With a guitar in his hand and a strong will, Paul Bibbins has made his own way as an artist. He has a voice that stands out in the business. A four-track EP called "Disenchantment At A Distance," Bibbins's most recent work, was just released. He is from Dallas, Texas, and he breaks the rules of traditional rock music to create an era of uniqueness...

Shawn Brown’s EP, "Into the Furious Light," doesn’t slip quietly into the stream of modern indie-folk releases; it instead cups its hands around your soul like you’re a candle in danger of flickering out. The Portland troubadour crafts songs that feel like fragments of conversations—maybe ones you walked in on too late or letters unsent to someone dear but no longer near. You’re never...