My Glass World and their new album, “Stranded Assets,” have barged into my ear-space, rather like that one uncle at a wedding who insists on telling you about his model train collection, but then, confoundingly, reveals a profound truth about the human condition just as you’re reaching for another vol-au-vent. This isn't background music; it’s foreground chaos, beautifully arranged. https://open.spotify.com/album/3gpEQRokHZeUiqcVowd6ie?si=SsoiuiuwSvmQSWcX2K06_Q The British duo, Jamie Telford and...

There is a peculiar kind of engine at the heart of "Half Evil" by Tomato Soup, and it runs not on gasoline but on disorientation. The Denver six-piece calls their sound "Motor-Folk," and it fits. The track has the chugging, forward-moving momentum of a vehicle, yet it seems to be driving through a landscape seen in a fever dream, where the signposts are all...