Okay, let’s tumble into Apryll Aileen's “Under My Tree,” shall we? It’s not your grandma’s sleigh-bell jingler, not by a long shot. Aileen, this classically-trained pianist, decides to cloak herself in a Christmas-themed R&B haze, like wrapping a finely-made watch in soft flannel. It’s the kind of thing that makes you tilt your head. https://open.spotify.com/track/6BBE2fTRte3f7HW7NZkTwm?si=JDkhIyolRLeIJS9r8m7PVA The song feels like staring at a snow globe, the tiny...

Folk music and indie folk have become more mainstream in recent years, to my surprise. The uplifting and soothing vibrations of this clean and global form of music are something we should all have more of in our lives. Two years ago, Lee Leffler (guitars, keyboards, vocals and lyrics), along with Michael Frackleton (drumming and bass), formed the Boston-based band, Dream of a Man...