Some songs are like a time machine. You press play, and suddenly you’re somewhere else, some other time. Maybe it’s a smoky bar in the 1970s, a sweaty punk club in the 80s, or, in the case of “Oh Denise,” the new single from Ken Woods and The Old Blue Gang, a dusty dancehall on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, sometime in the not-too-distant past. The...

Raquel Ramos really mixes it up on her single "Advice," drawing from what feels like a whole generational Rolodex of music. You've got that 90s alt-rock edge, some pure pop earnestness, and hints of R&B soul woven through it. And the song itself (from Ramos, who used to be Sirena Sol) doesn't hit you softly; it feels more like the surprise of finding a...