Kent Owens, a name that sounds like it should be on a library card next to “Hemingway,” but instead it's on the digital shelf next to my slightly messy playlist. This Cambridge-based creator of soundscapes – I’m resisting calling them songs, but…well – just released “Fade Away,” a single that feels like an open window after a long winter. It’s a soft rock hum...

With "The HeARTist," Dublin's very own Galvo joins the indie-folk community in its ongoing pursuit for true heartbeats among an array of sounds. This 14-track journey relates to an authenticity that is difficult to find these days. Galvo is a phenomenon rather than simply a name or an artist. Every note he sings and every chord he pulls tells of a life submerged in melodies since...