Anthony Casuccio's "The Rockstar," is, well, not what you expect, especially if you were picturing spandex and teased hair. It's a raw, honest pour of musicality, almost like watching someone build a guitar from scratch right in front of you. He’s not pretending; this is what he does, he is music. That kind of dedication, you can feel it. It's like catching a stray...

"America" from Dave Clark drops like a chipped ceramic mug onto a linoleum floor, not exactly a bang but you feel the thud. It's not about sparkly flag-waving; that much is clear from the first plucky guitar notes. It’s a story woven in threadbare folk chords and tinged with the static hum of some plugged-in grief. https://open.spotify.com/track/7nSYreI8IQDkOgvGjTvjwy?si=bbfaa8073f824d01 There's a man in this track, though you never...