Arnold J.’s new single, "Muddy Waters," isn't quite like anything else swirling around right now. It arrives with the gentle insistence of incoming tide, pulling you into its specific gravity. Arnold J., Ghanaian-born and now Canada-based, weaves a sound tagged as alt-country and folk, but those labels feel thin, like trying to contain smoke. There’s earthiness, sure, but his soulful vocal lines...

Owen Young? A fine arts and law graduate, turned songwriter... in Haldimand County, no less. That’s a plot twist worthy of a good, old black and white film reel. His EP, “Town Line,” is like walking into a slightly dusty antique shop - you’re not quite sure what you’ll find, but there's a quiet hum of history hanging in the air. Town Line by Owen...