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...

You know that exact moment when you realize the people clapping the loudest are the ones hoping you trip? That is the exact energy Mista Crook captures in his latest single, "Dream Big". 'Dream Big' does not waste time pretending the road to success is all champagne and confetti. It gets straight to the gritty reality of what happens when your ambition outgrows your current...