There is a distinct, jagged auditory flavor to the concept of velocity, something that hits you immediately when listening to Kaleidoscope Collision and their latest single, "Hiding Place." Listening to this Malaga-based duo feels like stumbling upon a secret transmission while spinning the radio dial in a stolen getaway car. https://open.spotify.com/track/14P1I2KuCPzR4srkWxQ3lH?si=818cdb1e7a994ee7 The track kicks in with a rhythmic pulse that refuses to ask for permission. Jovani...

Take Jack Horton, a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose path to folk-Americana included stops at Japanese law school, Tokyo piano bars, corporate boardrooms, and government offices. His latest EP, "Imperfections," feels like finding someone's private journal set to music. And that someone happens to write really, really well. The five-song collection opens with "Set Me Free," a piano-driven confession that might surprise anyone expecting typical breakup bitterness. Horton...