Listening to Bloomfield Machine's new seventeen-track instrumental album, “Copium,” feels a bit like stepping into a terrarium during a quiet downpour. The title itself suggests a kind of modern, knowing self-delusion, the balm we apply just to get by. Yet, the music crafted by Huntington Beach’s Brian Kassan is far too sincere for pure cynicism. This isn’t the sound of giving up; it’s the...

If one were to immerse themselves in the environment of modern popular music, one would find that there is a dynamic and broad assortment of voice expressions. On rare occasions, though, one person may rise from the middle of multiple voices with great clarity and charisma, compelling others to listen to what they have to say. Katie Belle is making waves with her entrancing new...