Making music is like alchemy; it turns nothing into something, turning feelings into notes. Benjamin David, a musician with a Midas touch who plays many instruments, has perfected this transformational talent. Benjamin has risen to prominence in modern music thanks to his unique style, which can be heard at illustrious places around the country and has left his imprint on a slew of albums and...

Violet Love has offered up an EP titled "Destined to Fail," and it arrives less like a prediction and more like a pre-existing condition, a medical chart for a soul that’s been diagnosed with itself. The DIY recording quality doesn’t feel lo-fi for aesthetics; it feels necessary, like these songs could only have been born in a sealed-off room where the air was getting...