There is a peculiar kind of engine at the heart of "Half Evil" by Tomato Soup, and it runs not on gasoline but on disorientation. The Denver six-piece calls their sound "Motor-Folk," and it fits. The track has the chugging, forward-moving momentum of a vehicle, yet it seems to be driving through a landscape seen in a fever dream, where the signposts are all...

What does it mean for music to be “live” anymore? In an era of backing tracks, digital corrections, and performances polished to a frictionless gleam, the term has lost some of its meaning. It often signifies little more than the physical presence of a performer on a stage. But then, an album like Udeigwe’s "Live in Williamsburg" appears, and it serves as a powerful reminder...