Maverick Smith’s “We Make Fire, They Make Smoke” lands not with a thud, but with the distinct, satisfying crackle of something catching alight. It’s a title that carries the grit of the Ohio Valley in its consonants, a resolute statement from a band – Paige Bosic on commanding vocals and rhythm guitar, Sean Boynes sculpting soundscapes on guitar, Jim Courtney’s intricate drumming, Charlie Kovach’s...

Matthew Phillips, the two-time San Diego Music Award-winning independent artist, takes up arms against our modern era's disposable romance on his new single, "Battlefield of Love." We live in an age where discarding people is terrifyingly easy. Phillips rejects that entirely. Writing, playing guitar, and performing with a fierce sense of defiance, he blends alternative rock urgency with sprawling cinematic textures to build a...