There is a peculiar friction to the digital textures of Skylarka and her new album, "Somnorine". It’s supposed to be chiptune-influenced synthwave, but listening to it feels less like browsing the internet and more like chewing on aluminum foil while watching Blade Runner on a CRT monitor that’s slowly degaussing. It’s a sensory contradiction bright, crystalline pop hooks wrestling with the deep, existential dread...

Rusty Reid is such an artist that his indie work is based on the folk-country rock tapestry element to emphasize protest and passion narrative. However, his most recent work “ American Villain ” stands as an alarm bell, reminiscent of the infusion between the sixties and today’s political constituency. After a short tenure with the University of Houston, he was under Nashville’s bright lights at 19....