Lincoln’s Future Theory have distilled a uniquely modern affliction into their new single, "Reality Buzz." It’s the specific sound of a cheap energy drink fizzing next to an overdue bill. A nervous, propulsive energy runs through the track, a driving alt-rock current that feels like trying to walk in a straight line while the world tilts on its axis. The guitars, steeped in a...

Kent Owens, a name that sounds like it should be on a library card next to “Hemingway,” but instead it's on the digital shelf next to my slightly messy playlist. This Cambridge-based creator of soundscapes – I’m resisting calling them songs, but…well – just released “Fade Away,” a single that feels like an open window after a long winter. It’s a soft rock hum...